Shawnee Post Office (now Shawnee Mercantile)

Shawnee Post Office (now Shawnee Mercantile)- Located right next to the Blair Building, was the former Shawnee Post Office. The yellowish-glazed brick used to construct the building was made at Craycraft, a brick-making facility east of town, situated where the village ball diamonds are now. This yellow-glazed brick design offered more structural integrity than the Scove Kiln style. Craycraft brick was kiln-fired, heating the clay up to a hotter temperature, made it more structurally sound, and gave it a glazed appearance. Craycraft brick was an innovator in the brick-making industry, as its brick was used in the construction of the Sears Tower in Chicago, in constructing skyscrapers in New York City, and it can be found in buildings in downtown Columbus. The Twin Towers next to Ohio Stadium on the campus of The Ohio State University was constructed with brick from the Shawnee Claycraft plant. Interestingly, the post office has moved around Main Street throughout the years. The post office was moved to this building in 1955. If you look closely, you might have noticed the ramp at the side of the building, postal employees would utilize this ramp to bring mail-in and out each day. Currently, the building is home to Shawnee Mercantile and is owned and operated by Shawnee residents Deb Hutmire and Bev Trovato. Visitors can find a wide array of handcrafted, vintage, and garden items throughout the store.