Aug 17, 2024 By Mike Jones 3 min read

The U.S. Post Office in the Marianna area closed Friday due to “safety concerns” as workers began decommissioning the location while customers with P.O. boxes were directed to retrieve their mail in Clarksville for the foreseeable future.

People living in the 15345 ZIP code were notified in a letter sent out Wednesday that all services at the post office at 1742 Main St. would be “suspended,” which came as a surprise to many customers who arrived Friday morning expecting to pick up their mail from the lobby’s post office boxes.

While the letter specifically states the reason for the closure is because of “facility repairs,” postal employees could be seen removing the official U.S. Post Office sign on the building, pulling out furniture and changing the front door locks, indicating the office would not be returning to that location.

“It’s just a temporary close – that’s what the note said – but it looks permanent,” West Bethlehem Township Supervisor Tom Donahoo said. “They were taking stuff out of it.”

A press release from the postal services said “safety concerns” at the Marianna location caused the temporary closure.

“A timeframe for completion of repairs in Marianna has yet to be determined,” the press release states.

The press release did not elaborate on the specific safety issues that led to the closure, and it was not known if repairs could be made to the building, which is being leased by the post office, or if a new location in the area would eventually need to be selected.

The post office building and a connecting storefront, which showed signs of dampness and water damage, both appeared to be in poor condition. The property is owned by Four M Inc. of Imperial, according to Washington County’s tax assessment website. A call to the phone number listed on a “For Rent” sign hanging on the adjoining storefront’s window was not returned Friday.

“When I saw them taking out equipment and the door locks off the door, they’re not coming back,” Donahoo said of the postal service’s workers. “When they take all their stuff, they’re not coming back to that location.”

The post office building is physically located in West Bethlehem Township on the edge of the municipal boundary with Marianna, and it services both communities along with fringe areas of several neighboring municipalities. The rural nature of the ZIP code means many people in the geographic boundaries rely on post office boxes to receive their mail rather than home delivery.

Customers are now expected to drive to the U.S. Post Office at 541 Center St. in Clarksville – nearly six miles away from Marianna – if they need various mail services.

Donahoo surmised the postal service could find a new location in the Marianna area relatively easily, and he was willing to offer any assistance from the township to aid in that search.

“I’ll try, but I think they have to work it out with the postmaster general,” Donahoo said. “I’m going to stop by the post office in Clarksville (Friday afternoon) to see what they found out.”

The letter to customers, which is from an unidentified manager of post office operations, tells people to contact the Clarksville postmaster at 724-345-2532 for more information about the situation.

“We apologize for any inconvenience this will cause you,” the letter states. “I realize with change there is always concern. In the interim, we are confident that the Clarksville Post Office will meet all customers’ needs with effective and regular postal services.”