Evinston, Florida is home to the oldest federal post office in Florida, the Wood and Swink Old Store and Post Office. It’s one of the last operating post office general stores in the country. The building was built in 1882 and bought by Evinston’s Postmaster in 1884. Around the turn of century, it became a general store too. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
I felt like I was stepping back in time as we drove up. A neighborhood dog was waiting outside and we received a friendly greeting and tour from the gentleman working inside. The post office has acted as a meeting place for the small town of about 150 people throughout the years including today.
You can buy local honey and other products at the store and a can of coke from the old cooler.
Definitely worth a stop if you are anywhere near Gainesville. Amusement parks and beaches get most of the attention from travelers to Florida but I like taking a glimse at “Old Florida” and you can still see that in the small towns.
A very cool destination! I love old places like this, especially ones that still work!
You don’t stress it, but they have a nice display of Elvis memorabilia. Makes me wonder if he stopped by long ago when he was touring the southeastern USA>
We were in Micanopy at a antique store and the proprietor suggested seeing the antique coca -cola cooler in the Evinston Post Office. By the time we got there, it was 4:57pm, three minutes to closing. But the gentleman running the office welcomed us and was not in a hurry at all. I hope to stop by again and ask some more questions at this really neat place. A really great surprise on our day trip.
A few years ago, NPR did a story about the Post Office which is well worth reading.
http://www.npr.org/2012/07/13/…ffice-and-its-squire