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End Of An Era: Downtown Stamford Post Office Closes

STAMFORD, Conn. - The 97-year-old downtown Stamford Post Office closed its doors for good Friday afternoon, a city landmark that residents will miss, according to an unscientific poll of readers of The Stamford Daily Voice.

The post office at 421 Atlantic St. in Stamford closed its doors for good on Friday.

The post office at 421 Atlantic St. in Stamford closed its doors for good on Friday.

Photo Credit: Alfred Branch
Some of the inscription on the former downtown post office building in Stamford.

Some of the inscription on the former downtown post office building in Stamford.

Photo Credit: Alfred Branch
The notice placed on the doors of the former downtown post office building in Stamford to alert people of the closing.

The notice placed on the doors of the former downtown post office building in Stamford to alert people of the closing.

Photo Credit: Alfred Branch

Asked whether they would be inconvenienced by the closure of the facility, located at 421 Atlantic St., 35 percent of readers said they were unhappy about the closing because the building was “so beautiful and historic.”

The building, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, has an Italianate architectural style.

Another 13 percent of respondents added that driving to another post office in the city was too difficult, and 8 percent also said they would miss the building because they used it as their regular post office.

But not everyone will miss the facility.

About 22 percent said parking there was “impossible,” and 12 percent said they have essentially replaced the need for a post office because they correspond and pay bills online. Another 10 percent said will simply find another place to buy stamps. 

In recent years, the U.S. Postal Service has struggled to regain its influence in the country as a growing number of people turn to the internet to accomplish many of the tasks they used to do at a post office.

The Stamford building was sold, but the postal service has not yet found another downtown location to set up shop.

"Despite a diligent effort to find a new location, the Postal Service has not yet found a suitable site to house the postal operation," the statement said. "We are committed to continue the search for a viable permanent location to provide Stamford customers with full postal services within the immediate area."

Until a new site is found, customers with post office boxes at the Atlantic Street building will be required to pick up their mail at 317 West Ave. in Stamford, the postal service said in a statement. Those customers should bring identification to pick up their Atlantic Avenue PO Box mail.

Other retail mail services are also available in Stamford at 19 High Ridge Road, 370 Hope St. and 24 Camp Ave.

The U.S. Postal Service this month also announced it is closing its office in downtown New Canaan in January. A replacement site has not yet been found for that location, either. Read more about it here on The Daily Voice. 

For more information on postal services, visit www.usps.com.

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