*//* UPDATE: Who would have guessed that an article on post offices would be the most controversial on our website? It’s been the source of lots of debate on Facebook, with some people upset that we publicized (therefore ruining) their “secret” post office at Maryknoll. I went and spoke to the Maryknoll postmaster Peter Cossifos to get his take.
Peter told me that mail shipments from Maryknoll itself have been decreasing for years and are a fraction of what they once were. He said as far as he knows there is no impending danger of the location shutting down, but that he is trying everything he can to get more locals to find out about and use the post office. The slack needs to be picked up by someone, and that someone is Ossining residents! Bottom line, if we want to ensure Maryknoll has a post office for the long term, more of us have to use it. So as far as I’m concerned, that puts the debate to rest. END UPDATE *//*
Did you know that Ossining has 2 post offices? I didn’t either, until recently. I’m sure you’re familiar with our primary post office on Main Street, but have you ever visited the post office at Maryknoll? Rumor has it that it’s far less busy than 100 Main Street, so if you’re in a hurry and/or in the area of Maryknoll, you should stop by! Maryknoll closes earlier, but it also opens at 7:30am, compared to Main Street’s 9am, so is a good option for early AM or work-day dropoffs. Read on for more details and a bit of fun history you’ve probably never heard.
Main Post Office:
I’ve generally had pretty good experiences at Ossining’s main post office. It’s large and you can take care of anything you need there. There are also quite a few friendly employees. Let’s be real though. It can get crowded, and lines can be long and move s l o w l y. It’s obviously the post office of choice for most people in the Village and Town of Ossining. It’s also your only choice if you need to hit the post office in the evening.
Address:
100 Main Street, Ossining, NY
Phone: 914-941-7348
Hours:
On-Site Services:
- Burial Flags
- Business Line
- Business Reply Mail: Account Balance & New Permit
- Duck Stamps
- General Delivery
- Global Express Guaranteed®
- Greeting Card Services
- Label Broker (Retail)
- Money Orders: Domestic, Inquiry & International
- PO Box Online
- Passport Photo
- Pickup Accountable Mail
- Pickup Hold Mail
- Priority Mail International®
Maryknoll Post Office:
The Maryknoll post office is Ossining’s “hidden” post office, since it’s technically in Maryknoll, NY 10545. According to the Maryknoll page of the Smithsonian’s online postal museum, the Maryknoll post office first opened in 1921, thanks to a 21-year veteran of the USPS who became a Sister in 1917. Maryknoll sorely needed its own post office due to the large volume of its magazines it shipped out monthly to subscribers.
Maryknoll earned its own zip code at some point due to the volume of mail flowing through the post office (thanks in no small part to the monthly magazine). It’s been nearly 100 years now, but somehow, many of us still don’t know it exists. In a 2005 NY Times article titled “No Waiting? Is It Really A Post Office?,” local Jeff Szabo described Maryknoll as the “county’s best-kept secret.” The article also quoted Maryknoll postal clerk Gale McGuire as saying, “we have people who come here to buy just one stamp because they love the place so much.” If that’s not a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is.
Now for some historical intrigue, compiled from a few old pieces in the NY Times: On March 9, 1964, “four bandits from the big city” tried to rob the Maryknoll post office. They were foiled by some 64 police officers who engaged them in a gun battle that “ended with three gang members shot and captured and the fourth in flight, but believed wounded.” If it might seem odd that so many police officers would have been available to battle the would-be thieves, that mystery is solved in a 2005 letter to the editor by J. Radley Herold, who said he was a Westchester County assistant D.A. at the time. The fourth man had in fact informed law enforcement officials of the plan to rob the post office, and his fleeing the scene was part of the plan concocted with police.
Oddly enough, the Maryknoll post office was reportedly robbed again just 5 months later, this time successfully, when $10,000 worth of stamps were stolen. I couldn’t find any other robbery reports since, so we’re left to assume that Maryknoll decided at this point to substantially beef up their security :).
Address:
85 Ryder Road, Ossining, NY
Phone: 914-923-1578
Hours:
On-Site Services:
- Bulk Mail: Acceptance, Account Balance & New Permit
- Burial Flags
- Business Line
- Business Reply Mail: Account Balance & New Permit
- Duck Stamps
- General Delivery
- Global Express Guaranteed®
- Greeting Card Services
- Label Broker (Retail)
- Money Orders: Domestic, Inquiry & International
- PO Box Online
- Pickup Accountable Mail
- Pickup Hold Mail
- Priority Mail International®
Other locations (Stamp booklets only):
- WALGREENS: 78 CROTON AVE
- CVS: 202 S HIGHLAND AVE
- STOP & SHOP: 246 S HIGHLAND AVE
Bonus locations:
Depending on where you live in Ossining, there are 2 other post offices in Briarcliff Manor that could actually be closer for you.
- The Scarborough Post Office (200 Scarborough St Road, Briarcliff Manor) is at the Scarborough Train Station. Retail hours are only 8am to 11am, but most normal post office services are available. The phone number is 914-941-6394.
- The Briarcliff Manor Post Office (1077 Pleasantville Road, Briarcliff Manor) is at the end of Briarcliff’s retail strip on Pleasantville Road. Retail hours are 9am-5pm M-F and 8:30am-4pm Sat. The phone number is 914-923-4677.