Yay Another Philco Ford Appliance Saved
Great job Jon, now on to the dryer, maybe you could convert the dryer into a Heat-Pump dryer while you are rebuilding it.
Why did they use a center-post ?, Probably for several reasons, 1 its looks more conventional so it would be less likely to scare buyers away, 2 it makes it less likely to tangle items, 3 it provided a great way to have a lint filter and dispenser.
I had one of these washers years ago in my laundry room for over a year and tried to use it a good bit, but for anything but small low water loads it was not very effective and often in full water level loads the laundry would actually fall asleep during the wash cycle, LOL, but overall it was kinda a fun washer.