By Scott Sullivan
Editor
Glenn efforts to save the community’s old post office continue after lifting and moving the structure from its original foundation to near the Community Center at 6953 114th Ave.
Center members hope to raise $25,000 through sponsorship of bricks to complete the work.
It’s a big project, but the unincorporated small community between Saugatuck-Douglas and South Haven has shown itself up to such tasks before.
The old village post office — now up on blocks next to community center thanks to efforts by Laraway & Sons House Movers, Hurtman Enterprises, Chris Allen Architect and Northshore Pest Control — served community members for decade before the U.S. Postal Service lost its lease on it.
The USPS planned in 2011 to eliminate Glenn’s 49416 zip code and “split” the village; the half south of 114th would be considered South Haven, the half north would have a Fennville mailing address. No one’s mail would read “Glenn, MI” anymore.
“Our town is sort of like Mayberry,” said 10-year Carole Colsen then. “Everyone meets at the post office. If the post office was gone, it would have taken our identity away.”
Others joined the outcry. When the postal service held a meeting in July to address residents’ concerns, more than 200 people attended the standing-room-only event at the community center.
Among them were residents Robert and Vicki Amberg, then owners of the Gerstner Hardware store, which had served the community 1918 at 6988 114th Ave.
They offered an alternative to closing the post office: hosting the facility in their store. To their surprise, the USPS answered “yes.”
The Ambergs sold the hardware in 2019, donatig all its inventory to Lakeshore Habitat for Humanity and the Holland ReStore. The late-1800s old building is now listed with Christie’s International Properties at $250,000, but the USPS continues to lease the attached 644-square-foot structure.
As for the post office that preceded it? For $250 a brick, you can help set it down on a new foundation, plus provide preservation and finishing touches.
The community center welcomes suggestions for the latter and the building’s further use.
Want to help? Go to https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfSE0r1x_4UgRv6UvqSQS4WzmpopECqOgYfPl2ZEjLCnFWatQ/viewform.
