Those who have never lived outside Bucks County, especially the central and northern areas, my not notice the small historical gems that serve as our rural post offices. Long before the long arm of the federal government reached out to homogenize the offices of the US Postal Service into cold fluorescent-glared, laminate countered clones, many towns served their mail over the warm, wood countertops of general stores, inns and even taverns. Anywhere people tended to gather was considered a logical and legitimate location for a mail outpost in early America.

Several remaining vestiges of this practice in Bucks County come to mind: the Lumberville General Store is a prominent example. Another that no longer plies the general merchandise trade, but still serves up those delicious envelopes and packages that so many look forward to each day, is the Mechanicsville Post Office.

The quaint building at the intersection of Durham and Mechanicsville Roads presides over a hamlet first known as Fenton’s Corner, which became known as a center for artisans. Its two factories made nails and chairs, surrounded by shops for a shoemaker, tailor, a joiner and a new blacksmith. Mechanicsville Road was laid in 1803 to connect Doylestown with then-thriving Lumberville, and in 1814, three gentlemen placed an ad in the Pennsylvania Correspondent and Farmer's Advertiser touting “A WHOLE TOWN...the new and thriving village of New-Work.” This name gradually degraded into “Newark,” followed by a stint as Halifax before becoming Mechanicsville, after its association with tradesmen, when the post office first opened on April 12, 1830.

The gigantic mail order business of nearby Samuel Wilson Seed Company, whose daily postage bills averaged a whopping $50 (today’s equivalent would be $986.97), gave tiny Mechanicsville rare stature in 1891: it became a Presidential Post Office, meaning its postmaster was appointed by the US President (it reverted back to 4th class status in the late 20th century). In 1907, a gentleman named Nathan Ely became Postmaster, a postion he held until 1925. During his entire tenure, the office was ensconced in the Mechanicsville General Store.

Just after the end of WWII in 1946, husband-and-wife team Jack and Lorraine Armstrong assumed the duties of Postmaster and Assistant Postmaster, respectively. At that time, 35 families had lockbox service there, and 22 others received home delivery. The Armstrongs presided over the closing of the General Store part of the business in the 1960s, and when they retired in 1983, postal patronage had jumped to 200 lockbox customers and 42 mail route boxes. The couple continue to live in the attached home today.

Mechanicsville has maintained its 19th century character, and for this was recognized as Mechanicsville Village Historic District by the National Historic Register in 1988.