How it all began...

In 2006 when the United States Post Office decided to build a new post office for the City of LaFollette many, including the Campbell County Historical Society, was hopeful that the USPS would donate the building to a worthy entity.  
 Unfortunately, upon completion of the build in 2008 the USPS decided to put the building up for sale, at a sum that seemed unreachable to many. 

As years went by without any movement, the building went up for auction in late October of 2013 and was sold.  The City of LaFollette then purchased it from that buyer in Mid November of 2013 

Over the years the building was revered for its history of being built by the WPA, the art deco design and the stories that filled the building with local lore.  It a true tale of  'if these walls could talk'.

The building was a draw for both Joanne McCloud Myers and Karen Cumorich.  Myers, one of the founders of the Campbell Culture Coalition and Cumorich, Past President of the Campbell County Artists Association worked together on many projects over the years with both entities saw a building in need of saving, as well as a home for an arts, culture and history center for the  entire county.   

In the fall of 2014, Myers approached the city regarding the use of the building for a special children's Christmas event that was to be a coordinated effort between the Campbell County High Schools Junior leadership team, led by Ms. Gina Adrian and  Myers and Cumorich.

The name Postmark LaFollette came out of the discussions surrounding the project design and layout of transforming the old sorting room into a Christmas Wonderland where children would be able to write letters to Santa and enjoy the wonders of the holiday decorations.   It was a delight to see the faces of children as they wandered through the stations of a mini post office, with elves at the desks, handing out  paper and pencils, a place to write their letter and then have it posted by another elf and receive small treats.   

Some would say the rest is history, a lot has happened, and here, as they say, is the rest of the story. 
The name Postmark LaFollette is a great descriptor of what we wanted people to get from a name. The building held a lifetime memories for many in the community as well as the location.   Over the next three years the building continued to be called upon to be used for showcasing a variety of projects and programs and with each passing event the decision to become an independent nonprofit just made sense. 
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In April of 2017, Postmark LaFollette became an independent federal 501C3 nonprofit with a charitable organization designation. To date,  Postmark LaFollette has hosted many programs funded by grants obtained from a variety of funders, such as the Tennessee Arts Commission, East Tennessee Foundation, which is the host of the CNS Y 12 Advisory Fund, as well as the Campbell Enhancement Fund, also a Advisory Fund with the East Tennessee Foundation.  Also Postmark LaFollette has had  the consistent support from a few of our local banks and loyal followers for us to be able to achieve many things.   
Postmark hosted programs such as Eyes on LaFollette, several Christmas events for children and adults alike, yearly art camps, five original plays a monthly jamborees to showcase the talents of our local communities and support a music lessons program and an Artisans Co-op for all local artisans.   

 Postmark LaFollette strives to continue to bring a variety of programs to the community that encompass the four pillars of their mission, economic development, community enhancement, educational enrichment, and historical preservation. 

Some of the great projects on display and how we converted the post office into Wonderland...