Historic Post Office Returns Home
On Thursday, August 6, 2009, at 9 AM very important and original elements of a historic century old Post Office will be returned to their home, Franklinton Center at Bricks in Whitakers, NC, near Rocky Mount, NC by George Scheitinger. The Center is located at 466 Bricks Lane, Whitakers, NC 27891, telephone number 252-437-1723. The post office was one of less than a handful operated by African Americans during the early 1900’s. It was installed at Franklinton Center in 1902 and was there until the 1970s when the building which housed it was to be torn down.
The post office is solid oak with brass trim and etched glass. It is in excellent condition and sim ply beautiful. It was built by Corbin Lock Company. The printing over the windows says “General Delivery” and”School supplies” There is an additional 3 foot section, over which the printing says “Treasurer”. The post office served the entire community.
Franklinton Center at Bricks, a center for education and social transformation and a conference and retreat center, is in ministry with Justice and Witness Ministries of the United Church of Christ. The Center sits on 250 acres of what was a plantation devoted to punishing slaves who ran or were otherwise deemed to be troublesome. Later, after the Civil War, due to the generosity of a wealthy NY abolitionist, Mrs. Julia Brick, parts of the property became an institution devoted to educating freed slaves and their descendents. It was known as
Bricks school. The school had its own post office, with an African American Postmaster. This, in and of itself was a rarity in the early 1900’s.
During the 1970’s, when the post office building was torn down, Mr. Scheitinger came into possession of the mail boxes and portions of the original counter and windows. He was in conversation with the Smithsonian about the post office furnishings being used in their museum devoted to African American life and history. When those conversations ended because of the economy, Mr. Scheitinger, in a magnanimous gesture offered to return the important furnishings to their original home. Franklinton Center at Bricks is pleased to welcome them back home.
At 9 AM, August 6, 2009, the formal transfer of these historic post office furnishings will take place at Franklinton Center and they will be put back together. Those present will include Mr. Scheitinger and Earl L. Ijames, Curator of the North Carolina Museum of History. The media and the public are invited. For more information, call The Center at 252-437-1723. Other information about The Center can be found at the web site, www.franklintoncenteratbricks.org.
