Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, Wakefield, Mass.

Title

Wakefield Post Office

Description

"The Wakefield Post Office has been a central part of the community for nearly 200 years, operating in a number of locations until its permanent home was dedicated in 1937. The first mail was brought to Wakefield by private individuals who traveled to the Charlestown Toll House and returned to South Reading where they left the mail in a central location for distribution. The first home of the Wakefield Post Office was established in 1812 on Main Street with John Rayner serving as the first Postmaster. The building, which was on the opposite corner of the present Post Office, sufficed until 1854 when the Postmaster Samuel Kingman built a new post office on the corner of Main and Albion Streets (now known as the Bourdon Block). During his term as Postmaster, Kingman was responsible for the first mail delivery - each Sunday he would stand outside various churches and hand the mail to the recipients. As the town grew, so too, did the needs of her residents. The Post Office was moved to the brick building at the corner of Main and Richardson Streets, then to the building where the Wakefield Municipal Light Department is located, and finally to the current building at Main Street and Yale Avenue. During that time rural free delivery was introduced in 1900 while parcel post was introduced in 1912 with two mail deliveries made daily. The current headquarters at the corner of Main Street and Yale Avenue was the former site of the John W. White Estate (the Burrage Yale Mansion). The building was officially dedicated on January 27, 1937 with a reception sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce." -- Text from calendar.;Captions: 1. The John E. White Estate (Burrage Yale Mansion) in 1934. It is interesting to note that this was also the home of Burrage Yale, the first Postmaster recognized in Washington, D.C. It was Yale who built the original portion of the house. -- 2. The Wakefield Post Office in October, 1936 prior to its official opening. -- 3. The Wakefield Post Office today.

Image from the Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department annual calendar, 1988

Photos courtesy of the Wakefield Daily Item.

Contributor

Institution: Lucius Beebe Memorial Library

Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department (Wakefield, Mass.)

D'Onofrio, Jayne M.

Coverage

Massachusetts--Middlesex (county)--Wakefield

Format

image/jpeg

Publisher

Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department

Subject

Post office buildings

Postal service

Type

still image

Photographs

Original Format

3 pictures : b&w

Extent

8 x 14 cm. & 9 x 15 cm.