Julie Brown on Preserving an Iconic Landmark in Franklin, Tennessee

Some places hold a community's memory in their walls — and the Five Points Post Office in Franklin, Tennessee is one of them. Built in 1925, it was Franklin's very first post office, and over the decades it served not just as a mail hub, but as a gathering place woven into the fabric of the city. Williamson Source In 1991, when the USPS chose to sell the building, it was listed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of the country's most endangered post office locations. Williamson Source It survived — but just barely.Then came Julie Brown.When the previous operator announced his departure, Julie didn't hesitate. As she recalls it, her husband Matt came home and said, "Do you know anyone who wants to run the post office?" — and she simply said, "I'll do it." Her mission was clear: save the post office, save the zip code, and give Franklin back a piece of itself.On December 1, 2023, Julie and Matt Brown reopened the Five Points Post Office as a Contracted Postal Unit — one of only a handful of privately operated USPS-authorized locations remaining in the entire country.  But Julie's vision goes far beyond stamps and P.O. boxes — she's turned the space into a community hub that highlights local nonprofits, student entrepreneurs, and local artists. In this episode of PLA Media's series on important women and their connection to history, host Pamela Lewis sits down with Julie Brown to talk about what it really means to be the keeper of a living landmark — and why one woman's "yes" gave an entire town back its heart.Five Points Post Office | 510 Columbia Ave, Franklin, TN | fivepointspostoffice.com