USPS honors Norfolk's role in 250 years of American postal history

NORFOLK, Va. — Long before email, text messages and next-day delivery, Norfolk was already helping keep America connected.

As the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, the U.S. Postal Service is also marking more than 250 years of service by recognizing communities that have been part of its story since the beginning. Norfolk is one of just 62 original post offices established in 1775, giving the city a unique place in the history of the nation's mail system.

For Norfolk Postmaster Matthew Toman, that history isn't just something found in archives — it's something he's helped continue for more than three decades.

"As a postal employee of 31 years, I'm incredibly proud to have the opportunity to represent the United States Postal Service as the postmaster of Norfolk," Toman said.

A postal history dating back to America's founding

Norfolk's postal roots stretch back to the earliest days of the United States.

The city's first post office was established in 1775, the same year the Continental Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin as the nation's first Postmaster General. Since then, Norfolk has continuously served as a postal hub while adapting to the city's growth and changing transportation needs.

Over the past two and a half centuries, the city's primary post office has occupied several downtown landmarks:

• 1858: Norfolk's first combined U.S. Post Office and Federal Courthouse opened at 101 East Main Street.
• 1900: A larger Neo-Palladian Revival post office and courthouse opened at 235 East Plume Street, replacing the earlier facility as Norfolk's growing population demanded more space. The building later became Norfolk City Hall and is now home to the Slover Library.
• 1932: Operations moved to the Art Deco U.S. Post Office and Courthouse at 600 Granby Street, the building now known as the Walter E. Hoffman U.S. Courthouse.
• 1984: Postal operations relocated to the current Church Street facility, while the Granby Street building continued serving exclusively as a federal courthouse.

The former courthouse on Granby Street still bears the words "Post Office and Courthouse," a reminder of the role it once played in delivering mail across Hampton Roads.

From Benjamin Franklin to smart lockers

Standing outside the former post office, Toman said the building serves as a reminder of how closely the Postal Service's history is tied to the nation's own.

"It's a very iconic site. It's nostalgic. It brings back the history of the Post Office all the way from our first Postmaster General, Benjamin Franklin," Toman said. "We've been hand in hand with the building of a nation."

The Postal Service has changed dramatically since Norfolk's first mail was delivered.

Toman pointed to innovations ranging from street addresses and ZIP codes to the Pony Express, modern sorting technology and today's nationwide delivery network.

"The changes to the post office historically are immense, from our days of pre-ZIP code, pre-street addresses, all the way through the Pony Express... up through today, where we service every community in America," he said.

Looking toward the future

While the Postal Service is celebrating its history, it's also investing in its future.

The Church Street post office is currently undergoing a retail modernization project that includes upgraded customer service areas, new passport offices, fingerprinting services and smart package lockers designed to make package pickup easier.

For Toman, those upgrades represent the latest chapter in an organization that has continually evolved while maintaining its core mission.

The connection is also deeply personal.

Toman comes from a family of postal employees, and his wife also works for the Postal Service.

"Absolutely, personal connection," he said. "I come from a family of postal employees. My wife is a postal employee, so it's really provided me, my family, my children with a wonderful lifestyle."

As the U.S. Postal Service celebrates more than 250 years of connecting Americans, Norfolk continues to play a role in that legacy — one that began in 1775 and continues every day from its modern Church Street post office.

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