Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Everyone has heard of Princeton, New Jersey because of the iconic Ivy League Princeton University located there. This is one of the original post office towns designated when the post office was first established in 1776, so there's a long postal history!
So what has caused this post? I came across and managed to purchase a post card of an early Princeton post office! This is a 1908 postcard, and I found it exciting since this is a very prominent building on the main street through Princeton, across from the University! I instantly knew the building, but never imagined it once held the post office!
Moses Taylor Pyne was a prominent businessman and early graduate of Princeton University. With his enormous wealth he became the institution's largest benefactor, donating untold millions and acquiring acreage for the university to expand.
This building is called "Lower Pyne" and both Upper and Lower Pyne buildings were built by him, in the Gothic Revival or Tudor style, for the university to have shops on the first floor and university dormitories above. It was used as such until the 1950s when it became office space.
Interesting enough, in all my research about this building, it's never mentioned to be the post office.
And here's the postal side of the above card!
And here we are today in modern day Princeton. It only makes sense that this building has been lovingly preserved since it's an iconic part of quaint downtown Princeton!
The post office I remember in Princeton was this grand building in Palmer Square. I remember going there for the Washington At Princeton First Day in 1977. I was surprised when I pulled up on my road trip and found it vacant and with a For Sale sign on it.
Covers I serviced by hand on that day in 1977. The top one is probably unique since I'm likely the only one who likes the corners! And it's on the ODDITY Cachet I produced back in those days. This is a page from my original 1977 album.
So I asked myself where the Princeton Post Office had gone! My phone quickly pulled up another address in town for the "Palmer Square Station". And I headed there.
I was surprised to find a Seven Eleven store, with a sign pointing down an alley for the post office. Yes, it was built off the back of a convenience store. Not purpose built postal architecture, but just rented generic space to serve the postal purpose.
Some of you are familiar with the troubles of getting hand back cancels now a days. But at this office I encountered an older gentleman who smiled when I asked. He asked me to hold on a minute while he went in the back and got a "good cancel". He carefully inked it and gave me this perfect strike. I complimented him that I knew he no doubt had serviced first day covers and he again smiled. He said yes he did! Who knows, he may have been the guy who cancelled my covers back in 1977.
So I knew I had been to a branch office, although off the beaten path, still named for the Palmer Square location of the old post office. So the looming question.... Where is the Princeton Post Office? Well, funny thing, it's not really in Princeton! No doubt when USPS needed larger space to handle the postal duties of the town, there was no space large enough in the old Princeton Proper. So they went to neighboring Plainsboro, and built it there! Although it looks small in the photo, it's the front to a large mail processing building the postal carriers work out of.
The area where it's located is also where a lot of businesses have located their "Princeton Office" in suburban office parks. In fact a funny fact is that things are called "Princeton" 5-10 miles away from the town itself, since it's a prestigious address!
So I did head to the Princeton post office to see what it looked like, but also to see if they had any unique postmarks, but I got the standard registry dot, bringing our story to an end!
Nothing like a bit of fun postal history, and now when I drive through town I will look at the old German Tudor building in a different light! Hope you enjoyed the ride along!
11 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
Tom,
I love reading these posts. You can feel the personal connection you have to these towns and to be able to tie it back to covers you acquired over 30 years ago is amazing. This makes me want to start a collection of postal history and postmarks from places that are important to me. Thanks for these. It's been too long!
Ernie
Login to Like
this post
Really enjoyed your post discussing the Post Office buildings through the years in Princeton NJ!
Login to Like
this post
Many of you know I'm from New Jersey, and collect New Jersey postmarks on full cover. That has resulted in chasing down postmarks on road trips and looking at the history of towns and post offices.
Everyone has heard of Princeton, New Jersey because of the iconic Ivy League Princeton University located there. This is one of the original post office towns designated when the post office was first established in 1776, so there's a long postal history!
So what has caused this post? I came across and managed to purchase a post card of an early Princeton post office! This is a 1908 postcard, and I found it exciting since this is a very prominent building on the main street through Princeton, across from the University! I instantly knew the building, but never imagined it once held the post office!
Moses Taylor Pyne was a prominent businessman and early graduate of Princeton University. With his enormous wealth he became the institution's largest benefactor, donating untold millions and acquiring acreage for the university to expand.
This building is called "Lower Pyne" and both Upper and Lower Pyne buildings were built by him, in the Gothic Revival or Tudor style, for the university to have shops on the first floor and university dormitories above. It was used as such until the 1950s when it became office space.
Interesting enough, in all my research about this building, it's never mentioned to be the post office.
And here's the postal side of the above card!
And here we are today in modern day Princeton. It only makes sense that this building has been lovingly preserved since it's an iconic part of quaint downtown Princeton!
The post office I remember in Princeton was this grand building in Palmer Square. I remember going there for the Washington At Princeton First Day in 1977. I was surprised when I pulled up on my road trip and found it vacant and with a For Sale sign on it.
Covers I serviced by hand on that day in 1977. The top one is probably unique since I'm likely the only one who likes the corners! And it's on the ODDITY Cachet I produced back in those days. This is a page from my original 1977 album.
So I asked myself where the Princeton Post Office had gone! My phone quickly pulled up another address in town for the "Palmer Square Station". And I headed there.
I was surprised to find a Seven Eleven store, with a sign pointing down an alley for the post office. Yes, it was built off the back of a convenience store. Not purpose built postal architecture, but just rented generic space to serve the postal purpose.
Some of you are familiar with the troubles of getting hand back cancels now a days. But at this office I encountered an older gentleman who smiled when I asked. He asked me to hold on a minute while he went in the back and got a "good cancel". He carefully inked it and gave me this perfect strike. I complimented him that I knew he no doubt had serviced first day covers and he again smiled. He said yes he did! Who knows, he may have been the guy who cancelled my covers back in 1977.
So I knew I had been to a branch office, although off the beaten path, still named for the Palmer Square location of the old post office. So the looming question.... Where is the Princeton Post Office? Well, funny thing, it's not really in Princeton! No doubt when USPS needed larger space to handle the postal duties of the town, there was no space large enough in the old Princeton Proper. So they went to neighboring Plainsboro, and built it there! Although it looks small in the photo, it's the front to a large mail processing building the postal carriers work out of.
The area where it's located is also where a lot of businesses have located their "Princeton Office" in suburban office parks. In fact a funny fact is that things are called "Princeton" 5-10 miles away from the town itself, since it's a prestigious address!
So I did head to the Princeton post office to see what it looked like, but also to see if they had any unique postmarks, but I got the standard registry dot, bringing our story to an end!
Nothing like a bit of fun postal history, and now when I drive through town I will look at the old German Tudor building in a different light! Hope you enjoyed the ride along!
11 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
12:46:06pm
re: Princeton New Jersey Thru The Years
Tom,
I love reading these posts. You can feel the personal connection you have to these towns and to be able to tie it back to covers you acquired over 30 years ago is amazing. This makes me want to start a collection of postal history and postmarks from places that are important to me. Thanks for these. It's been too long!
Ernie
Login to Like
this post
re: Princeton New Jersey Thru The Years
Really enjoyed your post discussing the Post Office buildings through the years in Princeton NJ!
Login to Like
this post