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Camden Tennessee Post Office

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Camden TN Post Office 38320
Camden TN Post Office 38320

ADDRESS: 81 N. Forrest Ave., Camden, Tennessee, 38320
ARTIST: John H. Fyfe
TITLE: Mail Delivery to Tranquility – The first post office in Benton County
MEDIUM: Oil on canvas (mural)
STATUS: The Camden post office is still an active, operating facility, and the mural can be viewed by interested members of the public. It resides in the lobby on the wall above the postmaster’s door.
YEAR: 1938

Today’s featured building is Camden Tennessee. Very interesting mural, some minor damage, I hope they restore this soon. It was a great day to photograph. I love having a clear sky to get these outside shots. Think this pretty much sums up my Tennessee collection. I look forward to visiting again.

Can you tell me something interesting about this post office? What do you think about the mural? Do you know anything else about it?

David W. Gates Jr.

Camden Tennessee Post Office 38320
Camden Tennessee Post Office 38320
Camden Tennessee Post Office 38320
Camden Tennessee Post Office Corner Stone
Camden Tennessee Post Office Mural 38320 Full
Camden Tennessee Post Office Mural Center
Camden Tennessee Post Office Mural Detail
Camden Tennessee Post Office Mural Detail
Camden Tennessee Post Office Mural Detail
Camden Tennessee Post Office Mural Detail
Camden Tennessee Post Office Mural Detail Damage
Camden Tennessee Post Office Mural Left Side
Camden Tennessee Post Office Mural Right Side

“Used with the permission of the United States Postal Service®. All rights reserved.”

Sources

McKenzie Tennessee Post Office

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McKenzie TN Post Office 38201
McKenzie TN Post Office 38201

ADDRESS: 15075 Highland Dr., McKenzie, Tennessee, 38201
ARTIST: Karl Oberteuffer
TITLE:  Early U.S. Post Village
MEDIUM: Oil on canvas (mural)
STATUS: The mural is on display behind the retail counter. It is only viewable during business hours.
YEAR: 1938

The story,

I’m at odds with myself on the best way to approach writing this one up. I mentioned in an earlier post, the slow start and difficulty I experienced when I started my tour in Tennessee. If memory serves me correctly it started with finding out the Lexington Tennessee post office was closed for renovations and is now the Beech River Cultural Center. Turns out I was never able to get a look or photograph the mural inside this building.

So then you could imagine my disappointment when I arrived at the McKenzie Tennessee Post Office and was forbidden to photograph this one. Yes, I you read that right. I was forbidden by the supervisor on duty from photographing the mural. I took this really hard and just could not understand why. At first the supervisor was not there, apparently out to lunch. So I went and photographed the Former McKenzie post office building and returned to the newer McKenzie building. The old mural is on display behind the counter for all to see. These are works of art for the public to enjoy. So having been denied the ability to photograph it made this a really frustrating experience for me.

I flew, rented a car and drove all the way out here to view and photograph this one. Most murals are in the lobby, so they are more accessible for the public to view. This one however, was behind the counter, so I felt obligated to ask permission before shooting photos of it. When the postal workers stopped and said they would need to check I taken by surprise. I keep thinking to myself, it’s a public work of art, of course I can take pictures of it. But I figured I’d be polite and ask. In hindsight I should have just shot the pictures. I know the supervisor is just trying to do his job, but there are clear signs that others have photographed this mural. “Even with it being behind the counter”.

So that’s the story and now I ask, you my readers. When do you just throw out the “being the nice guy” and just shoot the pictures? I came all this way and left with my tail between my legs. I’ll be back to ask again and hopefully get this one photographed for my collections. Has anyone else experienced this? What was your experience? Were you denied photographing this mural? There are plenty of pictures on the internet, so to all those who have photographed it. Did you ask? Or did you just shoot the photos?

On the bright side, I still have move to visit so it does give me another reason to head back to Tennessee.

UPDATE!!! In December 2014 I re-visted McKenzie and was able to get pictures of the mural.

Thanks,

David W. Gates Jr.

McKenzie Tennessee Post Office 38201
McKenzie Tennessee Post Office 38201
McKenzie Tennessee Post Office 38201
McKenzie Tennessee Post Office Dedication Plaque
McKenzie Tennessee Post Office Mural 38201 Artist Signature
McKenzie Tennessee Post Office Mural 38201 Artists Signature
McKenzie Tennessee Post Office Mural 38201 Artists Signature
McKenzie Tennessee Post Office Mural 38201 Artists Signature
McKenzie Tennessee Post Office Mural 38201 Center
McKenzie Tennessee Post Office Mural 38201 Detail
McKenzie Tennessee Post Office Mural 38201 Detail
McKenzie Tennessee Post Office Mural 38201 Detail
McKenzie Tennessee Post Office Mural 38201 Detail
McKenzie Tennessee Post Office Mural 38201 Detail
McKenzie Tennessee Post Office Mural 38201 Detail
McKenzie Tennessee Post Office Mural 38201 Detail
McKenzie Tennessee Post Office Mural 38201 Detail
McKenzie Tennessee Post Office Mural 38201 Detail
McKenzie Tennessee Post Office Mural 38201 Detail
McKenzie Tennessee Post Office Mural 38201 Detail
McKenzie Tennessee Post Office Mural 38201 Detail
McKenzie Tennessee Post Office Mural 38201 Full
McKenzie Tennessee Post Office Mural 38201 Full
McKenzie Tennessee Post Office Mural 38201 Full

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Former McKenzie Tennessee Post Office

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Former McKenzie TN Post Office 38201
Former McKenzie TN Post Office 38201

ADDRESS: 640 Main St., McKenzie, Tennessee 38201
ARTIST: Karl Oberteuffer
TITLE:  Early U.S. Post Village
MEDIUM: Oil on canvas (mural)
STATUS: The former McKenzie building is no longer a post office. The mural was moved to the newer post office and is on display behind the retail counter. It is only viewable during business hours.
YEAR: 1938

For mural information please see our article on the current McKenzie, Tennessee Post Office.

Today’s featured post office is the former McKenzie Tennessee Post Office. As I was waiting for an answer from the supervisor at the new post office, I had time to swing by this one and photograph it. I’m glad to see this nice old building repurposed as a genealogy library.  The library is named after Gordan Browning the former governor of Tennessee.

And now for the rest of the story, when I first posted about my visit in Tennessee, I mentioned the slow and difficult start. McKenzie was one of the first towns I started to tour during my visit. I knew I wanted to find the old post office and I was happy I did. As you can see by the hours the library was closed, of course I said to myself. I visited on a Wednesday, so the library was closed. I never got inside the building but at least I was able to visit and get a few pictures of the exterior of the building.

I’ll be back to Tennessee to finish up my work but for now here is the Former McKenzie Tennessee Post Office.

Thanks,

David W. Gates Jr.

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