Hinsdale in Cheshire County, New Hampshire — The American Northeast (New England)
Hinsdale, New Hampshire Post Office
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 8, 2019
1. Nation's Oldest Continuously Operating Post Office Building Marker
Nation's oldest continuously operating post office building since 1816
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the Postal Mail and Philately series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1816.
Location. 42° 47.195′ N, 72° 28.887′ W. Marker is in Hinsdale, New Hampshire, in Cheshire County. Marker is on Main Street (New Hampshire Route 119) just west of Depot Street, on the left when traveling west. Marker is mounted directly on subject post office building, over the entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 13 Main Street, Hinsdale NH 03451, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Town of Hinsdale Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Hinsdale World War II Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Hinsdale World War I Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Newhall & Stebbins (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Hinsdale's Auto Pioneer (approx. 0.4 miles away); Hinsdale and the Power of the Ashuelot (approx. 0.6 miles away); The Story of Anadromous Fish (approx. 0.6 miles away); Central Park (approx. 2.2 miles away in Vermont). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hinsdale.
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Also see . . .
1. Oldest Post Office in the U.S. Buyoya website entry:
There are other post offices in the country that have operated for longer, or are in more spectacular buildings, but none of them have been in the same building for quite as long. Nathan Babbitt, was the self-appointed first Postmaster of Hinsdale in 1815, and he is responsible for building the post office the following year. He built what was at the time considered a contract postal unit. That is, he built a post office in a corner or a general store and started taking deliveries for the small town. The mail eventually became more important than the general store and the little corner post office took over the entire building little by little. (Submitted on July 1, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. Small town New Hampshire post office celebrates 200 years. Daily heranld website entry:
(AP, August 4, 2016) When the small town of Hinsdale’s post office opened in 1816, it didn’t need all the space in the two-story wooden building on Main Street. Through the years, it has shared space with telephone operators, a general store and even a barbershop. Much of the building’s original character remains. The hundreds of brass mailboxes that line the front walls are originals from the 1800s, with letter combination locks. When it’s humid, the wooden boxes get stuck and won’t open, employee Brenda
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 8, 2019
2. Nation's Oldest Continuously Operating Post Office Building
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 8, 2019
3. Nation's Oldest Continuously Operating Post Office Building
Credits. This page was last revised on February 5, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 1, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 451 times since then and 63 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 1, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
