US Post Office (Ludington, Michigan)

 post office, passport office, 1932_construction, 1933_construction, 20th century construction, 1930s construction

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The original building at the northeastern corner of Ludington Ave. and Harrison St. was constructed in the late 19th century, east of that building was a vacant lot from 1919 until October 1925, known as the Forsalind lot. A building was constructed in that location between October 1925 and December 1925 by Charles A. Forslind and grocery store owner Arthur E. Nordine as the Arthur Nordine Building, it was a one-story three-store building with a full basement and even attached to the old grocery store building. The old building (201 E Ludington Ave.) used to house grocery stores Frank Nordine Grocery (late 1918 [originally located at the Wangen Building {now The Professional Building} at 123 E Ludington Ave.]-1923), Arthur E. Nordine/Arthur Nordine Grocery & Market (1923 [expanded into the western portion of the Arthur Nordine Building {203 E Ludington Ave.} on November 24, 1925]-late 1928 [downgraded or shrank into one building space of the Arthur Nordine Building {203 E Ludington Ave.}]), and Blue Ribbon Bakery (late 1928 [originally located at 911 S Washington Ave.]-September 4, 1931 [relocated to the R.H. Tuttle Building at 116 W Ludington Ave. and reopened on September 9, 1931]); the western portion of the Arthur Nordine Building (203 E Ludington Ave.) used to house grocery stores Arthur E. Nordine/Arthur Nordine Grocery & Market (November 24, 1925 [originally located at 201 E Ludington Ave. {expanded into that building space but shrank into one space in late 1928 after the old grocery store building became Blue Ribbon Bakery}]-January 25, 1930) and Farmers' Exchange Store (January 27, 1930-September 4, 1931 [relocated to the Kieswalter Building {demolished around the 1960's} at the southwestern corner of Ludington Ave. and Harrison St. and reopened on September 17, 1931]); the middle and eastern portions of the Arthur Nordine Building (205 E Ludington Ave.) used to house car dealers Dodge Brothers Motor Cars (mid-December 1925 [originally located at 214 S James St.]-May 25, 1929 [relocated to 109 N Rath Ave. and reopened in late-May 1929]), truck dealers Graham Brothers Trucks (mid-December 1925-New Year's Eve, December 31, 1928), Dodge Brothers Trucks (January 2, 1929-May 25, 1929), and car dealer Hudson & Essex Motor Cars (late-May 1929 [originally located at 103 N Rath Ave.]-September 4, 1931); the basement of the building used to house a doctor's office Dr. Charles A. Quackenbush (c. late 1920's-September 4, 1931 [relocated to 102 W Ludington Ave. {space shared with Snow's Drug Store} and reopened on October 11, 1931]). Both buildings were demolished around mid-September 1931. The Arthur Nordine Building was the shortest-lived building in Ludington, which lasted only less than 6 years!

The construction of the post office began on April 14, 1932 by construction engineers H. Oliver O'Farrell (of Washington, DC), J.J. Olsen (of Muskegon), and Chicago-based construction company Hanson Brothers Co. The cost of building the post office was $135,000 (roughly $2.1 million in today's money). It is a Renaissance-type building architecture. The post office was unofficially opened to the public on March 10, 1933 at 7pm by postmaster Chester W. Perry, only for adult visitors. It was officially opened to the public on March 13, 1933 in the morning.

Ludington's post office was established on June 1, 1864 by the first postmaster David A. Melendy, it was originally located in the hollow of a pine tree that stood on a point near where the old Taylor Mill was later located, somewhere along Pere Marquette Lake. It was relocated to the McMaster Building {now Hamel Building} at 109 E Ludington Ave. in 1889 and then to the Kline Building (became Jebavy Building around mid 1930's, demolished around late 1970's) at 114 E Ludington Ave. on July 1, 1909.

Barbara J. Stapleton is now the postmaster of this post office since March 31, 2007

201 E Ludington Ave.
Ludington, MI 49431
Ph: (231) 843-8646
Fax: (231) 843-9860
Toll Free: 1 (800) ASK-USPS (275-8777)
Web: www.usps.com/

Hours
Sun: Closed
Mon-Fri: 8:30am-5pm
Sat: 10am-12pm

Hours - Passport
Sun: Closed
Mon-Fri: 10am-3pm
Sat: 10am-12pm

Last Collection Hours
Mon-Fri: 4pm
Sat: 3pm

External links
genealogytrails.com/mich/mason/cityludingtonopen.html
genealogytrails.com/mich/mason/cityludingtonpo.html
www.waterwinterwonderland.com/postoffice.aspx
news.google.com/newspapers?id=LYIwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fTsDAAA...
news.google.com/newspapers?id=LYIwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fTsDAAA...
news.google.com/newspapers?id=RJ9OAAAAIBAJ&sjid=q0ADAAA... (the official opening of the post office)
news.google.com/newspapers?id=K4IwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fTsDAAA... (the official opening of the post office)
news.google.com/newspapers?id=K4IwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fTsDAAA... (the official opening of the post office)
news.google.com/newspapers?id=K4IwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fTsDAAA... (the unofficial opening of the post office)
news.google.com/newspapers?id=Qp9OAAAAIBAJ&sjid=q0ADAAA... (the unofficial opening of the post office)
news.google.com/newspapers?id=Op9OAAAAIBAJ&sjid=q0ADAAA... (construction of the post office)
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news.google.com/newspapers?id=fWpOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rUADAAA... (former Arthur Nordine Grocery & Market/Farmers Exchange Store)
news.google.com/newspapers?id=ssowAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aTsDAAA... (former Hudson & Essex Motor Cars)
news.google.com/newspapers?id=dMowAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aTsDAAA... (former Graham Brothers Trucks/Dodge Brothers Trucks)
news.google.com/newspapers?id=abkxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=d0ADAAA... (the expansion of Arthur E. Nordine grocery store)
news.google.com/newspapers?id=dbkxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=d0ADAAA... (former Dodge Brothers Motor Cars)
news.google.com/newspapers?id=VLkxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=d0ADAAA... (construction of the Arthur Nordine Building)