The Montrose post office, pictured here in 1908, was built in 1890 by Postmaster Ida B. Marshall. She and her husband, Captain Thomas W. Marshall, moved with their family to Montrose in 1883. He was a retired riverboat captain and upon arrival in Montrose, was appointed Postmaster. He served as Postmaster until his death in 1890. That year, his widow was appointed Postmaster and built the tiny pen board and batten post office on their family property, which also housed the Chapman-Marshall-Scott home.
At that time, the mail arrived to the Eastern Shore from Mobile by steamboat. According to an early 1900s map, the mail was shipped in from Mobile, then went to Daphne and finally to Montrose. Marshall would take any unclaimed mail to her house to be kept overnight. There were no personal mailboxes at that time and residents would often knock on the door during the night to collect their mail. The building was in use as a post office until 1913 when the community’s postal station was moved to a location on Main Street.Â
Historic Montrose
The Montrose Post Office was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 along with the surrounding neighborhood. In addition, the village of Montrose was named a Historical Landmark by the Alabama Historical Commission.
The Montrose Historic District contains 15 historically significant buildings in the community. Of those, nine are examples of Creole cottages. Besides the post office, the area is almost completely residential.
The 1976 nomination form for the National Register of Historic Places stated, “While well preserved examples of [Creole cottages] are found along the eastern shore of Mobile Bay and within the city of Mobile, only Montrose has retained a concentrated collection of these structures along with a large degree of its 19th century ambience.”
By the Numbers
$850
The amount Cyrus Sibley paid for Montrose when he bought the land and founded the town in 1847. The land was originally name Sibley City.
2 Dozen
The number of families that the historic Montrose post office served when it was first built in the 1800s.
1852
The year that Sibley City was renamed Montrose. The name was in tribute to the Scottish Duke of Montrose, and not in honor of the red cliffs on which the area sits.
9 x 15 feet
The approximate dimensions of the Montrose post office. The one-story post office size has been compared to that of a garden shed.
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