It's small, but its impact is huge.

The Folsomville Post Office is not only a place to buy stamps and mail packages, it's a gathering place for the community. The 9-by-13-foot structure boasts 58 post office boxes, two rooms and an interesting past.

But, that's not what has Folsomville residents upset over the recent announcement that the office must close its doors. It's the fear that the once-thriving community will surely fade away without its identity.

"It's just been part of our little community," said Steve Postin, a Folsomville resident. "It's just an icon that we don't want to lose."

Karen Conner, Officer in Charge at Folsomville, said the post office was shut down due to safety concerns. Among other issues, she said a fuse box that's located in the lobby area was cited as a health and safety violation.

Residents were informed of the decision on Monday, Oct. 19. By that Thursday, the post office had sold its last stamp and stamped its final postmark.

"It's so new and it's so fast, and they don't like it," said Conner. "They're not happy. And a lot of it is the history and (the thought of) 'There goes Folsomville, like Bullocktown and Pelzer and all of those - now it's going to be by the wayside.'"

Folsomville, located 6 miles northwest of Tennyson and 9 miles northeast of Boonville, was established in 1859. Like many of Warrick County's historic mining communities, the once booming town of more than 200 residents had boasted a mill, several businesses and a doctor in its heyday.

The town got its first post office in 1863. The office has operated out of local stores, former postmasters' homes and most recently, out of a circus ticket booth from Boonville that was originally purchased as a playhouse for the children of Leroy and Hazel Leslie, local proprietors.

The current post office is the smallest in the state and nearly the smallest in the country - second only to the 7-by-8-foot post office in Ochopee, Fla. It has handled packages being mailed overseas to deployed troops, and the office was the shipping and receiving location for a horse saddle and tack business that operated in Folsomville up until a few years ago.

But, now, it sits empty.

Although the United States Postal Service is calling the closure a "temporary suspension," Conner said she has no doubts about its permanence.

"It's closed," she said. "They're wanting to close a lot of offices and this is just an excuse."

Conner spent all of last week and the first part of this week packing up boxes to be taken for storage at the Tennyson Post Office, where Folsomville's mail will be routed.

Because of the closure, the town will lose its 47614 ZIP code.

Residents who receive mail at their homes by a rural route carrier already have a Boonville or Tennyson ZIP code, since Folsomville doesn't offer home delivery. But, Conner said many of the residents purchased post office boxes simply because they wanted to retain the Folsomville ZIP code and keep the office in business.

The town of a few dozen residents, two churches and a fire station kept 18 post office boxes rented up until its closure last week.

Postin said he's one of those customers.

"This is as close to a Mayberry R.F.D. that you'll ever find in this world," he said, "because every time you come up here, you get to talk to neighbors that you don't get to see all the time."

Conner agreed. She said she doesn't know what the future holds for her, but she's happy to have become friends with the people she's served over the past 10 years.

"Everyone is so kind," she said. "They share their produce in the summertime; and in the wintertime, there's cookies. So, you have this relationship with everyone that lives in the community."

The post office and the property it inhabits is still owned by the Leslie family. Henry Leslie, who leases the property to the postal service, lives in Tennessee.

Conner said the postal service will hold a meeting sometime next month to meet with residents, explain its position regarding the closing, and make its final decision regarding the fate of the office.

But, it looks like residents will only have their memories to hold onto.

"It's a little sad," said Conner, who has lived in Folsomville for the past 27 years. "Our people are very nice, even with the chaotic mess that's been going on... They have been nice and have been very good to me."