Back in 2004 I discovered a place on the web that was trying to collect a photo of every post office in the U.S. This sounded a lot like Don Quixote’s quest and that made it right up my alley. After 3 months and around 3 dozen photos we dropped the whole thing because none of the photos I submitted were added to The Postal Gallery Database. I guess they lost interest because the last update was in February 2004.1
Then a chance encounter with a PO at the end of 2006 sparked our interest again. Even if it was a lost cause for the Postal Gallery Database folks, it was a perfect excuse for Donna and I to do something together we both like, drive around back roads and take photos. In 2007 we photographed 310 of the 454 South Carolina Post Offices, most of the remaining 100 were done in 2008 with the last few photographed in early 2009.
Dalzell to Gilbert
Dalzell - 29040 - The crepe myrtle looks nice out front of this Post Office, but it blocked me from taking a picture head on that would have showed the lettering with the town name and zip. (08/05/07)
Darlington - 29532 - We passed right by the old Post Office, which looked like a PO should, but had to drive to the outskirts of town to find this new building. (01/13/07)
Daufuskie Island - 29915 - This room behind one of the two restaurants on the island for locals and tourists was the Post Office for the longest time. It is now shuttered in favor of impersonal metal boxes. (03/07/09)
Daufuskie Island - 29915 - This is the "new" PO (less than a year old), a series of metal boxes, mid-island, in front of the old Mary Fields Elementary School where author Pat Conroy taught. If you want to mail a package or some other postal service you have to find the Postmaster and this isn't too hard as it is a small island with only a couple hundred people on it. This was our most expensive Post Office, what with 2 round trip ferry tickets and golf cart rental, because you can't bring your car with you when you visit Daufuskie Island. This hard to get to Post Office is fittingly the last one in South Carolina that needed its portrait taken with my maroon Miata in it. (03/07/09)
Davis Station - 29041 - Our -new- book of South Carolina County Maps helped us shave a few miles off our route to here from Paxville by allowing us to use some real back roads that were too small to include on the state map. (03/01/08)
Denmark - 29042 - When we were new here in South Carolina, we were amazed when we asked a co-worker where they went over the weekend, only to have them reply, Denmark. Turns out they meant this town 40 miles away and not the European country. About 10 miles north of Denmark is a smaller town of Norway and on the way there you pass through an unincorporated area called Sweden, neither of which have post offices. (02/15/04)
Dillon - 29536 - A large stately Post Office befitting the city that is the county seat. (04/19/08)
Donalds - 29638 - I cheated a little on this one and "airbrushed" a power line that ran diagonally off to the left. I left one one on top as it sort of made a nice framing element. (03/17/07)
Dorchester - 29437 - Dorchester, SC is located in Dorchester County, but it is not the county seat, that honor goes to St. George. From personal observation, this is an unusual circumstance in South Carolina as most towns with the same name as the county they are in turn out to be the county seat. (07/06/08)
Drayton - 29333 - A virtual carbon copy of yesterday's Reidville Post Office. (09/02/07)
Due West - 29639 - It seemed like the sun was in the wrong spot for all 4 of today's photos. This one turned out a little better than the others as I think the visible rays add a little something here. (03/17/07)
Duncan - 29339 - I really like this style of lettering on the building. I wonder where the old metal letters go when a PO of this vintage gets replaced? (09/01/07)
Early Branch - 29916 - We got an early start on Sunday and appropriately our first stop was the town of Early Branch. (08/19/07)
Easley - 29640-9323 - [Ez Fitness CPU] A bonus Post Office. Not only did I not have a map for this one, it wasn't even on the master list. The only reason we found it was happenstance, we just were on our way from Travelers Rest to Liberty, when I noticed the sign on the street. (10/14/07)
Easley - 29640-9996 - [Easley CPU] You can't see her because she is sitting on the curb behind the car, but my navigator is busy laying out the rest of tonight's route. (09/22/07)
Easley - 29640-9998 - Even at night there always seems to be a pick up truck with a guy inside sitting outside the Post Office reading his mail. (09/22/07)
Eastover - 29044 - This Post Office looks like it used the same plans as Gadsden, but unlike Gadsden, this place was hopping. They also differed by opting for no name on the building. At least they did have it on the sign out by the street. (08/04/07)
Edgefield - 29824 - Home to ten governors (of South Carolina.) One of the most notable would be Strom Thurmond whose life-size bronze statue commands attention in the downtown square. He might have had something to do with this very large and ornate Post Office. If you have seen the horrid remake Disney did in the 90s of That Darn Cat, you have seen a mildly disguise Edgefield, as it was filmed there. (03/21/04)
Edgemoor - 29712 - Actually stopped and used this Post Office. We bought 40 Christmas stamps and mailed a calendar as a gift to a cousin of Donna's in Edin burg, Scotland. We didn't stay long outside though, as right behind this building there were a couple of people firing rifles. I'm not sure if they we doing a turkey shoot or just testing a gun before buying it, but the gun fire to our citified ears didn't sound nice. (12/01/07)
Edisto Island - 29438 - In a couple years you probably won't even be able to see this Post Office for the Crape Myrtles. (07/06/08)
Effingham - 29541 - If this town name is pronounced the way I hear it in my head, it sounds like someone is cussing about a cut of pork. (03/01/08)
Ehrhardt - 29081 - The first time we attempted the PO in this town a festival filling the main street and blocking access to the place thwarted us. This afternoon worked out great as I got to park right up front and the sun even cooperated in being behind me. (11/16/07)
Elgin - 29045 - The map we are using to locate the Post Offices is a private party map, not the official one given out at welcome centers. I have got everything marked with dots, green for photo taken, red for no PO and an open circle in pencil for the to dos. It wasn't until after we had taken this photo that Donna realized there were 2 Elgins with penciled circles, this town and one up closer to Lancaster. This is the "official" Elgin, at least according to the Postal Service. (03/11/07)
Elko - 29826 - Even at 35 MPH we drove right by it the first time. There is a mirror image door to the right with a wooden sign that reads, Town Hall. Why Elko has a Post Office at all is a mystery to me. The town is a mere crossroads of US78 and SC37 and has a population of 250, while the town of Williston just 3 miles away with a population of over 3,000 does not have a Post Office at all. (02/15/04)
Elliot - 29046 - This one still looks like a Post Office from by-gone years. The only concession to the modern Postal Service is the satellite dish to the left, so they can be notified of more 2 cent stamp price increases. (08/05/07)
Elloree - 29047 - This building was not only the Post Office, but it was the Federal Building as well. According to the town's web site, Elloree means ''the home I love'', but gives no hint as to how to pronounce it. (08/05/07)
Enoree - 29335 - Just off to the right is the official vehicle of rural South Carolina, a mid-80's multi-hued Ford F150 pickup truck with rust highlights. It's unshaved owner was inside the truck reading his mail, a cigarette, with 2 inches of ash, dangling from his mouth. (09/01/07)
Estill - 29918 - Like a lot of small town Post Offices in South Carolina, this one in Estill, seems to be quite a gathering ground on a Saturday morning. (01/27/07)
Eutawville - 29048 - Thanks to a database crash my fabulous description of this PO is lost forever. I did manage to track down the date taken though. (08/05/07)
Fair Play - 29643 - Not really a town, not even a real census-designated place, but it is mentioned on no less than three I-85 exit signs. (09/22/07)
Fairfax - 29827 - The Google map for this address was way off, it must have had the numbers running in the opposite direction in it database because this PO was on the other end of the street indicated. Nice bit of stone work above the door, I bet this was opened in 1950 which predates the zip code by 13 years. (03/03/07)
Fairforest - 29336 - It was raining lightly this morning so we had he top up and the windows down for the first couple Post Offices this morning. (09/02/07)
Fingerville - 29338 - Fingerville is a cute little small town just off scenic highway SC11. The Post Office accurately reflects the towns character too. There was a small house for sale just across the street from the PO and Donna and I thought that if we won the lottery we would buy it and then be able to just and relax on our small front porch and watch all the action at the Post Office for our excitement. (09/03/07)
Florence - 29501-3398 - Very large Post Office that was deserted on a Saturday evening. Around the right side of the building there was a drive-up window... (07/14/07)
Florence - 29501-3405 - [Federal Station] The post Office was on one side of the ground floor of the Federal Building. This didn't seem like a bad neighborhood, so maybe they keep some of the US Gold Reserves in the basement which would account for the fence that surrounds the whole building. (07/15/07)
Florence - 29505 - "It had gotten too dark for hand holding the camera, so Gorillapod (joby.com) to the rescue. (07/14/07)
Folly Beach - 29439 - Timing is everything and for this Post Office it was of by just a bit. I waited awhile to see if the silver SUV would leave and when it seemed like it never would I took my picture. As I was lining up a second photo from a different angle the SUV started to leave, but just as that was happening another car pulled in and parked to our right. (02/06/09)
Fork - 29543 - Nice rural Post Office. The only signs of modern times are the government mandated wheelchair ramp and the satellite dish. (04/19/08)
Fort Lawn - 29714 - There was one car just off frame left that was there the whole time we were there. Some guy reading his mail no doubt. As we left I noticed the personalized tag on the car - FLMAYOR - was he the mayor of Fort Lawn? (12/01/07)
Fort Mill - 29715 - We needed a good bit of perseverance to get to this Post Office. The town of Fort Mill was having it's annual Christmas parade and the route passed along the street in front of the PO. With the help of my Google map, a couple of wrong turns and a friendly parade marshal we managed to get in the back way. The parking lot was full, not with postal customers, but with parade spectators. (12/01/07)
Fountain Inn - 29644 - Another newer Post Office with no markings on the building. So I walked way out towards the street and included the sign. (6/17/2007)
Furman - 29921 - This is one cute little Post Office and the second smallest building we come across so far. It is bigger than Vaucluse - 29850 and just a notch smaller than Parksville - 29844. (01/27/07)
Gable - 29051-9679 - The town of Sardinia was supposed to be our next stop after New Zion, but we blinked and missed it, ending up here, about a mile and a half further south on US301, in Gable. (03/02/08)
Gadsden - 29052 - For a Saturday morning this place was just the opposite of what we have come to expect, there was no one there. (08/04/07)
Gaffney - 29340 - I'm guessing that there is an old abandoned Post Office building not too far from here that was replaced big the big new building in the other Gaffney photo. The town still wanted a downtown PO so they contracted with this Ace Hardware to fill the bill. (11/04/07)
Gaffney - 29341 - This is a large building and I only captured the right 1/2 in this image. There were a lot of trees to the left and below making a picture of the whole Post Office near impossible. (11/04/07)
Garnett - 29922 - The one that restarted the Post Office photo kick. We pass by this PO several times a year on our way to or from Hilton Head Island and I have really been meaning to stop. What could be better than a picture of a Garnet Red Miata in front of the Garnett, SC Post Office? (11/05/06)
Gaston - 29053 - Today we wanted to fill in a little hole in the map to the southeast of Columbia where we had 4 towns un-photographed. First up was Gaston, but it took us a while to get here because Google maps does not differentiate between paved and dirt roads. (04/07/2007)
Georgetown - 29440 - Georgetown is South Carolina's third oldest city and this Post Office looks like the third newest. (09/28/08)
Gifford - 29923 - This pretty blue trailer was perhaps the most colorful structure in the town of Gifford. That is not saying much as there was not too much to see here along US321. (08/18/07)
Gilbert - 29054 - This town is about the same distance from Columbia as the very busy Chapin was, but just the opposite in terms of traffic both in town and the PO parking lot. (02/24/07)