Flooding affects Burfordville, Dutchtown post offices

Last week’s flash floods closed the Dutchtown and Burfordville post offices, but postal officials said they are looking for new locations in those two towns to re-open the operations.

The Dutchtown post office was housed in a convenience store and gas station at the juction of Highways 25, 74 and Route A. Mail for the 57 post office box customers is in boxes at the Gordonville post office, 5850 Highway 25.

The Burfordville post office was located at 353 Route HH. Mail for the 25 post office box customers and 182 rural mail delivery customers is being processed through the Millersville post office, 120 County Road 482.

Both offices had to be evacuated due to flooding, the U.S. Postal Service said in a news release. But as soon as a new location can be found, post office operations will be returned to each town, said Wilbur Thornton, senior operating manager for Area 6 of the Mid America District.

Some residents, especially those in Dutchtown, have expressed concern that the post office will not return.

The change of location is an emergency suspension, Thornton said. "We will go around the community looking for a new location," he said. "That doesn’t mean we are closing it permanently."

A new location in Burfordville could be announced soon, Thornton said. "We have already received a suggestion at Burfordville to put it in a church parsonage, and if everyone agrees on that location we could put it in there."

Thornton was unsure when the Dutchtown post office would resume operations in that village of 99 people.

In both cases, he said, the landlords owning the space leased for postal operations "didn’t want to spend a lot of money to fix things up."

Mindy Lemons, the postmaster in Dutchtown, has been assigned as the officer in charge of the Whitewater post office, where an interim postmaster had been in charge.

Burfordville postmaster Dave Enderle has been assigned duties in the Jackson post office, Thornton said.

Burfordville postal customers with questions or concerns should call 573-243-4146.  The number for questions regarding Dutchtown service is 573-794-2002.