Why Book a Historic Venue?

Out of the many reasons for why you should consider a venue with intrinsic history for your big day, we’ve narrowed it down to the two reasons which we think are most compelling:

— Your Guests Won’t Stop Talking about it —

Not only will your loved ones share with you in your incredibly special love story, but they will also experience an intricately constructed space and take in its unique story. By inviting your guests on a trip through history, it will make your wedding that much more memorable for both you and your guests as you continue to “make history” together as a couple.

The history of 105 S Paint Street

The original building dates back to 1835, when the land was purchased and built upon to house a new church. In 1865, it changed hands and was used by the YMCA to hold events on the main floor. In 1875, it was again purchased and renovated to become “The Clough Opera House,” and operated as such until 1890, when a terrible fire ravaged the large open area and interior stage. Several years later, the building was repaired and remodeled for its previous use to continue until it was bought by the U.S. Government in 1902. By that following year, the building was torn down and the foundation was then laid for the first U.S. Post Office in Chillicothe to be built. Taking nearly three years to build, the post office opened in 1906, housing other federal government offices as well. (For more info, see, “Chillicothe Celebrates Caldwell Street and Adjoining Fifth Street” by John Grabb, Kathryn Lehotsky and Tom Troester, Aug. 2016.)

Noted by Visit Chillicothe, you can go here to see where the history of the original post office, was on your stroll down Paint St. The Postmark is now an ideal destination when visiting Ohio.

During the time that 105 S Paint Street was used as a post office, the public was only allowed in the grand marble foyer, entering the building through a revolving door to the teller windows. Beyond the foyer was the postal workspace, including two walk-in safes used to hold stamp stock, money and Registered Mail that came in.  A secret catwalk called the “Inspector’s Gallery” served as the security system, where Postal Inspectors would oversee the postal workers through peep-holes and watch for any unscrupulous tampering with the mail. Inside the postmaster’s office on the second floor was an entrance to this Inspector’s Gallery, allowing the postmaster to also walk throughout the building and be sure that his workers weren’t stealing or disturbing the mail.

After the U.S. Post Office moved out in 1959, the space was occupied by a private Christian school, a furniture store, and an antique store, before eventually being purchased by the Meade family in 2008 and becoming a banquet venue. 

In November of 2019, Terry, Beth, Josh, and Michelle Staley purchased the space and renamed it The Postmark. While eager to modernize it, the Staley’s also sought to preserve the original history and charm of the space so that others could enjoy it as well. Currently displayed in the main hall are numerous beautiful donated pieces of postal memorabilia, ready for you to enjoy while hosting your event at The Postmark.

— You don’t need extra decorations to spruce up the space —

With historic spaces, you won’t need much else to spruce up the space because your guests will be enamored by the natural aesthetic of the building. This not only saves you time when planning and money when creating the budget, but makes your wedding photos effortlessly stand out from the rest.

We are excited to create many more days in history for our couples at The Postmark. We are currently scheduling tours and would love to show you all the different rooms so you can see firsthand just how beautiful it is. There are so many fabulous spaces in and around this building that you don’t have to go far to get those amazing photos you’re dreaming of. We would love for you to choose the Postmark and make it a day for the history books as you begin your life as a married couple! Contact us today to begin your journey!