September 3, 2013 / Joanne Yeck

Post Offices: Variety Shade

Variety Shade, Courtesy Historic Buckingham

Over the 19^th and 20^th centuries, Buckingham County had many postmistresses, including Miss Fannie B. Bondurant who was appointed postmistress at Variety Shade on December 3, 1889. She followed her father, Alexander Joseph Bondurant, in the job. The post office at Variety Shade was apparently short-lived. In those days, the position of postmaster was a political appointment and subject to change with any election.

Post Office_Benjamin_Franklin2_1895_Issue-1c

Benjamin Franklin One Cent (1895)

Born on October 17, 1866, Frances Brown Bondurant was the daughter of Alexander Joseph Bondurant of Col Alto in Buckingham County and Emily McFarland Morrison of Rockbridge County. Fannie was named for her maternal grandmother Frances (Brown) Morrison, wife of Rev. James Morrison. When Fannie died in 1949, she was buried in Rockbridge County, with her parents and several siblings.

She stood a stately 5 foot, 8 inches tall, with brown eyes and hair. Typifying a well-educated gentlewoman of the late 19^th century, like many refined, Buckingham-born ladies of this era, she is remembered as pleasant and polite.

Thanks to Coz. Mary Carolyn for sharing her memories of Miss Fannie.