The Destin History & Fishing Museum is set to host a celebration for the 90th birthday of the original Destin Post Office on Saturday, May 4, 2024. The event, which will take place from 1pm to 3pm, will feature cake, free admission to the museum, and a commemorative postcard.
The original post office, now an outdoor exhibit at the museum, has a rich history dating back to 1896 when William T. Marler began handling mail for the community from his home’s parlor.
- Marler would sail to Camp Walton (now Fort Walton Beach) three times a week to collect mail, sometimes making the ten-mile journey for only one or two letters.
As the community grew, Marler built a small store building on his property, dedicating one corner to the post office. The fishing village residents would stop by to check their mail, which was delivered by boat from Fort Walton until the completion of the bridge in 1936.
The original post office building, constructed by Marler on his Calhoun Avenue property in 1934, served as a social center for the community until 1951 when the post office relocated to a building on Highway 98. The Marler family served as postmasters from 1896 to 1972.
In the early 1980s, the building, complete with its handmade interior cabinets and counters, was moved to its current location at the Destin History & Fishing Museum, where it stands as an outdoor exhibit.
The museum, located at 108 Stahlman Ave, invites the public to join in celebrating this significant piece of the city’s history.
