51 Post Offices You Should See Before They're Gone

Every day it feels like the USPS is one small step away from becoming totally obsolete. Here are some of its coolest buildings that still stand; whether or not you can get the mail through them is another problem.

Washington D.C.

Flickr: gerrydincher

The Old Post Office offers free tours led by park rangers. The building – which has a clock tour that's 315 feet tall – was built in 1899 and was "the first government building to have its own electric power plant."

Ismay, MT

Flickr: auvet

Though the town was originally called Ismay, the named was informally changed in 1993 to "Joe, Montana" and post cards were made for the first Joe Montana Day.

Three Notch, AL

Flickr: auvet

Clearly not in use any longer, and has not been for awhile. The only thing really notable about Three Notch is that the nearby Three Notch Trail was used by Andrew Jackson in 1813.

New Haven, CT

Flickr: wallyg

Built in 1919, the New Haven Post Office and Courthouse faced demolition in the 1960s but was saved and eventually restored for a little over $7 million in the 1980s.

Chicken, AK

Flickr: jstephenconn

Originally founded as a gold mining town, people like to go here and send post cards because then they're post marked Chicken, Alaska. In 2010, the town had 7 people living in it.

Kelso, CA

Flickr: viirok

Located in the Mojave Desert, Kelso's post office closed in 1962. It's still a ghost town, albeit one that's gotten attention because of its close location to the Mojave National Reserve visitor center.

Manitou Springs, CO

Flickr: denverjeffrey

Built in 1940, this post office is in Manitou Springs, a near Colorado that cropped up as a resort community because of its mineral springs.

Miami Beach, FL

Flickr: 25831000@N08

Built in 1937, this building is in the Miami Beach Architectural District, also called the Old Miami Beach Historic District, also called the Miami Beach Art Deco District.

Hakalau, HI

Flickr: 43908595@N03

On the big island of Hawaii, Hakalau used to be a sugar plantation and the building the post office is in was an old theater.

Franklin, IN

Flickr: auvet

A New Deal mural called "Local Industry" by Jean Swiggett in 1940. A group called the Concerned Citizens of Johnson County is working on saving the structure for use as a city court.

Peach Springs, AZ

Flickr: caveman_92223

This town was allegedly the inspiration for the town of Radiator Springs in Cars. (Note the spacing in the sign.)

Norwood, GA

Flickr: auvet

In 2010, Norwood had a population of 239.

Buffalo Hart, IL

Flickr: myoldpostcards

An abandoned general store and post office in Sangamon County, near Springfield, the capital of Illinois. When in use, the mail was delivered by train.

Oklahoma City, OK

Flickr: stevenm_61

Located right next to the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, this building was completed in 1932 and used partially as a Federal Courthouse. It is used today as a U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

Acadia National Park, ME

Flickr: jonf

This post office is the second smallest in the United States.

Fertile, IA

Flickr: auvet

Established in 1856, you can keep tabs on everything happening in Fertile by subscribing to the Fertile Reminder for only $8.

Gem, KS

Flickr: michaeljy

Almost empty, Gem has about 70 residents.

Hardburly, KY

Flickr: auvet

A mining town named after the Hardy Burlington Mining Co., this post office opened in 1918 and was closed in 2010.

Wishram, WA

Flickr: springfieldhomer

This abandoned building used to hold the Fallbridge Post Office; the town is now called Wishram, and it's located in the Columbia River Gorge.

Venice, LA

Flickr: rekha6

A good deal of post offices were wrecked by Hurricane Katrina and have still not been fixed.

Spring Gap, MD

Flickr: berlyjen

Apparently a nice place to go camping along the Chesapeake River.

Lakeside, NE

Flickr: auvet

Lakeside is an unincorporated community with only 18 households.

Siasconset, MA

Flickr: thisisbossi

Still located in the building it was first housed in, the town of 'Sconset as it is affectionately called is on the coast of Nantucket.

Notus, ID

Flickr: genbug

The building also holds the library and the community center, and the signs says "Dedicated to Alfred and Ollie Whitmire." In 2012, the former City Clerk of Notus was charged with Grand Theft of city funds. They're also looking for a new mayor.

Badger, MN

Flickr: jstephenconn

Located right on the border with Canada, the post office was established in 1889.

Atlantic City, NJ

Flickr: paul_lowry

Demolished in 2010 for a casino project, despite the fact that it was eligible for the National Historic register. "'Iconic elements' of the building were salvaged before demolition, including two sculpted eagles (once parts of a door surround), and a mural depicting Atlantic City's history."

Culleoka, TN

Flickr: brent_nashville

Culleoka was planned as a town in 1857 for the building of the Nashville and Decatur Railroad.

Pine Ridge, AR

Flickr: auvet

This general store and post office prompted the creation of old radio program Lum 'N' Abner.

Selbyville, DE

Flickr: auvet

Built in 1940, this post office has a mural painted for the New Deal too.

Shaniko, OR

Flickr: jstephenconn

Shaniko was founded in 1900, as a shipping hub and railroad terminus, originally holding the title as "the largest inland wool shipping center in the world."

St. Louis, MO

Flickr: teemu08

The U.S. Custom House and Post Office is a national landmark that was built in 1884; the post office remained there until 1970.

Money, MS

Flickr: auvet

This photo was taken in 2008; the Money, Mississippi post office has been closed since. The town is best known as the location for the murder of Emmett Till.

Yeso, NM

Flickr: 49024304@N00

A trading location for ranchers in the early 1900s, Yeso's post office appears ghostly, but they actually have another working portable one.

Waitsfield, VT

Flickr: karieandrob

In 2005, the town wrote that it "has been transformed from a quiet farming town to a resort destination, bedroom community and, increasingly, a center for innovation and commerce. This transformation has not been without costs: to tranquility, to the landscape and to the insular nature of the community."

Phoenixville, MI

Flickr: 75905404@N00

Called the "historical 'gossip center'" by local residents, this post office was actually originally located in Connecticut, but was moved to Michigan in 1928 as part of the Henry Ford Museum.

New Castle, NH

Flickr: kyletaylor

New Castle is the smallest town in New Hampshire and the only one located totally on islands.

New York, NY

Flickr: wallyg

The James A. Farley Building is eight acres large and takes up two city blocks. It's open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is inscribed with the phrase "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."

Midland, OH

Flickr: jstephenconn

Midland was closed soon after this photo was taken in 2009.

Bartley, WV

Flickr: auvet

A mobile post office in a town best known for one of America's largest mining disasters.

Clairton, PA

Flickr: josepha

Clairton, known as "the City of Prayer," suffered with the failure of the steel industry and is also the location for 1978 movie The Deer Hunter. (Note the "C" in the "Office" above.)

Smithwick, SD

Flickr: auvet

According to the photographer, this post office sits in front of the original US Hwy 18.

Tonopah, NV

Flickr: auvet

Built in 1940, it's on the National Register of Historic Places.

Adams Run, SC

Flickr: savannahgrandfather

Adams Run is larger than it might appear; it has over 600 households.

Fort Worth, TX

Flickr: stevenm_61

The lobby of this building runs the entire length of the building and was built as part of a huge railroad complex in downtown Fort Worth.

Hazelton, ND

Flickr: afiler

Self-described as "a small family-oriented community just 45 minutes from Bismarck, the capital city of North Dakota," Hazelton is also known as "The Pride of the Prairie."

Modena, UT

Flickr: donbrr

Apparently, "One source states that an Italian laborer named the railroad camp after Modena, Italy. Another source relates that a Chinese cook during the serving of dinner would call out periodically, 'Mo'dinna, mo'dinna.' An earlier name was Deseret Springs." Only a few families still live there.

Penland, NC

Flickr: auvet

Located in Mitchell County, the community is incredibly remote, but this building is on National Register of Historic Places and a group of community members are raising money to restore it.

Cornucopia, WI

Flickr: nasavideographer

"What happens in the Corny, is all over the Corny," is the saying in Cornucopia.

Arlington, VA

Flickr: afagen

Renovated a few years ago, the post office is now incorporated into a building that houses apartments, as well as office and retail spaces. It was originally built in 1937.

Providence, RI

Flickr: rsfrd

Dubbed the "First Fully Automated Post Office" in 1958, Providence was the first to get a system that used machines to move mail and not just human labor.

Alcova, WY

Flickr: auvet

A good place for hunting and fishing.