Falmouth Post Office Renovated

The Falmouth Post Office in Trelawny, a Georgian style building constructed in 1815, has been renovated at a cost of $1.3 million.
Funding for the project was provided by the Postal Corporation of Jamaica, the Falmouth Heritage Renewal and the Georgian Society of London. The scope of work included the repair of roof, staircase and windows and restoring and painting exterior walls.
Phillip Paulwell, Minister of Commerce, Science and Technology, while addressing a function held recently at the William Knibb High School to mark the reopening of the facility, said the renovation project “was an expression of the spirit of volunteerism and civic pride that underpin community development”.
He said the post office, as was the case with others across the island, would be equipped to provide Internet and electronic transaction services.
In addition, the Minister announced that the second floor of the building would house a postal museum, the first of its kind in Jamaica. The museum is being developed in collaboration with the Institute of Jamaica and will feature “invaluable collector’s items spanning centuries”.
Mr. Paulwell informed the restoration work was done under the community-based partnership initiative, which seeks to encourage partnerships among citizens, corporate Jamaica, the postal administration and government in the building and refurbishing of post offices across the island and the commercialization of postal services.
“We are committed to the viability of these services and will ensure that the post office is restored to its pride of place as the hub of communication in the community,” the Minister stated.
Noting that the move was aimed at enhancing revenue through the diversification of services, Mr. Paulwell informed that revenue from postal services has grown by $128 million this year, which is 22 percent above projection.
In her remarks, Postmaster General, Dr. Blossom O’Meally Nelson, said the country’s postal service was now world class with new systems introduced to enhance technology and provide customers with quicker and easier access to their mail. These include priority mail and the zip mail service.
Custos for the parish, Roylan Barrett, said the renovation exercise spoke to the need to keep the town’s heritage alive, adding that the people of Falmouth had a rich heritage to preserve and highlight.