Bristol Post Office Celebrated As One Of 62 Original Outposts

Standing outside the Beaver Street Post Office in Bristol Borough on Thursday, local and federal officials gathered to celebrate a milestone.

The Bristol Borough Post Office is one of just 62 locations in the nation that has remained in continuous operation since 1775.

The ceremony marked the historic post office’s enduring role in connecting Americans since before the official founding of the United States.

As the nation marks its 250th anniversary, the U.S. Postal Service is honoring these original outposts that have anchored communities since the country’s earliest days, a spokesperson said.

Bristol Borough Mayor Frank Peranteau presented a formal proclamation at the event that marked the post office’s centuries of service to the riverfront community.

“Bristol is a town that is rich in history and every day it never ceases to amaze me to find something new about Bristol,” Peranteau said. “But this, finding out it was one of the original post offices … it was amazing to me.”

U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick presented a congressional citation to mark the post office’s important place in local and national history.

Fitzpatrick said the borough and its post office were a vital stop on a key route linking Philadelphia to other early American cities.

Over the past two centuries, the Bristol Post Office played an important role in driving commerce and spreading news to local residents.

The current Beaver Street building has been in operation since June 15, 1914, but the borough’s postal roots go back even further. The borough’s first post office opened in 1730 at Radcliffe and Market streets and later moved to Mill Street before settling at its current site.

Postmaster Ayofemi Grandy accepted both the mayoral proclamation and the congressional citation on behalf of the branch and its staff.

“The Bristol Post Office has been part of this community since before the founding of the United States, and that is something truly special,” Grandy said. “We are proud to continue serving our customers every day and to be part of a legacy that connects Bristol’s past, present and future.”