Weirs Beach Post Office
1946-1988
Here are photos of the Weirs Beach post office, at its 350 Lakeside Avenue location. This was a small, one-story, free-standing building that held only the post office. The station officially opened in this location on April 27-28, 1946, where it remained until 1989. In 1989, the Post Office relocated to its current, 28-36 Endicott St. East location, where it is the end cap to a a large, multi-store structure.
A 1946 photo. The sign reads “Post Office – The Weirs, N.H. – Station of Laconia”.
Another photo of the 1946-1989 post office showing boys and bicycles.
1925-1945
The post office relocated to the Winnipesaukee Pier after the Great Weirs Beach Fire of 1924. The fire had burned down its previous home on Lakeside Avenue, where it had been located inside of Tarlson’s General Store. Below is a 1925 photo by R. Wright of the post office when it was located on the Winnipesaukee Pier. It is the first building on the left, and it features the same sign as seen in the above photo. Following the post office, from left to right, the other signs read as follows: Avery’s Ice Cream Store/Cigars, Morgan Picture Service/Kodak, Butter Kist Corn/Roasted Peanuts, Luncheon Spa.
The earliest photos of the Winnipesaukee Pier, dating from 1925. The public bandstand, built in 1926, is not seen.
1902-1924
During the 1902-1924 period the Weirs Beach post office was located inside the general store. It was a common practice in the days of horse-drawn transportation for the post office and general store to be combined into one building, especially in rural areas. With the arrival of the automobile, this arrangement gradually faded away, with new post offices always being built as independent structures.
A photo of the post office when it was located inside of Tarlson’s store.
The general store part of the post office.
The first, 1902 map detail shows the dance hall, general store & P.O., barbershop, market, restaurant, and confectionary (candy store).
The second, 1911 map detail shows, along Lakeside Avenue, “Wonderland”, the general store and P.O., barbershop, souvenir shop, restaurant, and confectionary (candy store); while along Tower Street, the Music Hall and Methodist Church are shown.
The third, 1923 map detail shows that the building originally the Dance Hall, and then “Wonderland”, was now a pool parlor and shooting gallery; the restaurant was now a Casino, the P.O. had moved from the general store to become part of the Casino; and the Music Hall now offered movies and dancing.
Since the 1860s, only people in big cities had enjoyed residential mail delivery. In 1902, many more could, when the US Postal Service expanded Rural Free Delivery (RFD) on a nationwide basis. It is not known when the first RFD route in Weirs Beach began, but to this day, it is still a very limited route, serving only a lucky few Weirs Beach residents. For example, the route misses most of Lakeside Avenue on its way. Instead, the route turns right on Foster Ave, turns left on Maple Street, then right on Tower Street. There is no coverage at all for the Methodist Campground area, site of over a hundred homes. Many other areas are also missed. As a result, most Weirs Beach residents are required to rent a post office box in order to get their mail. And woe the unlucky resident whose mail is addressed to their physical address when it is not on the postal route. That mail is routinely returned to the sender.
Before 1902
Before 1902, the post office was located in the Old Red House, a general store located next to the Weirs Channel bridge, as can be seen on an 1860 map of the Weirs Steamboat Landing.