MCCORDSVILLE — A small, now-empty building on Broadway Street holds a large piece of McCordsville’s past. Now the town is working to preserve that rich history and put it on display for everybody in the community to learn about.
What started as a filling station later served as what many remember as the town’s first post office. Over time, the building changed hands, operating as a barbershop and a used car lot.
For 80-year-old Larry Apple, the building represents more than just bricks and mortar. It’s part of his family’s legacy.
“Oh, it's just good memories,” Apple said. “I used to get free candy there.”
In the late 1940s, Apple’s father, Charles “Chic” Apple, left the U.S. Air Force and became McCordsville’s postmaster, working alongside his wife at what many consider the oldest mail depot in the area.
“They both worked there for a lot of years and enjoyed it, and helped serve people. They were like serving the community,” he said.
Apple remembers collecting the mail with his father, which was delivered by train right outside the building.
Despite the post office changing locations, Apple’s father went on to serve as the town’s postmaster for more than three decades.
Since those early days, the building has undergone multiple transformations, but town officials say preserving its history is a priority.
“I think that’s what makes every community unique — preserving some of that history, investing in it,” said McCordsville Town Manager Tim Gropp. “So the idea that we preserve the old fire station, the idea that we're preserving the original post office, it’s been fun.”
Gropp told WRTV the town’s Redevelopment Commission has purchased the property at 6315 W Broadway.
They begin by converting the old volunteer fire station behind the property into a new community center.
Front and center, the former post office will feature displays highlighting the town’s history, including the original post office, a vintage Leeder automobile and telephones once produced just down the road in McCordsville.
He envisions a garage-like display centered around the car and other memorabilia.
“We’re going to incorporate the storefront in there,” Gropp said. “We’ll have the windows so you’ll be able to see inside of it, and the backside, you’ll have information about the building. You don’t just want to bulldoze everything and start fresh. You want to preserve some of that uniqueness of the community.”
Apple agrees and said he believes these preservation efforts will help connect the younger generation and newer residents with McCordsville’s roots.
“I'm not gonna be around and remembering this stuff, so they need to capture whatever they can now,” Apple told WRTV.
“There’s a lot of new people coming into town now, so if they’ve got a place like that where they can see how it started and how it progressed — the way it is now — that’s going to be great.”
Town leaders are asking the community to get involved by sharing old stories, photographs and suggestions to guide their restoration efforts.
You can email Niki Jones at njones@mccordsville.in.gov
The community center is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Work on the former post office building is scheduled to begin in 2026.
