Johnson City in Washington County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Johnson City Post Office

Photographed by Tom Bosse

1. Johnson City Post Office Marker

Inscription. The Johnson City Post Office building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in September 2021. From its opening in January 1911, it functioned as a U.S. Post Office until it was relocated in 1937. It was the first Postal Savings Bank in Tennessee, and one of only a few in the nation. Postal Savings Banks allowed women to have a small savings plan without a male co-signer.

(Reverse)
Held in high regard by the public, this building is a significant example of local Beaux Arts architecture. It became a center of public activity and a hub of six Rural Free Delivery routes. In 1940 Washington County converted the building into a courthouse. It was known as the Ashe Street Courthouse, and it continued in that capacity until 1985. From 1987 to 2018 it served as the dispatch center for Washington County's 9-1-1. In 2024 Johnson City restored the building.

Erected 2026 by Tennessee Historical Commission. (Marker Number 1A 162.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Communications • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Tennessee Historical Commission series list. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1911.

Location. 36° 18.781′ N, 82° 21.204′ W. Marker is in Johnson City, Tennessee, in Washington County. It is at the intersection of Ashe Street and Earnest Street, on the right when traveling north on Ashe Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 401 Ashe Street, Johnson City TN 37604, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in East Tennessee

and in the Tri-Cities Area.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western

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Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

the State of Franklin,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Passing the Torch (a few steps from this marker); Summers Hardware (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Depot (about 700 feet away); Johnson City (approx. 0.2 miles away); State Flag (approx. 0.2 miles away); James Hobart Stanton (approx. 0.2 miles away); Rich-R-Tone Records (approx. 0.2 miles away); Main Street (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Johnson City.

Johnson City Post Office Marker (Reverse) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tom Bosse

2. Johnson City Post Office Marker (Reverse)

Photographed by Tom Bosse

3. Johnson City Post Office Marker

Photographed by Tom Bosse

4. Johnson City Post Office Marker

Johnson City Post Office image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tom Bosse

5. Johnson City Post Office

Credits. This page was last revised on August 11, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 10, 2026, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 10, 2026, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.