
DATE: Monday, May 19, 1997                  TAG: 9705160892

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL  

TYPE: COLUMN  

SOURCE: GEORGE TUCKER

                                            LENGTH:   97 lines

CORRECTION/CLARIFICATION: * Type was missing from the last paragraph of George Tucker's column Monday in the Hampton Roads section. The last paragraph should have said: ``During my research for this column, I was delighted to discover that Norfolk's first branch post office was established in Berkley in 1906 when the town where I first saw the light of day 3 years later was annexed by the city.'' Correction published in The Virginian-Pilot, Tuesday, May 20, 1997, page A2. * POSTAL SERVICE IN NORFOLK DATES TO NATION'S EARLY YEARS

Norfolk's federal postal history began 220 years ago this month when Alexander Purdee opened a mail facility in the borough on May 2, 1777.

A year earlier, the second Continental Congress had created the beginnings of what is today's national postal system, at which time Benjamin Franklin was appointed its director for a one-year term. For almost 40 years before the American Revolution, Franklin, as a deputy postmaster for the Crown, had pioneered the establishment of a postal system throughout the 13 Colonies.

While acting in that capacity, he visited Williamsburg on official business in 1756. Returning to Philadelphia by way of Norfolk, he was made an honorary citizen of the borough on April 16.

Following his appointment as postal director by Congress, Franklin served out his term. After that he was sent to France to negotiate financial assistance for the rebelling Colonies.

To return to Alexander Purdee, Norfolk's first U.S. postmaster, he served until 1785, when he was succeeded by Frederick Williams. He was followed by Edward Archer, who served until 1804.

Norfolk was still a ``chimney town,'' having been destroyed by fire and bombardment on the eve of the Revolution, when Purdee opened the borough's first U.S. post office, in 1777. Its exact site is not known, but it undoubtedly was either on or just off Main Street, the first area of the borough to be rebuilt after the Revolution.

Archer became Norfolk's postmaster in 1788, the same year the present General Post Office was established by the newly formed United States government, with Samuel Osgood acting as the first regular postmaster general. At that time, the Norfolk post office was one of 13 in Virginia and one of 75 in the entire nation.

During part of Archer's term, he used a space in Norfolk's first U.S. Customs House at the west end of Main Street on Town Point as his headquarters. This building has long since disappeared and should not be confused with the present U.S. Customs House on Main Street that later housed the city's greatly expanded postal facilities.

Archer's use of the Town Point building caused many complaints on the part of Norfolkians who, in the absence of home deliveries, were required to go there to pick up their letters. These protests got them nowhere, however, for Archer regarded the Main Street location as being more convenient for the many commercial activities that then lined the nearby docks.

Throughout the early 19th century Norfolk's post office headquarters continued to leapfrog up and down Main Street. But in 1851 the federal government decided to contain the post office and Customs House activities here in a building specifically built for that purpose. Begun in 1852, the still-existing, splendid, Corinthian-style building at Main and Granby streets was not completed until just before the Civil War because of delays caused by the 1855 yellow fever epidemic and construction difficulties.

The post office quarters, which occupied the basement of the present Customs House, were opened Dec. 30, 1857. Even so, for the next 16 years Norfolkians still had to go there to pick up their mail. Finally, in 1873, the city's population reached 20,000, the requisite for establishing letter carrier service to private residences and businesses. The Norfolk Virginian, the ancestor of The Virginian-Pilot, was dubious.

The change would be all right, it commented cynically, ``so long as the carriers are honest.''

Norfolk's post office continued to use the basement of the present Customs House until 1900, when the still-standing and now privately owned first U.S. Federal Building at Plume and Atlantic streets was completed. This handsome structure continued to house Norfolk's Post Office until 1934, in which year it, as well as the Federal Court facilities also housed there, were moved to Norfolk's second federal building on Granby Street between Bute Street and Brambleton Avenue. Now that Norfolk's postal headquarters has been moved elsewhere, this building has been renamed the Walter E. Hoffman U.S. Court House.

The removal from Granby Street to the present Tidewater General Mail Facility at 600 Church St. was made in 1982.

So much for Norfolk's 220 years of postal history. Now for an interesting bit of trivia.

During my research for this column, I was delighted to discover that Norfolk's first branch post office was [established in Berkley in 1906, when the town where I first saw the light of day three years later was annexed by the city.] ILLUSTRATION: VIRGINIAN-PILOT FILE PHOTO

In 1934 Norfolk's post office moved into the second U.S. Federal

Building, now the Walter E. Hoffman U.S. Court House, on Granby

Street. It remained there until 1982.

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