Jackson’s Oldest Surviving Building, the Stone Post Office: 1839

Jackson's Oldest Building happens to be right under everyone's noses: it's the Blackwell Building that is attached to the back of Casler Hardware.

The building was built in 1839 and had two original uses: it was a post office and also used as a hospital during the Civil War. Some of you have noticed a hook and pulley hanging out of the second floor; with no elevator, this was used to haul things and people upstairs.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, it is more fondly called 'the old stone post office' instead of the Blackwell Building.

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As old as this old post office is, it was not Jackson's first post office. The original began operating in 1830, set in a log house owned by first postmaster Isaiah Bennett, when the town was known as ‘Jacksonburgh’.

In 1835, ‘Jacksonburgh’ was changed to ‘Jacksonopolis’.
In 1838, it was permanently changed to ‘Jackson’.
In 1857, Jackson was incorporated as a city.
In 1839, businessman Joseph Blackwell constructed this stone building to use as a general store. It later became the post office, which lasted until 1894.

Now that Jackson was becoming a major bustling city, a larger post office was needed and the stone P.O. was abandoned. As the downtown grew, more structures were being built, eventually pushing the old post office toward the rear and mostly out of sight and ignored. Thank goodness some Einstein out there DID NOT order it demolished. It has been used as a storage and warehouse facility ever since.

All the windows have been boarded up and out of five doors, only two are used.   There is an Historical Marker that sits out in the grass that you should seek out and read.