Almost 100 years old, the Five Points Post Office was built in 1925 as the first in Franklin. Saved by the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County, for the last ten years the post office has been sharing space with First Bank. Closed in March of 2023, it reopened on December 1 with new owners, Julie and Ward Two Alderman Matt Brown.
Unlike a regular post office, this space is not owned by the United States Postal Service (USPS), it is instead considered a privately-owned business run under government standards and known as a Contracted Postal Unit (CPU).
“At one time, there were thousands of CPUs in the country,” Julie Brown told Franklin Lifestyles, now there are only a handful and Franklin’s 37065 is one of the few.”
In 1991, it was listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of the country’s most endangered post office locations when the USPS chose to sell the building. It was initially saved by being purchased by Williamson County and then they sold it to the City of Franklin.
Until 1991, when the Oak Meadows location was opened and all operations were transferred there, the downtown location was the only post office in Franklin.
“The building has served as a post office all these years,” says the Downtown Franklin website, “as well as a genealogy library, archives, and headquarters for the Heritage Foundation for a time. When archives were stored there, one could find old will books and deeds, along with deeds of enslaved people, in the basement. These archives were eventually moved across the street into what is now the Williamson County Archives.”
The Browns are the fourth owners of the CPU. Ann Little was the first. She owned it from 1992 until 2014. Tom Otte owned it from 2014 until 2020 and the most recent owner was Jeff Nichols.
More than 800 post office boxes were in use when the office was closed earlier in the year. Those who rented the boxes previous to the closure have been given the opportunity to get them back. Many had been rented by the same family from one generation to the next.
“A post office in historic Franklin is a representation of the heart of Franklin,” Brown further noted in Franklin Lifestyles. “It’s an homage to past generations and a stronghold for future ones. It offers Franklin citizens a place to gather and reconnect. It allows those who have had the same post office box in their family for generations to remain connected to that legacy. This post office contributes to Franklin’s uniqueness and small-town charm by offering a zip code, 37065, for those who participate in utilizing a box.”
The Browns also worked hard to refurbish the old space in time for their December 1 ribbon cutting to offer all of the normal services, but also adding business services and some general store items and artisan pieces.
Post office lobby hours are 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and Saturday 8:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Besides the post boxes, this location will offer stamps, shipping, and metered mail.
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