The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-11-01
NE " POST0FF|CE
OCCUPIED IN 1874
Many Changes Have Occurred
Since Service Was Estab-
Iished 1877 Years Ago

Bennington's present postoffice as.
Establishment is TIE successor of ono NJ
the llrst, II not the first, postotice
within the Boundaries of the state OF
Vermont. Postoffces were establish.
cd In Vermont Postotiices were es.
tablished in Vermont for the frat
time by the Legislature OF 1894 which
created Anthony Haswel. a promi.
nent publisher and printer, postmast.
er-general for the state and also post.
master in his home village, Bennine-
ton Center. Mr.. Haswell was the
publisher of the Vermont Gazette
which he delivered to his subscribers
on horseback and he was undoubtedly
accommodating enough to take with
MN al the same time mitch of the
mall addressed to the patrons of the
office
u Is far from improbable that free
delivery, a comparatively recent fea.
ture outside of the largest cities. WAS
one OF the privileges OF the patrons
OF the first postotIice in Vermont One
hundred and thirty.seyen years ago
there was probably sufficient room
in the saddle bags OF the postmaster
for all of the mail and all of the local
circulation Of his newspaper which
had no established date of publication
hut which was issued whenever the
editor could hand set enough tyne To
MI the columns. 1t has been stated
by historians of early days In Ben
nington that Mr. Haswell seldom
wrote copy for his newspaper or for
some OF the books which he published f,
but composed and typed the matter In
enc operation.
The town postoffice remained at
bennington Center, now known as
Old bennington, until shortly before !
the opening OF the civil war. The /
village on the hill was gradually los.
ing its business prestige with the |
growth of industry in the now larger
center and an order was eventually |
secured from the department at
Washington to transfer the postofflce. !
This was done by hitching a string of |
OK teams to the small wooden build |
ing which then stood near the north. |
west corner OF the present cemetery I
plot and hauling the structure to the (
lower village, community at that I
time scornfuly referred to by the |
residents of the Hill" as Agiers.
The transferred building took up 4
its new location near the corner now /
occupied by the County bank, which /
was its site when the office was /
moved to the new federal building
on South street.
Free delivery was established thir. /
ty years ago and cne of the original
carriers, 'Chomas j. Halloran, con
tinued in the service until he reached
the age limit last August
2 After the town postoffice became a
fixture in this village, branch was
maintained at Old BENNINGTON but il
was discontinued during the last % l
years as rural delivery expanded and |.
the community on the hill is now the 1
beneficiary OF service by team. The
country round about Bennington is
penetrated daily by three rural car
rers
The contract for the present mod.
ern building was let June 80, 1913 i
and was completed October 10, 1914
at a cost OF $71.673. This sum does
not include what was paid for the lot
which cost in the vicinity of $4,000
The transfer from the corner of South
and Main streets was made durins
the administration OF Collins NJ
Graves, predecessor OF the present
postmaster, Emory S. Harris.
Residents OF Bennington are under
lasting obligations to the late Sena
tor Redtield Proctor for this magniii
cnt building. 1t was largely due L
lis influence that the original appro
priaton was made. After the propos
al was under way the late Congress
man y j Foster worked industrious
" to carry the project through to the
appropriations for the building itself
Constructed OF white marble quar-
ried In Vermont. the structure is beau
tiful and imposing, 1t was forum
ately given an ideal setting and is one
of the features OF Bennington tina
wins expression Of appreciation from
every visitor 1t is equipped witt
ire latest apparatus and facilities an
since first being occupied both extei
iorly and intcriorly, has been give
excellent care.