Cobble Hill Post Office

The Porter family established the first post office in Cobble Hill on October 1st 1887 when Mr. James Townley Porter became the first postmaster. The original post office was housed in a railroad car that had been used during construction of the tracks and was moved across the road from the station. Eleven families were the recipients of the mail that was delivered on horseback by Ike Shepperd.

James T. Porter died in 1903 and his son James Astley Porter, known as Astley to avoid confusion with his father, became the postmaster and served in this capacity until his retirement in 1945. In 1914 Astley married Mrs. Annie Abell, a widow originally from England. She became the assistant postmistress and 1915 the Porters moved into the newly built post office and residence they had commissioned George Bonner to erect on the corner of Cobble Hill and Fisher Roads beside the Cobble Hill Market. The Porters continued to live in this building after their retirement.

Mr. and Mrs. G. H. Wass had the present post office built on Garland Avenue and George Wass became postmaster in 1946. Mrs. Evelyn May Van Walkenburg was the next postmaster and Mrs. Rosa Boyles succeeded her in the position in 1970.

In 1997 Cobble Hill celebrated the 100th anniversary of its post office with the creation of a replica of the original railroad car and a large community party with many citizens in period dress and appropriately decorated ‘birthday cakes’.