"Buckwheat Harvest"
The current Oakland post office represents a combination of Colonial and modern architecture, with elements of art-deco design. The government purchased land on Second, between Green and Center streets, in May 1939 for $7,000. The purchase was authorized by both the Public Buildings Act of 1926 and the Federal Public Buildings Appropriations Act of 1938. A Feburary 1940 article from a local newspaper announced the Federal Works Administrator was accepting bids from contractors for the new post office. Bids were to follow a design predetermined by the Public Buildings Administration. The plans called for "a one story building designed in a contemporary expression of the Colonial." The new post office would be a functional representation of the Oakland community. The newspaper described the plans: "Exterior walls of the new building will be faced with brick, trimmed with cast stone. The pitched metal roof covering the central portion will be surmounted with a cupola in keeping with the Colonial style of architecture. The exterior proportions of the building clearly establish the interior arrangements. The public lobby will occupy the central feature, flanked on one side by the Postmaster's office and on the other by an alcove containing over 200 lock boxes. Two large windows, extending from base to cornice, together with the glazed doorway will insure ample light for the lobby."
A letter dated November 27, 1940 invited Robert Gates to submit a mural design to adorn the new post office. His invitation was issued on basis of satisfactory work submitted to a previous Social Security Mural Competition. Total compensation for the commission was $800 and followed this schedule: $175 upon approval of the preliminary sketch, $275 upon approval of the full-sized cartoon, and $350 upon completion, installation, and approval of the mural. Gates was encouraged to visit the site and was instructed that the mural should be of "simple and vital design." The Section suggested that experience with the locality should influence choice of subject matter and would enhance the overall affect of the mural.
Gates responded enthusiastically to the invitation. In a letter dated December 9, 1940, Gates wrote to Edward Rowan, Assistant Chief of the Section of Fine Arts: "Dear Ed, I can't tell you how delighted I was to get your letter inviting me to submit designs for a mural decoration for the Oakland, Maryland Post Office. As you no doubt know, that has been my summer address for a good many summers in the past seven or eight years, and I have also painted there in other seasons as well. As a matter of fact, it is my favorite section of the country for painting, and I accept with the greatest pleasure the invitation to submit designs. As I have considerable material to work with I hope to be able to submit something very soon. - Sincerely yours, Robert F. Gates"
On a preparation form, Gates states the mural's name and theme, "Buckwheat Harvest", and that it will be of egg tempera on canvas. The egg tempera mixture and canvas material were probably the same as he used later on the Lewisburg mural.
The mural depicts an idyllic version of farm work and daily life in Garrett County. The split-rail fences and rolling hills would be familiar to residents and help situate the scene to other viewers. There is a plow in the center background, but two men in the left foreground are stooped down gathering the crop by hand. A woman stands behind the men with a bushel in her hands. The viewer can feel the ache in the curvature of their backs. In the right foreground, two young women and a young man watch from a shaded fence. The young man holds a pitchfork, perhaps taking a break between chores. Gates uses cool colors in this right section to create shade, while the other two men and woman to the left are surrounded by warmer tones, creating a sense of sunlight. Another woman in the left foreground holds a basket full of fruit, holds a brown object (perhaps something wrapped in brown paper) underneath her elbow, and wears a simple red dress and hat. Not dressed for harvesting, chickens peck around her feet as she returns to the farmstead. Although the clothes and home are simple, the farm seems prosperous, with a full field of buckwheat and a garden growing beside the house in the right background. There is little to no evidence of land depletion, erosion, unemployment, or financial instability created by the decline of industry and ensuing Great Depression. The mural presents a picturesque version of farm labor, the realities of which residents knew well. In its endeavor to appeal to local heritage and provide an idealized work of art, "Buckwheat Harvest" successfully fulfilled the Section's mission.