Penland Post Office Project
SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY
Built in 1902
Our Open House June 22, 2024 was a success, with more than 100 folks visiting and more than $1000 in donations.
People came from near and far to take a look inside at all our progress. They saw the efforts of what all our fundraising success has put to use in the General Store, Museum Room and Post Office!
The funds from this campaign will be used to repair the damages to the floor, insulation, walls, roof and parking lot that were sustained in the flooding caused by Hurricane Helene. Any money left over after repairs will then contribute to unpausing the renovations that were in progress before Helene: to bring the building into the modern era by drilling a well, installing a septic system, public restroom and heating. As we assess the damages over the next month, new concerns may arise, and funds will be channeled from this campaign to support those needs.
For a more in depth description, written by Penland School of Crafts staff, of the rescue efforts so far, the people who jumped in to help and an update on Rebecca Davis, Becky, who has worked at the Penland Post Office for 57 years:
https://penland.org/blog/help-restore-the-historic-penland-post-office-in-the-wake-of-hurricane-helene/#sthash.qnpiBInD.dpbs
The Penland Post Office, of Penland, North Carolina, was established in 1879, and moved several times until it was finally established in this building in 1934. The building itself was built in 1902 and housed the Bailey Lumber Company, and later several General Stores.
Thanks to the efforts of Marcia Bailey, the Penland Post Office and General Store gained its place on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.
In 2012, the community formed a 501(c)3 to accept ownership and responsiblity for renovating and restoring the Penland Post Office and General Store building.
Today, the left side of the building is empty, but the Penland Post Office Project is still in operation. Rebecca Davis has been working there for more than 52 years! The process of renovation of the whole building began in 2016. We completed the stabilization phase in the summer of 2017!
Eventually, the Great Room will be available for community members to create retail, event and museum areas. Please continue reading to find out more details of current and future activities~!
We are indebted to the following organizations for the grants they have provided us:
Phillips Family Foundation
Marion Stedman Covington Foundation 2016 and 2018
and 2024!
“The Penland Post Office and General Store is important vernacular architecture from the turn of the last century and a vital link to the present for our students and extended community. 28765 means Penland. It means creative retreat and a special moment in time. It is a zip code that causes joy and anticipation.
"It is also a place where history is alive. Looking at the pictures on the wall, imagining the rising flood waters of 1916, examining commemorative stamps with Postmistress Becky or chatting with Paulus Berensohn or Bill Ford—one always experiences the past and the present blended together.
"Penland School of Crafts and the Penland Post Office have a very special, intertwined history. When you cross the bridge over the North Toe and see the historic post office, you know you are entering Penland’s world. You can send mail back into the ‘other world’ through the Penland Post Office at the same time you remain safely immersed in the creative zone of Penland where time can stand still."
Jean W. McLaughlin, Former Director,
Penland School of Crafts
Jean McLaughlin, being interviewed for our crowd funding video.
Our crowd funding campaign, is live now, fundrazr.com/penlandpopcampaign2024
The Penland Post Office/General Store and old Office Building are now owned by The Penland Post Office Project, Inc."
Al Chrismon of the Penland Bailey Corp., Inc.
Oct 20, 2015.
A HUGE THANK YOU to the Penland Bailey family who generously deeded us the Post Office and General Store, as well as the .51 acres that the building stands on.
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Join us at one of our monthly meetings to find out more about our exciting plans. Call or email for date and location.
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"Like" us on Facebook.
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Share our project with friends, neighbors and family.
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Check out our architect's plans.
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Watch Jennifer Cathey's talk about the historic archictecture of WNC.
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Tell us your memories of the Penland Post Office and General Store.
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Send us your thoughts on why you would like the building to be restored and preserved.
We are a 5013c so we can accept tax deductible donations!
Your financial support will help us restore this lovely old building at the heart of Penland, save the Penland Post Office, and breathe life into the large empty space that used to be the General Store!
Please make your check
out to:
The Penland Post Office Project
Mail to:
The Penland Post Office Project
PO Box 145
Penland, NC 28765
We have a Memorium Page for those of you who would like to donate in memory of a loved one. Just send us a note with your donation.
Brianna Sheehan, videographer, taping Jennifer Cathey for our crowd funding video.
The Penland Post Office and General Store is representative of the numerous modest community buildings that once dotted the North Carolina mountains. Many of these places have been lost to development or neglect, yet this place survives, overlooking the Clinchfield Railroad line and the waters of the Toe River, a landmark to visitors and longtime residents alike. With community support for repair and rehabilitation, the Penland Store and Post Office will remain a cultural attraction and a commercial asset to Mitchell County and to the western North Carolina region.
Jennifer Cathey
Restoration Specialist
State Historic Preservation Office
NC Department of Cultural Resources
