Built some time after 1832, The Falmouth Post Office is one of the finest examples of a merchant house-store on Jamaica’s north coast. The FGSJ contributed some years ago to a restoration of this building in Market Street, since when it continued to house the post office serving not only the town of Falmouth, but also some fifty outlying districts. In recent years, due to lack of funds for proper maintenance and the continual damage from hurricanes, postal workers began to find themselves ankle-deep in water when it rained and the damaged structure above became unsafe.
Eventually, in 2013, the building had to be evacuated, with the postal service operating from another building in the town pending the restoration of this magnificent structure. The FGSJ’s offer of a grant to enable emergency repairs was instrumental in attracting more major sponsorship through the Jamaican Tourism Enhancement Fund, and, in the end, the Post Office underwent major restoration without recourse to FGSJ. It is encouraging and instructive that our initial involvement acted as the catalyst for such a major project.
