Parcel Post

When the main post office at the harbor was inaugurated in December 1870, the majority of general mail operations were transferred there. However, the premises on Chaussée Street were retained and converted into a specialized parcel post office. The relocation of the parcel post office to the Old Civil Hospital building on November 20, 1905, was a temporary measure necessitated by a constant need for more space and the requirement to handle mail volumes during the Christmas season and early 1906 while more permanent solutions were being prepared. Six months later, the office moved back to renovated and more spacious premises on Chaussée Street. It remained there for nearly 50 years—until the catastrophic fire on December 10, 1955, which completely destroyed the building and forced the permanent relocation of parcel operations to the adjacent Central Post Office at the harbor.