It’s the end of an era for the town of Webster in Jackson County. The community’s post office is officially closing.
The U.S. Postal Service has announced that the last day of operation at the current Webster Post Office will be Thursday, May 30. Beginning June 1, all postal services for Webster will be temporarily relocated to the Sylva Post Office in Jackson Plaza, about four and a half miles away.
The closure follows a long-standing discussion about the future of the facility. However, the official notice of its permanent closure came just days ago, surprising many residents. The Postal Service said it was unable to renew its lease at the current location, which is on private property.
Webster customers will still retain their existing PO Box numbers and ZIP codes, and they now face the choice of installing a residential mailbox or making the drive to Sylva to access postal services.
The Postal Service emphasized that the relocation is temporary. A formal process is now underway to identify a new location for a post office in Webster. As part of that process, customers will be given an opportunity to provide feedback before a new site is selected.
While the timeline for a new facility remains uncertain, postal officials say they are working to find a location as close to the original site as possible that meets their operational needs.
For now, Webster residents should plan for the change to take effect at the end of the month.
