Temporary post office finds a home on Lafayette Place

Temporary post office finds
a home on Lafayette Place


A trailer set up in the Lafayette Place parking lot, Freehold Borough, is serving as the community’s post office while officials continue the search for a permanent location for a postal facility.A trailer set up in the Lafayette Place parking lot, Freehold Borough, is serving as the community’s post office while officials continue the search for a permanent location for a postal facility.

FREEHOLD — It’s back. The structure may not be cemented to the ground, but the free-standing double-wide trailer that sits in a parking lot on Lafayette Place bears the name United States Postal Service and is up and running.

The postal unit, located on Lafayette Place across from the Mon-mouth County Hall of Records Annex parking lot, is a fully functioning postal operation. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The signs on the structure clearly denote that the trailer is a post office and the American flag flying overhead makes it official. There’s even a large banner across the trailer that says, "Welcome to the temporary post office in Freehold Borough."

The present facility on Lafayette Place takes over for a mobile post office unit that was in place for several months on Main Street following the shutdown of the borough’s previous contract postal unit that was operated by a private businessman in a commercial building at 31 E. Main St.

A tour of the new postal trailer reveals it is much larger than the exterior might lead one to believe. Post office boxes line the wall. A carpeted floor and paneled walls lead to the service area of the structure where postal services are provided. A ramp and a counter make the facility accessible to people with disabilities.

The postal unit, which opened on Feb. 3, is just one block from Main Street and has a large parking lot to accommodate patrons. And it’s just a short walk from the center of town.

Borough Councilman Robert Crawford said it is the hope of all Borough Council members that residents will take advantage of the post office.

"We have senior citizen housing within walking distance of the post office," Crawford said. "In addition, the borough is the home of county and business offices. We encourage everyone to use the post office and to use it often."

Crawford said it is the long-range hope of officials to get a permanent facility back into the borough.

Noting that many people were instrumental in helping the borough to acquire the temporary postal unit, Crawford specifically thanked Monmouth County Freeholder Ted Narozanick for his input and work on the project.

"We hope to have a permanent facility in the borough soon," he said. "We are the county seat. I know we don’t have the population that Freehold Township has (the government-run U.S.P.S. "Freehold" post office was moved out of the borough and relocated to neighboring Freehold Township years ago), but during the daytime hours I’ll bet we come close. The post office is easily accessible and is a full service postal unit, and we’re very glad to have this, for now."

— Clare Marie Celano