The
illustrated brochure at right is available for review in the Vertical
Files of the Marcus Research Library at the Stamford Historical
Society. Published by the Postal History Society of Connecticut in association with the Stamford Historical Society, it gives
an overview of Stamford's postal history through 1977 and lists the postmasters.
In the first hundred years there were three postal systems in operation moving through Stamford.
a) The Parliamentary Post.
b) The Constitutional Post.
c) The Confederation Post.
Benjamin Franklin was appointed the Postmaster General for the United Colonies. His ledger lists the 5th day of January 1776 as the first reported date for a post office or postmaster in Stamford. Originally, post offices were typically located in in stores or homes of the postmasters. The first Federal Post Office of 1804 was located in a corner grocery store at 427 Main Street.
1853-1883 (second downtown location)
410 Main Street, west of the Union House
Hotel.
Glenbrook
Post Office
at 35 Courtland Avenue,
c. 1912.
Postmistress Minnie (Mary?) Slausen at left,
Grocery store keeper Louisa Zwart at right
(Postcard)
Springdale Post Office ca. 1908
Post office on left, railroad station on right.
(Postcard)
From 1883 to 1904, the downtown Post Office was located in the Townhall. We do not have a photo of the intact office, however, we recently acquired a photo showing the burnt out place after the 1904 fire.
After temporary quarters at the upper floor of the C.O. Miller Building, the Post Office moved to the Burlington Arcade, where it was located until 1914, when it was moved to the Looney-Berg Building on Atlantic Street, next to the Stamford Theater. There it remained until the current facility on Atlantic Street was built. Bids were taken on November 3, 1914. The building was completed 18 months later at a cost of $118,000. Its letter boxes were made by Yale & Towne, and the interior bronze work by Tiffany & Co. of New York
Thanks to a 1995 donation by the Post Office, we have construction photos from 1915. Click on images to enlarge.
 |
 |
 |
||
| April 5, 1915 | May 3, 1915 | May 3, 1915 | ||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| not dated | June 3, 1915 | July 1, 1915 | July 1, 1915 | August 5, 1915 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| August 5, 1915 | September 8, 1915 | October 4, 1915 | October 4, 1915 | November 1, 1915 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| November 1, 1915 | not dated | December 1, 1915 | December 1, 1915 | not dated |
 |
 |
| postmarked 1916 | postmarked 1928 |
See the article below, courtesy Historic Neighborhood
News, Fall 2001
of the Historic Neighborhood Preservation Program, Inc.
 |
 |
Photos © Renée Kahn |
|
 |
 |
| in 1884, the Post Office had only four employees (names are unknown) | Robert Whittaker, Postmaster 1921-1925 |
 |
|
| Stamford Post Office Personnel, 1926 | |
 |
Glenbrook Mailing Tag This mailing tag with the post mark date of 29 Nov 1884 is the first canceling device used at th Gleenbrook office. Note the star within a star and blank circular center used on the “killer.” |
|
|
First official postage meter setting in
the United States!
The first official setting of a postage meter in the United States, manufactured at Stamford's Pitney-Bowes, was at the Stamford Post Office, November 16, 1920 From left: |
|
Other Photo Archivist Selections of the Month
Photo Collection Information
© Stamford Historical Society
