Welcome to The Old Post Office Museum
The Old Carbonear Post Office is considered to be one of the finest and best preserved example of the Second Empire construction style. The Post Office was built in 1905 to replace a larger one that burned down in 1904. Over the years the building served as a post office, customs house, welfare office, a bank, telegraph office, craft shop and artist’s studio. It is now home to the Carbonear Heritage Society office and archive.
About The Old Post Office Museum
The Old Post Office Museum represents and presents items donated, loaned and are part of the Heritage Society’s collection.
The building houses the “Tryphoena Nicholl” exhibit, the “Royal Air Force” exhibit, and the “German Settlement in Carbonear” exhibit, along with a small display of Carbonear artifacts.
The building was registered as a heritage structure in 1988 by the Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage Foundation. It is characterized by a Mansard roof with dormers and a distinctive clock tower. It also has classic elements such as eave brackets and heavy wood mouldings on all windows.
Recent Acquisitions
Thank you to the people who have recently donated or loaned artifacts to the Heritage Society. Thanks are also due to the people who have donated artifacts, memories and information over the years.
More Information
The post office was built in 1905 on Water Street to replace a slightly larger post office that burned down in 1904. The new building served as a post office, customs house and welfare office. In 1957 the building was closed when a new post office was built further up Water Street, and it went through several owners, including the Town of Carbonear and Earle Freighting Services. It also served as a branch office for the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce until 1979. It was then used as an artist's studio and briefly as a craft shop.
The Post Office served as a focal point for the town of Carbonear for more than 50 years. Along with being one of the most important buildings in the town, it also has a link with a woman who never saw it. Tryphoena Nicholl is revered as Carbonear's greatest heroine. During the fire in 1904 that burned down the first post office, Nicholl, the postmistress, sacrificed her life trying to rescue people trapped inside the building. In honour of her memory, a fountain was built in front of the new post office.
If you had been standing near this building in the early hours of Friday, June 25, 1904 you would have witnessed the tragic fire that destroyed the previous post office. Later that day, you would have joined Carbonear residents as they mourned the loss of Tryphoena Nicholl, who gave her life saving two people trapped inside.
When she died in the post office fire, Tryphoena Nicholl was 51 and had been postmistress for over 27 years. She took over from her father in 1877. He had held the post from 1858 until his death at age 77. Tryphoena was one of three children of Nicholas and Tryphoena (Stabb) Nicholl. She was born on March 5, 1843, grew up in Carbonear, and was educated in Methodist schools. As a very young girl, she helped her father with the mail and later became his assistant.
The building that housed the post office since the early 1890s was both workplace and home to Tryphoena and her niece Suzanna Pike who was Assistant Postmistress.
The building that you see standing today was built the following year after the original Post Office caught fire, in 1905. The Old Carbonear Post Office is considered one of the finest and best-preserved examples of Second Empire construction style. It is also an excellent example of a turn-of-the-century government building. The Old Post Office is characterised by a mansard roof with dormers and a distinctive clock tower. It is a simple, elegant wooden building with classic elements such as eaves brackets and heavy wood mouldings on all windows. While some alterations have been made over the years, including new windows and doors, the exterior remains almost identical to what it was when it was first built.
After the death of Tryphoena, the ladies of Carbonear resolved to erect a monument to her memory. Their resolution has taken the form of a fountain, which, when erected will prove a thing of beauty and of utility as well as a constant reminder of the meaning of duty as illustrated by a heroic deed.
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” - John 15:13