Oberlin Village Post Office Renamed Following Push from Congresswoman Ross

Press Release

Today, Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02) announced that the U.S. Post Office located at 806 Oberlin Road, Raleigh, North Carolina has been successfully renamed the Oberlin Village Post Office. For several months, Congresswoman Ross urged the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to change the post office's name to the Oberlin Village Post Office, which more accurately conveys its geographic location and recognizes the extraordinary legacy of the Oberlin community. Formerly named after the owner of the Cameron Plantation, many Wake County residents felt the former name did not fit the inclusive community that calls this area home.

"The decision to finally rename the Oberlin Village Post Office reflects its new location in the Oberlin Community and is an important step forward," said Congresswoman Ross. "I have heard frequently from constituents who were frustrated that the post office's previous name honored a deeply troubling part of our history rather than the strength, perseverance, and inclusiveness of the Oberlin community. This change is welcome and I am thankful that the Postal Service honored my request."

"The residents of Oberlin, the Friends of Oberlin Village (FOV) and supporters of the community-at-large acknowledge with gratitude the renaming of the post office by the Postal Service," said Sabrina Goode, Executive Director of Friends of Oberlin Village. "The name Oberlin Village Post Office more accurately reflects the post office's geographical location and its physical location on the grounds of Oberlin Baptist Church (OBC). Oberlin Baptist Church has served the Oberlin community for over 142 years and was founded under the guidance of former slave Plummer T. Hall who served as the first pastor. Although Oberlin never incorporated, in 1892 during the height of its prosperity the village established its first post office. The Postal Service's action is a timely tribute to Oberlin Village, one of the last known surviving free and freedmen's villages in the state of North Carolina that grew out of an antebellum Free Black settlement."

The post office's name change comes amid strong support in the community to move away from references to the Cameron Plantation and family. The Oberlin Village Post Office was previously located adjacent to a shopping center which was formerly known as Cameron Village. The shopping center was renamed the Village District last year.

In October and December 2021, Congresswoman Ross sent two letters to USPS requesting that the post office's name be changed to the Oberlin Village Post Office.

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