The 2025 Calendar of Post Offices and Places

This ninth edition of the Postlandia Calendar of Post Offices and Places is dedicated to my father, long-time science teacher Robert Kalish, who passed away in January. As of the time of this writing his 78th birthday would have been tomorrow. Dad started collecting postmarks in 1960 and visited a decent nunber of post offices himself. Here's a slide of him in front of the (long-since-discontinued) post office in Wymer, West Virginia in 1966.



The direct link to order the calendar is [calendar discontinued; link no longer active].


2025 Postlandia Calendar Cover:


With this year's calendar we've now featured over 100 post offices, spanning all 50 states (as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands). I think of each month's photo and caption like a condensed blog post. So while I don't write on here anymore, I still get to research and write about a decent number of postal operations each year. I have to admit, I was close to not dedicating the effort this year. It's hard work, and November is not kind to my body in general (I'm looking at you, Daylight Saving Time). But here we are, I'm glad we're back, and let's keep going, shall we?

As always, do note that the photos in the calendar are high-resolution, unlike the compressed versions I post here.

This year's efforts included a) actually visiting a couple of the sites in question; b) contacting a post office and a nonprofit; and c) reviewing more than two dozen historic newspaper stories as well as blog posts and other websites to check fun postal facts.

California King


Every calendar is printed to order. My publisher of choice is Lulu. They've proven reliable for as long as I've been making these calendars, and you should find that the printing and paper quality are top-notch. You can write on them with pen or even Sharpie and the pages hold up just fine.

In addition to the holidays you'll find on other calendars, you'll find historic tidbits and postal trivia. I'm pretty sure this is the only calendar that notes under July 26 the 1775 appointment of Benjamin Franklin as our first Postmaster General.

To B. Frank(lin) With You:


Sales of these calendars help support my continued post office explorations, which this year have included trips to the heartland, southern California, and a dozen post offices on islands in New England. Proceeds also support the time I continue to dedicate expanding the Post Mark Collectors Club (PMCC)'s Online Post Office Photo Collection, the freely available reference that recently surpassed 34,000 post office photos!

Baskett Case


Again, the link to order the 2025 Postlandia calendar directly from our publisher, Lulu, is [no longer active].

Thank you for your continued support!

Sincerely,
Evan (Postlandia)

2021 Postal Summary

It's hard to believe that this is my 12th annual summary of the post offices and places I've visited. Dang, I've been at this a while! According to my spreadsheets this year I visited 363 new post offices across five states, for a total of 10,558 post offices. I also visited four P.O.s across the border in New Brunswick, Canada (not included in the above tally). This year I also revisited many more places for updated postmarks and photographs, meaning I actually visited 469 post offices in all (including that handful in Canada).

When traveling this autumn I stuck to the heavily vaccinated Northeast. The bulk of my travels consisted of two week-long trips to New England in October and a week-and-a-half Maine excursion earlier this month. This meant I visited a whopping 203 post offices in Maine—nearly half the post offices in the entire state and the most in any state during a given year since I documented 212 in New York back in 2017.

As always, my use of the term post offices for these purposes should be taken broadly: it includes carrier-only facilities, freestanding mail processing facilities, and Contract Postal Units (CPUs).

I was thrilled to get to visit several of the further reaches in Maine, including Eustis, Jackman, Vanceboro, and Lubec, while making significant inroads with the post offices on Maine's only-accessible-by-ferry islands, of which I visited six this year (for a personal total of nine thus far). These trips can eat up a lot of time and the logistics can be daunting, though as you've seen from some of my previous posts (such as this one from last month) the results can be rather rewarding.

Scenes from 2021 postal explorations:

Visiting the post office in Vinalhaven, Maine (only accessible by ferry) in October:


Helen, a former postal employee, serving a customer on October 15—the last day of operation of the Georgia, Vermont Community Post Office (a Contract Postal Unit):


Albany, NY—the new site of the Academy Station post office under construction, prior to opening:


Part of the [modern, not New Deal] mural behind the retail counter of the Hallowell, Maine post office:


Saint Stephen, New Brunswick—Retail Post Office (RPO) at Jean Coutu, a Canadian chain of drugstores:

2021 by the Numbers

I visited as many as 30 post offices (of which 29 were new) in one day this year. State by state—and territory by territory:

Maine: 203 post offices
Focus/Foci: All over the state, but let's say there was a particular focus on the Downeast & Acadia region

Vermont: 70 post offices
Rutland and areas south; Northwest Vermont

New York: 62 post offices
Albany, with routes to the southwest and north

New Hampshire: 22 post offices
Corridor between Lebanon and Manchester, with a slew of revisits around Lake Winnipewaukee

Massachusetts: 5 post offices
Newburyport

Delaware: 1 post office
Harbeson*

* Harbeson was suspended when I first completed my run of Delaware post offices, as its former site was being redeveloped. I have now re-completed the First State with the visit to Harbeson's new site:



Counting Counties:
I visited a handful of new counties in 2021, including Schoharie and Fulton Counties in upstate New York and my remaining four counties in Maine: Franklin, Piscataquis, Hancock, and Washington.

See you next year! I appreciate all your views, shares, and support.
Evan

The 2018 Calendar of Post Offices and Places

Please check the newest entries in this blog for the most current link to the most current Postlandia calendar! ---- It's that time of the year again—that time I somewhat shamelessly inform you of the amazing and fantastic new Postlandia Calendar of Post Offices and Places! This year's [the 2018] iteration features 12 all-new and unique images, from a dozen different states. And these are really good ones!


Cover snippet

With Postlandia I've always brought you the stories behind the post offices and communities of America, and here you can explore a wide-ranging cross-section of the nation. This year's offerings transport you across the United States: Alaska, the South, New England, the Upper Midwest, California, and the vast and empty West. These photos take you not just from time zone to time zone, but span history as you explore photos from two centuries (taken from 1900 to the present).

Where can you find a literal 'floating post office' that rises with the tides? How about a vintage Vermont general store (and post office, of course) that appears today just as it did 100 years ago? The calendar also features the 1910 New Ulm, Minnesota post office, which was so distinctive that its construction essentially forced the government to re-write its design standards. And then there's the post office on a ranch in the middle of nowhere, and I guarantee it will floor you. (This particular location took me an hour and a half to find as I drove through the high desert this summer; for you it will have definitely been worth the wait.) And there's more. Much more. As always, here you don't just get photos, you get the story behind what makes them unique.

All images in the calendar are full-page and high quality. And, with each photo, there's full text at the bottom that explains exactly what's going on. Here are peeks at just a few of the images (which have been cropped to show detail on your screen)!

Minnesota: there's no place like New Ulm


Montana: last looks at a ghost town P.O.


Vintage Vermont


Again, there's so much more where these came from. I hope you experience as much enjoyment with this calendar next year as I enjoyed piecing it all together this summer. Remember, I've trekked to thousands of post offices—across all 50 states—to document as many post offices as I can, so I bring you some of the very best, anywhere.

I really do believe this is the perfect calendar for USPS employees, a great gift for the mail carrier in your life, a perfect purchase for philatelist and stamp collectors, and generally speaking, just the perfect post office calendar. The calendar is available [Nov. 2018 edit: link removed], at the website of a high-quality printer called Lulu. The calendar even has the honor of being on the printer's Holiday Gift Guide! Again, you can find it here, and everyone I know who's purchased either the 2017 or 2018 Postlandia post office calendar has loved it.

Thanks, Lulu!

Washouts: Many post offices shuttered by storms in 2011 never reopened

Not all is well in Endwell

The post offices along the Susquehanna River in the Southern Tier of New York did not fare well in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Lee.

Endwell, New York: population 11,000
Post office established: 1921.
Suspended due to damage: Sept. 13, 2011.
Current status: closed.

Tioga Center, New York
Post office established: 1893.
Suspended due to damage: Sept. 13, 2011.
Current status: closed.

Barton, New York
Post office established: 1827.
Suspended due to damage: Sept. 13, 2011.
Current status: closed.

Further upstate, Fort Hunter did little better.

First post office established: 1827.
Second post office established: 1868.
Suspended due to damage: Sept. 13, 2011.
Current status: closed.



I've visited several of these offices post-suspension. In the case of Endwell and Tioga Center, mail collection points were removed but signage was still intact well after the fact. Above, the Endwell branch post office one year after suspension. Below, Tioga Center nearly four years afterward. In next-door Barton (below that), the site was vacant as the building was destroyed entirely.





Just a couple of weeks prior to Tropical Storm Lee, Hurricane Irene battered parts of the Northeast, with several offices closing Aug. 28, 2011. In Milltown, New Jersey, the post office operated out of a Mobile Postal Unit adjacent to the flooded-out building until it reopened in early 2013. Wayne, New Jersey (pop. 55,000), on the other hand, has been operating without its main postal facility for six years. Nearby Hanover Township (pop. 14,000) expected the post office in Whippany to reopen not long after the storm; that has been anything but the case.

After years of delay, Hanover Township officials effectively gave up. In 2012 the Hanover Eagle reported that USPS's Northern New Jersey District "and the Northeast Area Facilities Services Office are reviewing all options regarding the Whippany Post Office retail function, including repairs, relocation or discontinuance." Frustrations mounted as USPS refused to commit to the reopening of the Whippany facility, despite the fact that its lease was renewed for $70,000 a year, several months after the storm shuttered operations. In 2016, five years after Hurricane Irene, the "progress" Whippany residents could claim included a "new mail collection box at Town Hall in the township," and "an email address for the post office branch dealing with complaints such as lost mail, late mail and other related mail service issues"; village mail, now delivered out of nearby Morristown, has been routinely delayed. Meanwhile the lease for the Whippany post office finally expired February of this year.


Whippany, NJ post office, May 2011

In Vermont, the West Hartland post office, also flooded out due to Hurricane Irene, never reopened. 2012's Hurricane Sandy left Sea Bright, New Jersey, without a post office.

As of this last month, the communities of Endwell, Tioga Center, Barton, Fort Hunter, Whippany, West Hartland, and Sun Bright no longer need worry where USPS stands and whether or not thir post offices will return. Instead of keeping the communities in a state of perpetual suspense, the Postal Service has formally discontinued each of those post offices, and announced those closures in the recent August 17 Postal Bulletin. In fact, USPS formally announced the discontinuance of 304 post offices in this Bulletin.

USPS had stopped short of outright discontinuing post offices for a couple of years, due to in large to the political backlash surrounding the Postal Service's proposal to shutter 3,700 post offices back in 2011. Instead it had been keeping facilities in a state of "emergency suspension," a status not supposed to keep post offices in a state of indefinite limbo. In response to pressure from the Postal Regulatory Commission, USPS has been studying each of the 600+ post offices suspended as of the end of its last fiscal year for formal discontinuance or possible reopening. (The process skews VERY much toward discontinuance.) An analysis of these operations shows 73 post offices listed as suspended, like those above, due to "damage."

Let's hope this pattern of extended suspensions leading to delayed discontinuance does not continue with the advent of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

Adamant About Vermont

Oh, Vermont. The state that's so beautiful that it banned billboards in 1968 to keep its natural scenery "free of visual clutter." Vermont is one of only four states (the others being Alaska, Hawaii, and Maine) to enact such policies. Exploring Vermont by post office is a truly enjoyable experience; historic general stores abound, old-style P.O. Boxes lurk in dozens of small towns, and the postal signage is much less homogenized than in other parts of the country. Many Vermont post offices bear wonderfully unique hand-painted signs; meaning few "Retail Standardization" blue-and-white Sonic Eagle signs, thank you very much.



Seriously, isn't this sign awesome?

One great post office—a contracted Community Post Office (CPO), to be precise—a village so small it barely registers on Google Maps. Located amid two lakes (Sodom Lake and Adamant Lake) and a State Forest, Adamant's population is perhaps a couple hundred people. The town centers around a crossroads: the four-way intersection of Center Rd., Adamant Rd., Quarry Rd., and Haggett Rd. The roads are so minor that the otherwise pervasive Google Street View has never gotten within two miles of the village (and seriously, it's 2017). Martin Road and Sodom Pond Road round out the routes in and out of the villages.

Here's a brief map, with which you can zoom out, to get yourself acquainted with this corner of Vermont. Given how remote the area feels, Adamant is but seven miles northeast of the state capital, Montpelier.



The names Sodom and Quarry pertain to the history of the town, as described on the website of the historic Adamant Co-op (which we'll see more about shortly):

In 1858 a crossroads appeared on an old Washington County map complete with a sawmill and six houses but no name. Granite quarries opened there in 1880, bringing workers from Scotland and Canada. A boarding house built near the quarry along with several other houses warranted a Post Office, which was called Sodom. ...

Albert Bliss, who refused to receive mail with the unsavory postmark of Sodom, petitioned the Post Office to change its name. Permission was given on the condition that the chosen name be unlike any other post office in the state. In 1905 Sodom was renamed Adamant, chosen for the granite quarries and the hardness of their stone, reportedly "A name perhaps as hard but not as wicked."

Adamant, Vermont Co-op and Community Post Office (CPO)

To those hard-headed enough to drive out to Adamant after a snowstorm, the visit is worth it. At the northern corner of the crossroads is the Adamant Co-op, a historic structure featuring wood-shingle siding, sun-worn signage, and an antique wall-mounted mail collection box. All of this is part of the oldest still-active cooperative store in the state. Again, from the co-op's website:

During the winter of 1934-1935, a local pastor gathered a group of neighbors to discuss starting a co-operative to buy groceries and create a market for local produce. In August of 1935, after eleven families each contributed five dollars to provide working capital, the Adamant Cooperative was incorporated. The Co-op rented space from Minnie Horr, who operated both the store and the post office out of her house, and purchased the building in 1940 for $600.

Sun-bleached signage at the Adamant post office

The wall-mounted mail collection box outside dates to 1922. How can you tell? Peek underneath and you'll often find the date of manufacture. This is among the oldest such boxes I've encountered.



Inside the co-op you'll find an iron heater, some welcoming women, and a warmly painted post office with antique brass P.O. Boxes. Love that cat up there!



The Adamant post office was formally discontinued October 23, 1993, at which point the operation became a contracted Community Post Office (CPO) under the neighboring East Calais postmaster. The parent post office for Adamant has since changed as a result of POStPlan. Per Postmaster Finder: "On June 1, 2013, [East Calais was] converted to a Level 6 (6-hour) Remotely Managed Post Office under the direction of the Postmaster of the Plainfield Post Office."

There are plenty of fantastic postal operations all across Vermont. Hope to bring you some more stories from the area soon!

Beautiful Post Office: Bellows Falls, Vermont

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) was instrumental in helping to direct the Senate version of a postal reform bill toward a bit of sanity. While the bill will ultimately satisfy no one fully (which is, of course, the basis for compromise) it does prevent some postal cutbacks for a period of time -- and it's infinitely preferable to the current proposed House bill, which would gut USPS outright. Now it remains to be seen if "the House always wins", as it were, but I'm hopeful that the Postal Service will be able to remain as relevant as it can to the communities of America for years to come (i.e., not downsized to extinction), thanks to some of the assurances and reforms instituted as parts of this bill.

Now, let's look at a gorgeous P.O. from Vermont. It's not one of those rural offices on the chopping block which will be preserved for at least one more year thanks to the provisions introduced by Senator Sanders, but it's definitely worth a look.

I have not seen a post office quite like Bellows Falls's. It's a gorgeous town located along the Connecticut River just across from New Hampshire, and I was able to learn about by speaking with a couple of residents who stopped to say hello (when they noticed my admiring their P.O.). So what makes the building unique? Well, it's a Treasury Department-financed WPA office from 1930, but unlike most such offices the focal point of this building does not lie at the center. The focal points lie at either side! The roof has Spanish-style tilework on top, and you've got blocks interspersed with brickwork that has well withstood the test of time. A lot of beautiful details went into the construction of the office, so let's take a closer look.

Bellows Falls, Vermont post office


Observe the details along the second-floor railing. The five arched windows with Corinthian-headed brick columns. Note the subtle effect imbued by the two alternating row-styles of brickwork.


A handicapped ramp was tastefully added along the side of the building.

My friendly local tour guides drew my attention to some of the unique aspects of the town. First, it holds this piece of historical significance:


Second, they directed me to something strange -- the train was constructed under the town instead of at grade. As in, they dug a tunnel directly under the downtown. Look -- here it is!


Here's the mural from above in full, presenting the town much as it looks to this day.


Finally, here's a view of the Bellows Falls P.O. in its setting. In the background are the hills of New Hampshire along the river. And yep -- they don't make 'em like they used to.

LinkVermont.com has more information about some of the other unique aspects of this authentic New England town.

Nice Touch: West Newbury, Vermont

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 seasons. I'm disappointed that I haven't yet been able to tackle some of my bigger write-up projects yet. I post bite-sized updates on the Going Postal Facebook page on a more frequent basis, for the record!)

West Newbury lies within a couple of miles of I-91 (though not in close proximity to an exit) about halfway along Vermont's border with New Hampshire. This is country wherein the large towns are actually rather small towns. West Newbury is not a large town by anyone's standard.



I made the mistake had the adventure of approaching the town from the east -- that is, from Newbury -- along the winding Moore Hill Road, a dirt lane, though other avenues to and in town were paved. The community of West Newbury is more of a crossroads lined with houses than a town. But that's what makes this post office charming. I didn't come across any commercial establishments in the community besides the PO, and if there was any doubt that the post office serves as the town center... well, let's have a look!





A quaint office with a locally made sign. If you look closely, you'll see that the eagle is not painted on -- it's a sculpture that emerges from the rest of the sign. Class act! Furthermore, we've got one of those old mailboxes you rarely see anymore. This one was made in the '40s. (You can tell by looking under the bottom.)



Of course, USPS puts the 13-ounce rule sticker on the box, despite the fact that it's physically impossible to place / shove / maim anything larger than a letter in there!

But the nicest thing about West Newbury is The Backroom. It's to the right in the photo below.


The subtitle for The Backroom -- a little shack with a sliding glass door -- is Neighbors Sharing With Neighbors. It's the coolest thing: a weather-protected cubby for community information, with all material contributed by members of the town. It's got a mat on which you can wipe your feet, and spots on the wall for Events, Public Notices, and even a Lost and Found. There was also a shelf with magazines and some local newspapers. And again, it's right by the post office, where the townsfolk go every day. It's not locked (unlike all the post offices in northern New England during the weekends)... because there's no reason for it to be. What a cool idea! This was a joy to find.

Beautiful POs: General Store Edition

Among my favorite post offices to document and visit are those found in or adjacent to their town's general store. They tend to feature the most authentic signage, as well as friendly Postmasters! Here are three I found a couple of weeks ago in western New England.

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General store and post office; East Dover, Vermont.