Rebecca Davis marks her 45th year as Penland’s postmaster
Friday, July 11 was a particularly busy day at Penland’s U.S. Post Office, as artists and instructors leaving the Penland School of Craft’s latest two-week session descended on the building with packages of artwork that they wanted to mail home. Although short of staff that day, Penland’s postmaster, Rebecca Davis (who forthrightly prefers “postmaster” to “postmistress”), finished processing the mound of parcels in the lobby.
“These boxes aren’t light,” she said, laughing. “I wonder whether they’re sending out some of our rocks.”
Though the small post office is a federal building, it could be mistaken for a wing of Penland School, which is Davis’ primary customer, including the many artists who live in the vicinity or who visit.
Each institution is proprietary over the other, understanding that each would suffer without one another.
Landmark institution
Both Penland’s famous school and its post office are national landmarks, but the same might be said of Davis herself: she is currently the longest-serving living postmaster in the United States.
Davis’ connection to Penland is practically genetic: Robert Penland, for whom the small town was named in the 1850s, is a direct ancestor of Davis. She was born some yards from the post office in her grandparents’ house.
“As a child, my grandmother used to take me here when this building combined the post office and the local store,” Davis said. “It seemed like the most wonderful place.”
The idea of Davis eventually becoming Penland’s postmaster might be thought preordained, as her great-great grandmother, Harriet Hensley, became Penland’s postmistress in 1887. Davis’ own tenure at Penland’s post office began in 1967 when she started as a clerk. By 1980, she’d risen to become postmaster, the position she’s held for 45 years. The recent commemorative magazine published to mark USPS’ 250th anniversary even celebrates Davis’ career.
“I never think about retirement,” Davis stated. “My customers are family. In fact, I got in the habit of telling my husband every morning that I was ‘going home for the day’ when I was leaving for work.”
This home away from home was almost lost to her in the floods following Hurricane Helene (downgraded to a tropical storm after slowing down over land). Even as the power went out and water from the North Toe River rose past her ankles, Davis hurried to protect the mail in her care.
“I’ve never been so frightened,” she said. “I would look out the window and suddenly see an Ingles tractor-trailer float by, followed by propane tanks.”
Davis was saved from the flood by her neighbor Autumn Brown, who took Davis in.
“My neighbors were there when I needed them,” Davis said smiling.
Closed due to damage for almost nine months, Penland’s post office is back in business with Davis at its helm, who is enjoying the stream of visitors welcoming her back.
On the busy July 11, Karin Stawarky from Massachusetts dropped in with some flowers for Davis and told her “I’ve been thinking about you since the storm.”
“I’m still here,” Davis said before she and Stawarky clasped hands together.