The downtown Columbus post office has had a portion of its front entrance cordoned off for more than a year after part of its stone facade fell in 2022. That crumbling stone is the most obvious sign of the building’s age and disrepair, but taking a walk around the building also reveals stained windowsills, peeling paint and rotting woodwork.
When will the damage be fixed? Who’s in charge of maintaining post offices? And just how old is the Columbus branch?
When will the office be repaired?
Columbus postmaster Lee Richards told The Dispatch Dec. 19 that work was slated to begin mid-January.
“We’ve been working on that for over a year now,” Richards said. “There’s a contract that’s been finalized and they’re supposed to begin working on the building on Jan. 15.”
While the main USPS communications office declined to offer many details about the work, strategic communications specialist Debra Jean Fetterly confirmed Friday that restoration is still slated to begin Wednesday.
While that cordoned-off area where the stone roof is collapsing is the most obvious point of disrepair, Richards suggested the renovations could have a broader scope.
“That’s for everything to do with the building, (including the woodwork and facade),” he said. “From the contracts I’ve seen, this is the second contract. The other people backed out.”
Richards said he didn’t know why the original contractor changed its mind, and USPS communications declined to say what the reason was.
Richards and Fetterly both confirmed the post office is eyeing mid-October as a completion date for the work.
“We apologize for any inconvenience that may have been experienced,” USPS said in a statement. “Customers are reminded that, if they need assistance with mailing or shipping concerns, they have a variety of options for reaching us, including contacting a supervisor or manager at their local post office.”
What’s the historic significance of the building?
Columbus has had a post office since 1820, but the building serving that purpose today was built in 1939, making it roughly 86 years old.
It was originally thought to be ineligible for historic registration by the post office but applied regardless in 1983 and was eventually entered into the National Register of Historic Places.
Its historical value does not come just from artistic elements like the lobby mural “Out of the Soil” painted in 1940 by Beulah Bettersworth, whose work has also been featured in the White House art collection. Its architecture itself is also an example of antique southern building styles, combining Georgian elements of colonial Britain with Greek Revival columns according to its nomination for the historic register.
“The courthouse, the City Hall, and this post office represent the three most significant governmental public buildings in the community,” it said. “This structure is the largest and most elaborate of the Colonial Revival group represented in this thematic nomination.”
Who’s in charge of all of this anyway?
For large repairs like this, very little is decided by local post offices. Richards told The Dispatch the Columbus branch didn’t have much say in when or how the repairs would be completed.
“We don’t handle any of that at a local level,” he said. “I just get a copy of the emails once (the facilities office) decided something.”
Mayor Keith Gaskin told The Dispatch Saturday that city government also hadn’t been involved in planning the repairs beyond simply requesting that they be done. Columbus CFO James Brigham confirmed that the city isn’t involved in funding the upkeep or operations of local post offices.
“I feel the same way as other citizens asking about it,” Gaskin said. “…They haven’t been coordinating with the mayor’s office. I’ve been reaching out to our local delegation to make sure they’re aware of it and trying to get something to happen, but as far as actually making the plans, there’s been no direct communication with us on that.”
USPS’s national communications office declined to give an interview and did not give details about their internal decision-making process. Fetterly did say, however, that USPS’s facilities office in Plano, Texas handles details like relations with the contractors.
“Regarding issues with other facilities, including regular maintenance and janitorial work, the Postal Service relies on both in-house and contracted maintenance, depending on the location,” USPS said in a statement. “Local leadership will ensure a renewed focus is placed on keeping our facilities clean and presentable.”
Despite how little transparency the process has had until this point, Gaskin said he was just happy work is finally getting started.
“I’m just excited that those improvements are going to be made to the post office,” he said. “It was a slow process, unfortunately that’s what happens sometimes when you’re dealing with the federal government. But I’m very excited that they’re at least beginning the process (this) week.”
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