tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50144365488169492432012-03-02T01:30:09.414-05:00A photo journal of post offices and places across the United States. Offices visited: 3,051 [in 43 states].Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.comBlogger1761100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-28745036404434795302012-02-26T12:07:00.009-05:002012-02-26T22:42:07.217-05:00

On this blog I've shared with you some wonderful and unique experiences I've had during my postal adventures around the country. By now I've visited nearly 10% of all USPS facilities: independent post offices, branches and stations, CPUs, annexes, and processing plants; but there is still plenty more to go. What follows is a list of offices to which I've not been, but which, by my understanding

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-81142541722969805102012-02-24T06:34:00.000-05:002012-02-24T06:35:03.843-05:00

First, there are a few observations that I find interesting with regard to the Area Mail Processing consolidations: 1. Chicago could be left without its own postmark if the Cardiss Collins P&DC downtown loses its originating mail to suburban plants. Ditto Fort Worth, whose P&DC would be responsible for destinating mail to Dallas while losing originating mail to the North Texas P&DC. Not to

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-69882783008860246462012-02-23T15:28:00.015-05:002012-02-27T16:19:38.993-05:00

Pre.S. There's a Part II to this entry, which includes observations and questions regarding consolidation plans. Well, it seems nothing can stop USPS management now: the list of 223 processing plant consolidations is out. That said, and with the presumption that this process will be extremely difficult to stop, I present to you photographs of some of the plants that are slated to close. I

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-12117667691003420462012-02-20T19:18:00.008-05:002012-02-20T20:18:07.228-05:00

While volunteering at the PMCC [Postmark] Museum in north central Ohio a year and a half ago, I took a day off to explore some of the region's POs. In doing so I was able to learn about a little facet of history known by a few. In visiting 26 towns' POs I noticed that many of the names looked very familiar: New Haven; New London; North Fairfield; Greenwich. Norwalk lies to the northwest. Each

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-27166486910017704282012-02-15T23:13:00.021-05:002012-02-16T20:41:55.270-05:00

When I visit post offices, I don't just take photos and collect postmarks. Well, usually I don't have the need to do anything else, aside from possibly bantering with cool folks, but occasionally there's more work to be done. I note these changes because, in my view, providing superior customer service and best engaging and maintaining existing customers is a key to maintaining revenue and

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-11441742319097219342012-02-12T11:51:00.002-05:002012-02-12T12:05:28.587-05:00

Unfortunately yours truly has been too inundated with schoolwork to prepare any thorough entries of late. But, I could show you some snapshots from the archives! Here are three photos from a corner of north central Mississippi from my 2009 southern road trip. Three offices, three nice postmarks and friendly Postmasters: Falkner, MS post office Tiplersville, MS post office Here,

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-57342251863822892012012-02-07T14:33:00.016-05:002012-02-08T12:46:48.889-05:00

[Edit: Welcome, HDNet viewers! I just found out that the segment on World News aired tonight, but I haven't seen it so I have no idea how it came out or how I came across. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed it! You can review some all-time favorite entries at the left, find posts by labels (Pennsylvania, great signs, etc.) below that, or follow the Going Postal Facebook page. Also, I volunteer for

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-79127986436800559992012-02-05T13:06:00.014-05:002012-02-05T14:19:44.766-05:00

Save the Post Office ran an article yesterday regarding a document issued by USPS in response to a PRC inquiry that confirms what post offices were either discontinued or suspended last year. STPO has conducted an interpretation of the data, including the numbers involved. Here I just seek to establish what information you can take the bank and what just doesn't quite add up. While I think

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-9473412129216536692012-02-04T23:26:00.004-05:002012-02-05T00:09:35.186-05:00

While I've spent what is now a near-innumerable number of days on the road visiting post offices, I've never actually documented a full day's travels -- until now. We began the afternoon of January 27 visiting post offices #2,996 to #3,000 in my previous entry. Let's see what else happened as the day progressed. #3,001: Beverly, NJ post office While this building was nothing out of the

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-31613828296566618412012-01-31T21:01:00.016-05:002012-02-05T00:06:53.825-05:00

Or, How to Have a Fun Afternoon in a Seemingly Nondescript Part of New Jersey! For the second time in a week I had the pleasure of having the company of a lovely lady for an afternoon of postal adventures. Accompanying me on Friday was Sara, a senior at Penn who's writing a 25-to-30-page paper about me for her journalism class. Totally awesome. I picked her up at 12:30 and we shipped on over

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-70011995339605825592012-01-22T13:05:00.006-05:002012-01-23T10:14:52.293-05:00

Ah, Providence. Imagine: I spent four years at Brown University and didn't even consider photographing every post office within 50 miles! That changed somewhat one day last summer as I was heading back from Boston to New York. Any postal tour of Providence must begin with the Main Post Office, whose retail operations share a building with the Providence P&DC, carriers for a few ZIP codes, and

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-38487838607882287382012-01-19T12:50:00.013-05:002012-01-19T19:48:59.234-05:00

I've finally fully updated my spreadsheet of post office visits and can declare with certainty that I visited 1,253 [new-to-me] operating postal facilities in 2011; an average of 104 a month or 3.4 per day over the year. The year-end total is 2,825, which doesn't quite jive with last year's figure... I think I realized that I forgot a couple days' visits and logged them in this year. Not bad

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-25983198545364252932012-01-16T15:09:00.008-05:002012-01-18T13:16:50.274-05:00

In rural communities post offices are more than places to buy stamps. During my school's winter break I visited the town of Alplaus in upstate New York which, due to bizarre circumstances, faces losing an important part of its identity despite the present moratorium on postal closures. The Alplaus CPO was forced to close its doors on January 6. Residents felt as though they were losing a

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-47167756510040343842012-01-09T23:14:00.008-05:002012-01-28T10:27:48.343-05:00

It's a shame that it's the quaintest post offices -- you know, the ones with the most local character -- are the ones that seem to be slated for closure. I visited a few of said in Vermont this past week, and wanted to present one to you this evening! (I must apologize for the lack of recent updates here. Let's just say that real-life has taught me that vacations can be busier than work

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-78481446662159909622011-12-29T14:22:00.012-05:002011-12-29T20:15:12.894-05:00

Save the Post Office is a fantastic website that details all you could ever want to know with regard to keeping your local post office open. This entry discusses the ways in which I've determined I would like to "save" post offices -- that is, preserve their memories through physical items you can actually obtain from your local post office before it closes. I'll share why it matters to me and

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-60921450566529407852011-12-29T10:46:00.010-05:002011-12-29T11:29:45.274-05:00

By and large, only folks within the Postal Service read the bi-weekly Postal Bulletin. Heck, they're supposed to read it because the Bulletin informs them of all new postal regulations changes. Regardless, Bulletin issues are available to the general public and I follow each new issue closely to find out whether any changes affect my hobby-work, which post offices USPS wants to announce the

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-52869513927838474042011-12-19T07:56:00.008-05:002011-12-19T18:32:05.725-05:00

Welcome, BBC viewers / web-watchers! When my NPR radio segment aired a month ago, I was approached by the BBC and challenged to find them a quaint little post office in the general D.C. area. They would interview me there, show me getting a local postmark, and film a bit of bantering with the Postmaster. I chose Ladiesburg, Maryland, a town NNE of Frederick and an hour and a half outside D.C.

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-73263905065409106222011-12-12T22:28:00.012-05:002012-01-28T10:28:08.574-05:00

I was saddened when the results to my recent FOIA request to USPS came back -- not because they didn't send me what I asked for, but because I saw the small-town post office in Lemhi, Idaho has received a Final Determination notice, meaning that its closure is imminent. This little corner of Idaho is sparsely populated, but has a big place in history that is little-known: Lewis and Clark

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-33654121230150706182011-12-09T00:21:00.029-05:002011-12-09T23:14:29.886-05:00

I figure many communities need to know this information, which is not always accessible. So, this officially-sourced list of post offices removed from RAOI is available here first! (For the record, you can now follow Going Postal on Facebook to receive updates on new entries as they happen.) Baltimore, MD: Druid Station; one of 307 post offices removed from the RAOI closure study. As part of

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-23827082830323928562011-12-07T11:28:00.005-05:002011-12-07T13:50:24.898-05:00

[Photo credit: Wikipedia: Vaucluse, South Carolina. See first photo at right. USPS has changed the sign above the door since then.] Note: This is the first post office about which I'm writing to which I have not actually been! I thought I should get in an entry this week to celebrate the completion of one of my final assignments. To my knowledge the town of Vaucluse, South Carolina,

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-91587327179812867872011-12-04T22:53:00.004-05:002011-12-04T23:14:52.992-05:00

Hi folks, I've got tons of great stories and a myriad of photos I'd love to share with you. However, with finals in full swing here at the University of Pennsylvania, my updates will be slow for a couple of weeks. My apologies. But if you're new here, there are links to some great journal entries, as well as links to stories with common tags, in the left sidebar of this page. If anyone would

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-55796847192763877202011-12-01T21:17:00.011-05:002011-12-05T12:17:53.387-05:00

[Note: As of 11/30/11, Going Postal has a new Facebook page! I might use it for fun things such as live-blogging some post office visits, in addition to keeping you 'posted' as to the goings-on on this blog.] I feel fortunate that I was able to visit the Mahanoy Plane Post Office before it closed, likely for all time. It has not been officially closed -- discontinued -- by the U.S. Postal

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-12162472069834178552011-11-30T15:22:00.012-05:002011-12-02T00:27:45.065-05:00

(Welcome, BBC listeners / viewers! And Penn Current readers.) To get a good semblance for what this photo journal is about, I suggest exploring the Favorite Entries at the left side of this page. I would like to commemorate two special occasions this fine November 30th: First, my father's birthday. My father was the man who inadvertently got me into the hobby of postmark collecting. He's been

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-45527576744370870472011-11-24T10:27:00.024-05:002011-12-01T23:38:23.114-05:00

The thought should have occurred to me to write about Rozet earlier. It was one of my first postal experiences while I was exploring the country during the summer of '08, and to this day I would still call it the most meaningful. (Not to mention it's nice having people visit your blog, and several hundred of you have done so by searching "Greenville, PA post office" after my touting of it on

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-54771847988677031282011-11-22T08:06:00.019-05:002011-11-24T12:32:30.674-05:00

Welcome, NPR listeners and readers! I hope you enjoy Going Postal, a photo journal of post offices and places across the United States. If you've got any questions or feedback, or would otherwise like to submit your own postal-related story, do contact me at the email address at left. Thanks for tuning in. I was a bit nervous inside the studio, so hopefully I was articulate enough and you

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-13099862452768822182011-11-21T14:14:00.013-05:002011-11-22T08:04:46.692-05:00

Hello, again. In case you missed either of the first two entries in this trilogy, about the lovely little offices of Squirrel and MacMahan Islands, please do head on over to Part I or II! [Incidentally -- I was just informed that during an interview by the Postmaster General this afternoon, "some young ladies [interrupted], offering protest slogans and ending by chanting Hey hey, ho ho,

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-23379772916747189492011-11-20T12:52:00.018-05:002011-11-21T15:44:18.448-05:00

(For those who missed, it, Part I is below on the homepage, or at this link.) [Waving good-bye from the Squirrel Island pier:] One of the wonderful things about USPS's pictorial postmark program is that any small community around the country can receive its 15 minutes of fame with publication in USPS's biweekly Postal Bulletin (and Linn's Stamp News). For example: When USPS unveiled its

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-73665227965810288512011-11-19T17:11:00.018-05:002011-11-20T18:25:46.501-05:00

[The Five Islands dock; view from the boat to Macmahan Island (and its attendant PO):] When you're invited to partake in a postal tour of islands of Maine, you don't say no. Assuming your job is over for the summer and school doesn't start for another month, anyway. Together, three postal tourists with a combined 38,000 post offices visited set off and discovered some astoundingly quaint

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-65136269790987057842011-11-17T08:46:00.026-05:002011-11-17T23:54:22.496-05:00

Hello, new visitors, especially those who are here because they saw the article about the Postal Service on TIME.com this morning. I hope you enjoy this photo journal, in which I seek to present some of the more unique aspects of, and stories behind, a critical -- yet increasingly under-respected -- American institution and facet of our country's social fabric. Read some of the "favorites

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-36889140015073334262011-11-16T12:55:00.016-05:002011-11-18T14:33:03.383-05:00

What to do... It's late afternoon in rural north central Maryland and one is expected to be at one's friend's place in Pittsburgh at 7 p.m., yet you're tipped off that a post office has recently closed in a small town a few miles south of I-70, and the beautiful postal façade still stands in the general store. I'm guessing the obvious thing to do is to put off meeting your friend and have dinner

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-8084461946210394632011-11-13T17:34:00.009-05:002012-02-20T18:45:21.123-05:00

In 1995, Maryland's second-largest incorporated city heralded the advent of a new sectional mail processing facility. Smaller than a full-blown Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC), this P&D Facility (P&DF) housed 180 postal employees who were involved with the processing and cancellation of mail entering the mailstream from, as well as the distribution of mail getting delivered to, at

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-7920289810933149042011-11-10T23:15:00.012-05:002011-11-13T16:37:03.106-05:00

For the philatelist in you, you might think it fun to obtain a cancel commemorating this once-a-century mathematical treat. Unfortunately, as Veterans Day is a federal holiday, very few post offices are actually open and thus few Nov. 11, 2011 hand-cancels are actually available. Here are some ways to get 11/11/11 cancels. The first four methods are date-specific -- that is, they can only be

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-50246923168808519962011-11-02T00:23:00.023-04:002011-11-03T19:13:43.047-04:00

(One can get full information about Carrier Annexes, at least if they know where one is, or if one's mail is delivered from one, by using 1-800-ASK-USPS, selecting option 5 from the main menu, stating "delivery offices", and entering the ZIP code in question. These locations' addresses are also noted on USPS's published Leased / Owned Facilities Report. So what I'm posting here, while not

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-76038518579028347012011-11-01T14:32:00.010-04:002011-11-03T18:51:18.529-04:00

This appears to be becoming a bit of a Pennsylvania-centric journal for the time being. My apologies for the lack of geographic diversity, but there are stories to be told! And this is where I've been lately. (First off, if the Punxsutawney P.O. doesn't see its shadow on Groundhog Day, does that mean USPS won't close 6,000 more post offices? ...) The building itself is nothing spectacular.

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-24508616900812609712011-10-31T15:16:00.015-04:002011-11-03T18:48:17.717-04:00

Ahh, a snowy weekend in Pennsylvania. This means, for the record, that when I took my road trip, I only documented 84 post offices. [Note: With this story I'm not trying to say that CPUs are a sufficient/full replacement for classified stations and branches. That is, neighborhood post offices should not be closed and a CPU added in its stead. Rather, CPUs are best used as complements to the

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-28016097335698846142011-10-25T23:18:00.011-04:002011-10-27T14:30:56.863-04:00

By 2:00 I visited all 19 of my mapped-out south Providence-area post offices. Which means, in American Pickers lingo, that it's time for free-styling. Since the destination that evening was NYC, I headed south. My first idea for a place to stop at was the town of East Greenwich. East Greenwich is Exit 8 off Rhode Island Route 4, and a reasonable way to hunt for a post office is to check

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-68243621766245777162011-10-24T15:42:00.006-04:002011-10-24T16:52:38.987-04:00

(I don't anticipate this getting picked up by the major postal news aggregators, because with this entry I'm not trying to say anything substantial. It's just a related group of photos.) Most of the older cities in America (New York, Philadelphia, Boston) were built with a high density of post offices, appropriate for the cities' high population densities and number of distinct communities.

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-49319095276154123792011-10-21T01:37:00.061-04:002011-10-21T16:53:50.247-04:00

[I write this blog because I like the Postal Service and recognize the importance of brick-and-mortar post offices to communities across America. One hopes that is taken as a compliment. It is my view that the mass discontinuance of post offices and RAOI do more to damage the long-term viability and integrity of USPS than to save it.] It is USPS's duty, by birthright, to properly serve every

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-34240022871742559742011-10-20T14:23:00.002-04:002011-10-21T11:04:11.976-04:00

Unfortunately I've been saturated with work and don't have the time to present a detailed entry right this moment. I've been working on a larger one regarding RAOI and its relationship to Newark, NJ. Regardless, I thought it might be nice to present this fantastic location in northern Delaware. Just outside of Wilmington, the Montchanin Post Office has been in operation since 1889 (though

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-60615750684287556792011-10-16T01:20:00.017-04:002011-10-17T01:10:20.827-04:00

You won't be seeing three of these places for long, I'm rather certain. Catch 'em while you can! What you'll see below is a rather dense amalgam of post offices, each of which has historically served the Plainfield area for decades. There's a reason these locations exist to begin with. So what some might see as postal excess could also be viewed as providing astounding service to the

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-46359971042708502222011-10-12T01:10:00.016-04:002011-10-14T10:24:58.197-04:00

I couldn't help but share this architectural gem, which presently ranks among my favorite post offices. (This one is NOT being studied for closure, for the record.) [Prologue: The Milton Post Office closes at noon on Saturdays. At 11:56 one recent weekend, a call went out from a certain 'postal tourist' currently in West Milton beseeching them to keep the window open for perhaps one and a

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-23424224324898889642011-10-09T11:33:00.016-04:002011-10-09T12:32:34.807-04:00

New readers might not know that it's my mission to photograph [and get postmarks from] as many U.S. post offices as humanly possible, for historic and archival purposes. Why? Originally, it was a way of documenting my cross-country travels and served a gift for my postmark-collecting father. Now it's because five years (... months?) from now, so many of these places won't be around. Post

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-57370955261246406382011-10-07T20:55:00.024-04:002011-10-09T15:53:48.206-04:00

As of noon today, I hold a claim to 'fame' that only 100,000 people can match: I was the last-ever customer at a discontinued U.S. Post Office. I can prove it, too: My receipt was [non-postally] certified by the supervisor on hand. (The author is also responsible for the last letter mailed from the post office, as well as the last use of its postmarking device. Of interest to postmark

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-52003133457000138142011-10-06T18:19:00.012-04:002011-10-08T13:46:09.023-04:00

For two weeks every summer, the town of Williamsport plays host to a the sports phenomenon that's known worldwide as the Little League World Series. The town made its money in lumber in the late 1800s, and today is otherwise unexpectedly small, a mere 30,000 residents. This winter, the action will happen 30-50 miles north of Williamsport, where eight small Pennsylvania towns are preparing to

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-85531502741374333462011-10-05T15:33:00.008-04:002011-10-05T19:35:53.290-04:00

Ah, yes, the two worst words in the postal tourist's English language: "Road closed." (Or perhaps some misinformed soul attempting to lecture, "[You can't take pictures of that!] That's federal!") I spent Saturday and Sunday exploring rural Pennsylvania in a persistent drizzle. Apparently it had rained more heavily before; at two points in the main artery leading to Montandon, PA [across the

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-68802107173292951832011-10-05T12:31:00.010-04:002011-10-05T19:40:04.530-04:00

If you live in a community affected by possible Post Office closure, you've either received or been able to pick up a Postal Service Customer Questionnaire at the PO in question. USPS obtains public commentary from all communities, and ideally, uses the feedback to determine whether or not to discontinue a post office. On said forms (of which I have a copy from several post offices I've

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-90383003693160828562011-10-04T18:45:00.020-04:002011-10-13T13:24:08.645-04:00

My third-to-last stop in my relatively light 16-post office Monday was the post office in Junedale, PA -- one of the 203 post offices in Pennsylvania being "studied" for closure [read: its fate is most likely already sealed]. The town is just south of Hazleton, which itself is near the intersection of Interstates 80 and 81 in northeast PA. This was a meaningful visit for me; there was a local

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-6443886739855994052011-10-03T20:56:00.005-04:002011-10-04T18:07:06.136-04:00

Okay. I've got a TON of interesting stories for everybody from this weekend's massive postal run. Unfortunately I also have a ton of coursework due the next two days, so I'll have to keep this short and sweet. I visited a grand 1,000 post offices back in March 2010; hit 1,500 in late November 2010; reached 2,000 on June 24, and as of yesterday [Sunday] I'm at 2,500. (By the end of today: 2,561.)

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-52339818554053630872011-10-02T08:25:00.005-04:002011-10-03T20:10:03.128-04:00

The author is out in rural Pennsylvania, documenting 'Hit Listed' offices all weekend. He's got lots of great photos and can't wait to share them with y'all! Unfortunately it'll have to wait because innumerable locations beckon. Also because he's a grad student and has real-life work to do. Update: 10/3/11, 8:09 PM. Post offices documented this weekend: 119. ... photographed Sunday: 49. ... on

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-89603420523298453592011-10-01T07:25:00.010-04:002011-10-23T15:45:05.510-04:00

Edited 10/9/11: 5:25pm: I had some facts wrong; not all of these facilities are being studied for consolidation into the Brooklyn P&DC. Information has been revised. For those of you who don't already know, USPS not only wants to close down its small-town and poor-neighborhood post offices; it also wants to shutter half its processing plants and make our mail substantially slower as well! Yet

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-85137565458484949862011-09-29T20:05:00.004-04:002011-12-18T01:49:06.426-05:00

At present there are three post offices on Long Island (out of approximately 200) that are on the list for potential short-term closure. Two are stations and one is a branch, meaning that none of these post offices has a Postmaster itself. The reason I've decided to write this entry is that I've noticed that a lot of people who have found my blog are researching Bay Shore's historic Penataquit

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-65560542902343581312011-09-28T19:11:00.027-04:002011-09-29T14:01:33.373-04:00

To my knowledge this is the first outlet to publish this information! That might be because I was able to pick up on this in person earlier this afternoon. It also apparently means my blog's an outlet now. (Perhaps what you're about to read is a solution to USPS's monetary woes?) If you've been to a post office within reasonable bounds of civilization, you've probably seen the computerized

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-1811993720781673232011-09-28T12:48:00.005-04:002011-09-28T23:06:07.128-04:00

When I first started this blog back in September of last year, it was intended to be read by just a few people. Think niche market. It was almost a personal archive. The dark design was intimate and it worked well for a while. These days, I've listed the blog on Google, it's getting linked to all over the map, and it's possible that a couple of postal managers are gauging my sanity; so I

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-45443289808554525362011-09-27T18:44:00.023-04:002011-09-28T21:05:41.356-04:00

A Special Edition Entry. [Photos and videos below.] Today saw an unprecedented series of rallies instituted in virtually every Congressional District across America. Tens of thousands of postal workers participated this afternoon, and hundreds of thousands have passed by and honked their support. Four of the largest postal unions in the United States: the American Postal Workers Union (APWU);

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-32659897861859074422011-09-26T21:23:00.005-04:002011-09-26T21:33:53.485-04:00

As it stands the Rutherford Post Office could lose FOUR of its six locations as part of the Decimated "Expanded Access" initiative. While these locations are listed as being in their own towns on USPS's online "study list", these facilities are all branches, meaning their main post office and Postmaster are in Rutherford, although the post offices lie outside the town's corporate limits. I

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-24502786714058988312011-09-25T12:53:00.004-04:002011-09-25T13:18:50.107-04:00

Here are some post offices in northern New Jersey that are on the Diminished "Expanded Access" study list. 1. Edison, NJ: Menlo Park Station post office It's in the back of a huge mall. In fact, here I've corrected the Google Maps positioning of it so it's now actually where the map says it is: It's probable that its fate comes down to usage. Generally speaking it's really tough to find

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-66675355253031272182011-09-23T16:54:00.009-04:002011-11-20T16:58:42.196-05:00

So I was driving around rural Fayette County, PA -- in the southwest part of the state -- a few Saturday afternoons back as part of my 86-post office weekend. Everything was closed, but it can be helpful to photograph when there are fewer cars and incomers-and-outgoers flying around. Makes things more efficient -- especially when, like me, you like to chat a lot. My AAA state map of

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-34434502321770452011-09-20T20:08:00.005-04:002011-09-20T20:33:06.785-04:00

This weekend was the Post Mark Collectors Club's 50th annual Convention, and this year it was held in Easton, MD. Which is a good thing, since it's only about two and a half hours from school; much further and I wouldn't have been able to make it this year. That said, I've been busy with post office runs and with actual work, so my next couple of entries might be a bit short. Never fear: I do

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-73347854070451892582011-09-16T21:01:00.011-04:002011-09-16T21:38:02.970-04:00

View Larger Map First off, here's the post office of St. Michaels, MD: The Saint Michaels, MD post office used to maintain two Community Post Offices (CPOs), but now has none. The first CPO, McDaniel, MD, shared a striking blue building with a flower shop, just off Rt. 33, and closed in 2005. Here's that location as it stands today... Former site -- St. Michaels, MD: McDaniel Post Office [

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-732431908401093072011-09-13T18:41:00.009-04:002011-09-13T18:54:16.777-04:00

First off, blog hits are WAY up since I started listing on search engines. (Okay, that makes perfect sense, but I was until recently a bit shy about having everyone being able to access at this.) Apparently people have found me by Googling various items regarding Fire Island; a Congressional office has viewed my story on Bay Shore's stately Penataquit Station (currently being considered for

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-87918111202330528032011-09-10T20:47:00.002-04:002011-09-10T21:08:38.334-04:00

I never know what I'm going to find when I hit up a new post office. Some are generally predictable -- a certain class of architecture in an X-sized town, about Y miles away from the next facility, with Z clerks, and an AB class of postmarking device.. But sometimes you get an uncommon postmark, or you hear an interesting story, or just generally come across something you never expected to find.

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-27278912296139914662011-09-05T11:44:00.005-04:002011-09-05T12:09:20.396-04:00

In this GP entry from a few months back I detailed some post offices that share presence with train stations. I've recently found a few more, and thought it would be fun to show them off here! Philadelphia Metro area: 1. Media, PA: Moylan Branch Post Office Quite honestly, I was surprised this thing is still around. Not to say that I wish it to be closed, but there aren't too many 3.5-

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-29145595889507122172011-09-03T13:36:00.004-04:002011-09-03T14:30:27.784-04:00

The Metro Philadelphia District has been aggressive in consolidating stations and branches in the Philly suburbs. The beginning of August saw two branches of Media, PA being combined into one. Namely, the following two facilities were consolidated: Media, PA: Springfield Mall Branch @ 1250 Baltimore Pike #L13b2 Media, PA: Springfield Branch @ 32 N. Brookside Rd. The new facility is located

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-29719790027974233602011-09-02T16:02:00.003-04:002011-09-02T17:15:11.629-04:00

As I've commented once before, I'm a bit disappointed that this blog doesn't cover a geographically uniform distribution of post offices through the country. However, since most of the post offices I've visited span just Ohio to Maine, those are the ones that get largely covered in this blog. So this evening I present to you yet more New England -- okay, so it's the town [post office] of New

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-76322302858027832372011-08-31T17:23:00.007-04:002011-09-02T07:17:44.343-04:00

I suspect most of these won't come to fruition, but a huge slew of post offices in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia [scroll down] are being studied for potential closure. Obviously they won't close anywhere near to all of them. Nevertheless I thought I'd highlight a couple of Philadelphia stations I've visited. One, the 30th Street Station Post Office of Philadelphia was highlighted in this GP

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-32329733707677221762011-08-30T15:29:00.004-04:002011-08-30T15:35:29.985-04:00

Here's a beautiful post office from rural PA that's actually not on the possible discontinuance list! This was taken Saturday afternoon, so I couldn't ask the Postmaster (or find anyone else to tell me) the history of the office or the town. But just look at it! Burnt Cabins, PA: I'm not going to say anything more, since I think the office speaks for itself. Hope you enjoyed!

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-80011293483237390002011-08-29T15:39:00.004-04:002011-08-29T20:23:10.973-04:00

Here are four post offices from southwestern Pennsylvania that are on the block for potential closure. I visited all four of these yesterday, so they were all closed and I don't have any stories. What I can say is these post offices represent the primary meeting points of their respective communities. I did not see any businesses in ANY of these communities, so there would not be any locations

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-36816383539952992772011-08-29T00:30:00.004-04:002011-08-29T00:39:55.683-04:00

The author spent a pre-school weekend — 3 days, 38 hours on the road, and 990 miles driven — exploring south central and western Pennsylvania, stopping at and photographing 86 post offices, 25 of which are on the current USPS Reduced Expanded Access "study" list. Unfortunately I couldn't collect postmarks at the majority of them since they're all closed Saturday afternoons and Sunday! (Or heck,

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-23622429347186870362011-08-21T11:00:00.006-04:002011-09-13T21:38:13.984-04:00

This will be a simple post. (The author has to prepare for classes, which start this week!) A few miles down the road from Woodstown, NJ (subject of my previous post) is Harrisonville. I think every community has something to offer if you visit it. In this case, it's a spot of humor. The Harrisonville Post Office has a nice hand-painted sign across the top of its 'porch': red, white, and blue

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-50299335969295918622011-08-20T23:06:00.014-04:002011-09-13T21:38:49.063-04:00

The post office in Woodstown, New Jersey [or perhaps the Southern New Jersey District Office?] takes the Americans with Disabilities Act very seriously. There wasn't enough physical space to place an appropriately pitched ramp, so instead they installed a lift! There's a side door into the retail lobby just for the lift. Even better, there's an awning covering it all in case of rain!

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-63090564617581302322011-08-18T20:40:00.003-04:002011-10-12T12:38:57.095-04:00

The decisions being made by the U.S. Postal Service these days are all coming from the top. Namely, from the insular Postal Headquarters at L'Enfant Plaza, Washington, D.C. I figured you might at least like to see it. In any case, I had the privilege of visiting Postal HQ last summer, back when the Postmaster General was Jack Potter. Here's the building: You can read more about the L'Enfant

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-89712427849055459272011-08-17T22:07:00.013-04:002011-09-15T13:37:45.388-04:00

For my first day in Philadelphia I unpacked, and then managed to visit 18 post offices after starting at 11 a.m. Here are two architectural notes of interest: 1. Glenolden, PA: Look at the font. This has got to be '60s, because the signage was created after the advent of ZIP codes, and there was a sign in the building that still referred to the "Post Office Department" (so the latest it could

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-30858658843282456752011-08-17T09:43:00.006-04:002011-09-13T22:00:35.426-04:00

The author just moved to Philadelphia yesterday. I visited a few new POs along the way and revisited two facilities that have been covered in this blog and recently discontinued: Trenton's Yardville Branch and Chambersburg Station. Thought there might be some nice new urban renewal projects or delis opening up in these shuttered POs. Let's see what we found: Yardville; three months after

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-77694207377103359812011-08-12T01:06:00.006-04:002011-09-03T21:42:41.333-04:00

Unfortunately I've been too busy to post much original material. In any case, the shift to a new postal paradigm has begun: the post office of Malone, Washington was closed August 10, replaced with a VPO August 11. Here's the full story from American Public Media. This is among 3,600 post offices USPS would like to close by the end of this year, further advancing its own perceived social

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-65465711777745583782011-08-10T14:04:00.009-04:002011-10-20T14:38:04.657-04:00

Edit: 10/14/11 @ 8:43AM Welcome, Washington Post readers! Below is a good introduction to my postal thoughts. You can return to the blog's main page and see my most recent P.O. adventures, complete with photos, and analysis, here. You've probably heard about the Postal Service's Wish List: 3,600 post offices that it desires to shutter. That's 10% of ALL post offices in America. In

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-42282813227316263962011-08-07T12:12:00.003-04:002011-09-15T13:06:33.726-04:00

Now for the third of three entries about the post offices of Fire Island. [Here are the links for Parts I and II.] Part of the enjoyment of making this postal run is that I doubt there's such a high concentration of CPOs, or otherwise unique and tricky-to-reach post offices, anywhere in the country. Day 2 – August 31, 2010 August 31 was the last day all Fire Island post offices would be open

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-73671366296712392072011-08-04T12:31:00.003-04:002011-09-15T13:05:42.091-04:00

It's Going Postal's 100th entry! My blog stats show the popularity of the blog increasing quite nicely over the past month; thanks to all my readers! Feel free to comment! It's always nice to see feedback. This is a continuation of yesterday's entry; the series will finish up tomorrow. Leaving Saltaire... One mile later, I found the Fair Harbor CPO shielded by trees, with one small sign

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-59011602952271829372011-08-03T11:03:00.015-04:002011-09-15T13:05:20.084-04:00

For my 99th, 100th, and 101st posts, I thought I'd present to the general public my grand tale of exploring the post offices of Long Island's Fire Island. This was a three-page article published in the Post Mark Collectors Club (PMCC) Bulletin July 2011. Here I'll present more visuals, including photos of the offices and of the island itself. [Reference: A CPO – Community Post Office – is a

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-4719773882286945422011-08-02T21:32:00.003-04:002011-09-13T13:10:33.994-04:00

var PortlandOR1photo=new Array() var PortlandOR1text=new Array() PortlandOR1photo[1]="http://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-8CvfgeSvLvE/TAdjAxr-_dI/AAAAAAAAAhc/zR4MwszyGTQ/s640/IMG_0604.JPG" PortlandOR1photo[2]="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zzfYVyXRSIE/TAdiaf6WIcI/AAAAAAAAAgs/toTd-z1bL3Q/s640/IMG_0596.JPG" PortlandOR1photo[3]="http://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-iQ1qaRopvGs/TAdhpHIudXI/

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-73075312145856489462011-07-31T21:38:00.013-04:002011-09-13T22:03:14.968-04:00

Mid-2011 once again finds Portland, ME's Station A targeted for closure. The office was first slated on the Consolidation Hit List, and has been named on USPS's new Village Post Office Study List. (I should really get on that huge news soon, shouldn't I? You've read about it, I'm sure. I do have some insight and inside info.) In any case, this Going Postal blogger teamed up with two

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-2973984166570145072011-07-29T20:01:00.015-04:002011-07-29T20:37:19.997-04:00

The inevitable has finally happened: the two 'Hit List' post offices in Newark were discontinued July 1, as per yesterday's Postal Bulletin. One was the Washington Park Station, which I documented in this Going Postal entry back in May. It's a shame, but honestly not surprising; that post office was open just four hours a day [11-3], and didn't serve any immediate residential or commercial

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-32786080565162942112011-07-29T15:51:00.010-04:002012-02-29T01:00:10.249-05:00

The author has had the pleasure of attending two USPS First-Day stamp issuing ceremonies in the New York area during the past month. Pioneers of American Industrial Design: June 29, 2011 Held at the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, near the Guggenheim in Manhattan, this elegant set of 12 stamps commemorates 12 giants of industrial design. The ceremony was attended by many

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-20122255461165387632011-07-22T12:14:00.009-04:002011-09-13T21:50:22.389-04:00

var FreeholdNJphoto=new Array() var FreeholdNJtext=new Array() FreeholdNJphoto[1]="http://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-QkHpFwNAwGc/TijcdwDGoxI/AAAAAAAAI7k/THs0e6E_Yes/s640/071.JPG" FreeholdNJphoto[2]="http://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-xFfRKZ5xtao/TijcewpmXQI/AAAAAAAAI7k/qakC_iJUujw/s640/072.JPG" FreeholdNJphoto[3]="http://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-tcYSV6_nX54/Tijcg3k2feI/AAAAAAAAI7k/s__-guJPlPU/

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-35190030877715900332011-07-20T09:15:00.007-04:002011-12-04T23:33:07.419-05:00

Sometimes, it's unfortunate what the weather conditions are when you're on the road hunting down a nice four-bar cancellation in some obscure part of the country. So, here are some of my post office photos that have never seen the light of day, partly because the light of day was obscured under torrential downpours of rain at the time. 1. Counce and Pickwick Dam, TN: I stayed the night at the

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-35223292038945887962011-07-17T16:53:00.004-04:002011-07-17T17:23:34.428-04:00

var SalemOR1photo=new Array() var SalemOR1text=new Array() SalemOR1photo[1]="http://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-KcaWGVKF3cA/TAdcIM76B0I/AAAAAAAAAaA/M3qj0upIn4A/s640/IMG_0326.JPG" SalemOR1photo[2]="http://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-fGC6r6jeYxU/TAdcIvJnB9I/AAAAAAAAAaE/M-AskOTkrzw/s640/IMG_0327.JPG" SalemOR1photo[3]="http://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xB4Yvl6kC8s/TAddBFuJk9I/AAAAAAAAAaw/4jPfHwrnn3k/

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-10276425609683211612011-07-14T11:11:00.005-04:002011-07-14T12:01:21.262-04:00

Here are some further edits to postal markers the author has made: Pawcatuck, CT: post office was unlisted. Now it is correctly placed. View Larger Map Wakeman, OH: post office was shown to be west of Monroeville; the marker was nearly 20 miles away. It is now properly placed. View Larger Map Northeast U.S.: Carrier Annexes Ever curious where a Carrier Annex is? Wonder no more: every marker

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-80059449960328589222011-07-14T02:46:00.012-04:002011-07-14T03:39:16.878-04:00

So, not many posts lately. I'll explain. The next paragraph might seem irrelevant, but it leads to the explanation. Google Maps is rather handy when you're mapping out 25 post offices to visit one day. Unfortunately, from experience, I've found that map placement is not always accurate; some listed post offices have closed; or some aren't even listed! That's likely because, while USPS once

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-78783508443587293582011-07-08T15:04:00.005-04:002011-09-13T21:43:57.286-04:00

The Pawtucket branch post office in Valley Falls, RI lies just 1.2 miles to its nearest companion in Lincoln, RI. Still, it's a shame to see a post office with nice old P.O. boxes and a friendly Clerk-in-Charge disappear. Valley Falls is the historic part of Cumberland, RI. Think old mills. The community is working-class and when I visited the office on Tuesday, residents seemed very

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-65409693452274298852011-07-07T13:17:00.007-04:002011-09-13T21:36:54.286-04:00

For the July 4th weekend I visited my friend in Massachusetts. For Independence Day itself I took the afternoon to visit the post offices of Cape Ann. The fantastic main office and stations of Gloucester, MA, will be covered in another post. I was especially pleased with two other offices I discovered, one of which I deem among the most photogenic I've seen, with its patriotic bunting.

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-58562647808562658842011-06-24T12:44:00.007-04:002011-10-03T20:58:02.793-04:00

Back in November I documented my 1,500th post office visited in this GP entry. 500 post offices later I've nearly finished with Suffolk County, and added a lot in New Jersey. Over 7 months, that's a bit more than 2.3 post offices visited per day, or a rate of 840 post offices visited per year. On Tuesday I visited 24 post offices, bringing my count to 2,004. I visited all post offices on the

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-27869730614246201892011-06-19T21:58:00.009-04:002011-06-19T22:14:34.320-04:00

The postal service appears to have given the general public a full four days' notice in publicizing the decision to shutter two stations in northern Kentucky. The town of Newport is just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. USPS's Cincinnati District is highly aggressive in closing its offices, and has been running roughshod over its stations in Cincinnati, Dayton, and northern Kentucky. Of

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-88658883823533160492011-06-19T13:55:00.003-04:002011-06-19T14:16:40.068-04:00

I suppose it's best to start with what once WAS the Bay Shore Main Post Office, now known as Bay Shore's Penataquit Station. Built by the Treasury Department during the '30s, it's a WPA post office, complete with a piece of commissioned relief sculpture and a beautiful wooden counter area with a great sign above that says "Bay Shore". (The font is quite unique and lovely.) Believe it or not

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-33615286166005469792011-06-16T20:27:00.005-04:002011-06-16T20:52:33.319-04:00

At the corner of Broad St. and Homestead Ave. lies a construction site: The landlord of 201 Broad St. in Palisades Park, NJ evicted the post office last September, and in the building's stead is a giant hole in the ground. According to a sign on that particle board fence, a two-story ["reinvention of downtown Palisades Park"] office building is coming. Here is the Google Maps Street View of

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-56784856992033134672011-06-15T20:15:00.004-04:002011-06-15T23:20:50.944-04:00

Back in February, after I visited the Broad Channel CPU featured in this popular post, I was surprised to find that the Fort Tilden post office was not open. It was a Friday during normal business hours, after all.. and lunch only lasted from 12 and 1! The sign on the door effectively stated "Closed: no heat." In fact, that was the only sign on the door: aside from some mailboxes and a blue

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-58932757967917587782011-06-10T18:52:00.008-04:002011-06-13T17:09:31.844-04:00

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Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-73275376358237811702011-06-05T10:47:00.003-04:002011-06-15T09:41:58.804-04:00

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Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-61686831019647978882011-05-29T20:25:00.013-04:002011-06-15T09:42:28.752-04:00

In the town of East Haven, CT (a suburb that is, remarkably enough, just east of New Haven), USPS had the incredibly stupid idea of attempting to close the Trolley Square post office, which is located in a strip mall in the center of town. This will have been one of only a few Consolidation 'Hit List' finalists that have been saved. Here's the scoop: There were two post offices in East Haven.

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-91355471481602540622011-05-26T11:06:00.006-04:002011-05-26T16:10:06.754-04:00

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Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-84865328280271462242011-05-24T09:30:00.003-04:002011-05-24T09:38:10.991-04:00

In this post I showed two finance stations in the Bronx that got discontinued April 22: Oak Point and Crotona Park. Last week USPS announced the closing of another Bronx station, Van Nest. The small (and when I visited it, friendly!) office's last day will be July 1. The Bronx, NY: Van Nest Station: Photographed December 2009. This was another post office I made a special effort to visit

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5014436548816949243.post-44151691644458755492011-05-21T14:23:00.009-04:002011-05-29T21:08:46.292-04:00

Announced in the Philately section of the most recent Postal Bulletin: Two post offices in western Massachusetts are hosting pictorial cancellations for 30 days. I visited both post offices the first week of this year. Chester, MA The quaint and photogenic town of Chester, along the banks of a small river that flows through a valley in the Berkshires, is hosting a postmark commemorating 170

Evan K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.com1