Denton’s 1919 post office was a big step for the city, leading the way for development and business

The 1919 completion of Denton’s post office on Locust Street signaled Denton’s arrival as a town. Denton was a tiny settlement of 361 souls in 1870. By 1920, census records show the city boasted 7,626 residents.

Before the 1919 post office construction, Denton’s postal service didn’t have a dedicated building. Between 1885 and 1890, people mailed letters on the west side of Denton’s Square in what is now a private parking lot for the Sherman Building. For the next decade, the post office was on the north side of the Square at 116 W. Oak St. — which later housed McBride Music & Pawn from 1968 to 2022.