The Old Post Office Antique store was originally built as a home and store by William Hawkins in 1868. He built the store after the Freshet flood of 1867 washed away his gristmill and sawmill on the Chepachet River. In 1910 the road was widened and paved. At this time the porch and a portion of the second floor was removed and a new porch was installed on the south side of the building along the river. Also in the early 1900s an addition was added to the right side of the building and utilized first as a Post Office and later for distributing the Providence Journal. The original counters from this time are still in use at the store. Over the years the building was rented and eventually became an antique store in 1978.
A Brief History of the Town of Glocester, Rhode Island – 1856
Below are some photos of the village of Chepachet, dating from the late 1900s through the 1950s. You can see the Old Post Office in several of the photos. Click on each photo to enlarge. Once photo is enlarged, click on the arrow in the upper right to share on social media. Captions appear at the bottom of each photo.
Photos thanks to the RI preservation commission, the Glocester Heritage Society and Edna Whitaker Kent’s book, Glocester RI.
