The North County Times reports that the Postal Service plans to shift 11 postal carriers’ home base from the Winchester, California, post office to a postal delivery center, and the news has prompted concern from some members of the community that this is the prelude to closing the post office completely. Residents say a closure “would take away a key … Read More
Done Deal: New Deal P.O. in Westport, CT, Sold
The post office at 154 Post Road in Westport, Connecticut, was built in 1935 by the New Deal. It was designed by Lansing Holden, a World War I flying ace, who won the Distinguished Service Cross. Returning home from the war, he took up his father’s profession as an architect. Holden continued to fly, and in 1938 he died in … Read More
Postal Regulatory Commission Chair testifies to Senate on the closings
The Postal Regulatory Commission is is an independent government agency charged with oversight of the Postal Service. Ruth Y. Goldway is the chairman of the Commission, and she testified before the Senate yesterday (May 22, 2011). A key part of her statement concerned the closings of post offices across the country. She made two key points: (1) the Postal Service … Read More
New Deal Post Office in Camas, WA: Going, going, gone
The post office in downtown Camas, Washington, was built in 1939 under the New Deal, and it's been on the National Register of Historic Buildings since 1991. The Camas post office contains a mural, sponsored by the Section of Fine Arts, painted by Douglas Nicholson in 1941. Entitled "Beginning of a New World," it depicts Northwest settlers and a Native … Read More
Historic post office in Sheffield, AL: Rumors of closing
The post office in Sheffield, Alabama, was built in 1930, and it's on the National Register of Historic Places. It is rumored to be haunted by a former postal employee. Sheffield is the birthplace of actor and senator Fred Thompson (born 1942), who, coincidentally, worked at a post office in Tennessee where he attended high school. Sheffield is just a … Read More
New Deal post office in Somerville: For Sale
The Union Square post office on Washington Street in Somerville, Massachusetts, was built in 1935, under the New Deal. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. As the Somerville Patch reports, the USPS is planning to move most of the Union Square operations to another location, sell the historic building, and lease back some space … Read More
It don’t look good, news is bad: New Deal P.O. in Ukiah, CA, to close
The post office in Ukiah, California, was built in 1937 under the New Deal. It may close in a few weeks. On Feb. 23, the Postal Service announced its intention to close this downtown post office and move its services to an annex at the edge of the city. A meeting was held on April 21, and more than 200 … Read More
Palm Beach Story
In October of 2010, residents of Palm Beach, Florida, learned that their post office would be closing. An historic structure built in 1936 by the New Deal, it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Residents had a few weeks to protest, and protest they did, but to no avail—the post office is closing, probably sometime in June. The … Read More
Historic Post Office in Athens, PA: Don’t Bet on It
The rich heritage of post offices built during the New Deal is being dismantled by the Postal Service, piece by piece. The post office in Athens, Pennsylvania, may be closing soon. The Sayre, PA, Morning Times reports today, “According to the Postmaster (who is not a local), a truck will come in Memorial Day weekend to move the majority of … Read More
Robbing Northfield, MN, of its New Deal Post Office
The post office in Northfield, Minnesota was built by the New Deal in 1936. It is on the National Register of Historic Places, and it's a cornerstone of the Northfield Downtown Historic District. The Postal Service has announced it will close this historic downtown post office and consolidate services at an annex a few miles away. KYMN radio reports today … Read More
What Would Dizzie Do? New Deal P.O. in Cheraw, SC, to Close
The downtown post office in Cheraw, South Carolina, was built in 1933 under the New Deal. It's located in the middle of the Cheraw Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and it's surrounded by buildings that go back to the Civil War and even earlier. Cheraw, by the way, is the birthplace of Dizzie Gillespie. The … Read More
Closing Post Offices to Make Managers Look Good
Representatives of the postal system appeared before a Senate subcommittee yesterday to give testimony on the financial condition of the post office as well as addressing bills before the Senate. President of the National League of Postmasters Mark Strong had this to say: "There appears to be renewed interest in some sectors in closing small rural post offices, an interest … Read More
Fox joins the misleading “bailout” attack
Media Matters reports that "Fox Launches Misleading Attack On Postal Service": "On Fox & Friends, Fox Business host Stuart Varney attacked the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for seeking a 'bailout" because if it "were run like a business," the USPS would be "cutting costs" and wouldn't need federal assistance. In fact, the USPS has been cutting costs for years, and … Read More
If the Postal Service were private
The Wall Street Journal editorial bashing the USPS that we noted a couple of days ago continues to stir up controversy. The blog "Dead Tree Edition," which follows the production and distribution of magazines and catalogs, provides a thorough debunking of the Journal piece, and it makes the additional point that the Postal Service gives the Journal special treatment: "Within … Read More
More closings out west
There's been postal service in the small town of Cora, Wyoming, for the past 120 years. That may come to an end soon. Cora has received notice that the post office is being studied for closure or consolidation. The current postmaster said she was not authorized to speak to reporters about the possible closure, but former Cora postmaster Pat Poletti, … Read More
Rescuing the USPS: Bailout or restructuring?
Yesterday's Wall Street Journal ran an op-ed piece entitled "The Coming Postal Bailout: Congress wants taxpayers to save mail worker pensions." The editorial argues that because the Postal Service is about to use up its $15 billion line of credit with the federal government, the USPS is going to have to ask for a "taypayer bailout." But is helping the … Read More