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By Galen C. McBride
Rappahannock News Staff Writer
In early December, after more than 30 years, Woodville Contract Postmaster Ruth Orange retired, closing the book on one of the oldest post offices in the country.
From September 1802, when founding Postmaster John Turner opened shop, to Orange’s appointment as Acting Postmaster in July 1965, the Woodville Post Office has been in continuous operation. Notices of its closure were recently mailed to local residents.
According to Orange, tho Woodville office, which operated under contract with OSPS, since December 1967, served 40 families via General Delivery and maintained 125 post office boxes. Orange voluptarily terminated the contract due to increasing ill health.
The y.S. Postal Service also notified 335 Castleton area residents of the final formal closing of their local post office. This office, operated out of her home by Martha Cannon, actually shut down in 1992, having served only two families.
Seventy-six residents commented on the closing. Their replies are being tabulated and will be available for public review at the Boston office withf in three to four weeks.
Woodville and” Castleton are only two of the latest casualties of government and corporate downsizing. The. USPS continues to close smaller community post offices, consolidating service in regional offices equipped to handle huge volumes of <mail at minimal cost.
Deborah Vachley, USPS Spokesperson, explained that the postal service advertised extensively for replacements for these offices, but received no acceptable bids. Efforts to move
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