First U.S. Post Office was in a tavern

Benjamin Franklin is often credited with launching the U.S. Postal Service after the Continental Congress authorized him to create postal routes in 1775. 

But before the ingenious founding father became the first U.S. postmaster, there was another important mail manager: a tavern owner by the name of Richard Fairbanks. 

About 136 years before Franklin’s post office management, Fairbanks’ tavern became the first post office in the United States. 

There, the businessman, who was permitted to sell “wine and strong water” along Boston’s Water Street, became responsible for collecting and distributing mail.

Combining a post office and a bar might seem unusual by today’s standards, but in the 17th century it was a common and clever system. 

European practices of the time often designated inns and taverns as post offices because they were regular gathering spots within communities. 

Public houses had a major influence on colonial life too, providing meals and directions for travelers, entertainment, and news. 

That logic is why, on November 6, 1639, the Massachusetts General Court designated Fairbanks’ tavern as the official post office for “all letters which are brought from beyond the seas,” specifically meaning any correspondence between the colony and Great Britain. Fairbanks was paid one penny for each letter he handled. 

As for intercolonial mail, early Americans were resourceful at communicating with fellow New Worlders, privately sending their letters throughout the colonies with the help of traveling neighbors and merchants.