What:

The U.S. Postal Service is celebrating its 250th anniversary with special cancellations and a ceremony to install the first woman Postmaster at the Charleston Post Office. This event marks a significant milestone in the history of postal services, celebrating both tradition and innovation. Attendees can look forward to a variety of activities, including commemorative speeches and opportunities to engage with postal officials.

News of the stamps is being shared with the hashtag #250YearsOfDelivering. The event is free and open to the public.

Who:

Paul Birge, District Manager, South Carolina, USPS
Shannon Verastequi, Postmaster, Charleston, SC, USPS
City and Government Officials
Family and Friends of Shannon Verastequi

When:

Wednesday, August. 6, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. EST

Where:

Charleston Post Office
83 Broad St.
Charleston, SC 29401

RSVP:

For questions regarding the event, please contact Customer Relations Coordinator Peter Scibak at peter.t.scibak@usps.gov. Parking Instructions: The closest public parking is located at 93 Queen St. Street parking is available as well.

Background:

250 Years of Delivering stamps Established in 1775, the postal system was so essential to winning American independence and creating a free nation that it is mentioned in the U.S. Constitution. For 250 years, the U.S. Postal Service has continued to serve the same ideals, connecting individuals, communities, and businesses through an ongoing exchange of ideas, information, and goods. Although the United States only makes up 4 percent of the world’s population, the U.S. Postal Service handles 44 percent of mail across the entire globe. 

In snow, rain, heat, and gloom of night, USPS reliably reaches the American where they live and work. Today, at nearly 169 million addresses nationwide, American communities near and far are connected by mail. 

The 250 Years of Delivering stamps are a meticulously illustrated pane of 20 interconnected stamps that offers a bird’s-eye view of a bustling town. Each stamp is a frame of sequential art that tells the story of a mail carrier’s daily journey as she walks her route. Laid out in four rows of five stamps, the story progresses through the four seasons, from top-left to bottom-right. Chris Ware created the stamp artwork and co-designed the pane with Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS. 

 Putting a Stamp on the American Experience prestige booklet Highlighting the popular subjects and series that give the U.S. stamp program its remarkable range, Putting a Stamp on the American Experience provides an in-depth look at some of the Postal Service’s most popular stamps. The 32-page prestige booklet includes two self-adhesive sheets of a new Forever stamp available exclusively with this purchase. The stamps feature a reframed, modern interpretation of a 5-cent stamp depicting Benjamin Franklin, originally released in 1847. This booklet is only available through the Postal Store, by calling 844-737-7826, or by mail through USA Philatelic. 

 As one of the first two honorees on U.S. stamps, Franklin is a longtime icon of the stamp program, appearing on more than 100 releases in the 178-year history of American stamps. Appointed postmaster general of the Colonies by the Second Continental Congress in 1775, Franklin appreciated that the postal system could help unite the Colonies and the nation they became. As a printer, scientist and diplomat, he played a monumental role in shaping American culture, and his postal legacy of adaptability and innovation continues to inspire the modern-day Postal Service.

 Ethel Kessler, an art director for USPS, designed the prestige booklet and the stamp. 

Postal Products

Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 844-737-7826, by mail through USA Philatelic or at Post Office locations nationwide. For officially licensed stamp products, shop the USPS Officially Licensed Collection on Amazon. Additional information on stamps, First Day of Issue Ceremonies and stamp inspired products can be found at StampsForever.com.

# # #