Middle Lobbies Congress to Name Post Office After Whitesboro Founder

COURT HOUSE – The Middle Township Committee, in partnership with the Concerned Citizens of Whitesboro and the Cape May County NAACP, is enlisting congressional support in its request to dedicate the new Whitesboro Post Office in honor of town founder George H. White. 
According to a release, U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-2nd), a longtime supporter of the Concerned Citizens of Whitesboro and the preservation of Whitesboro’s unique history, is leading the effort in Congress.
The Whitesboro Post Office is expected to open July 18. The post office has been built on land owned by the township and is directly adjacent to the site of the township’s George H. White Memorial placard.
George H. White served as a Republican congressman from North Carolina, from 1897 to 1901. White had a vision of a model community where Black families could own land, build businesses, be independent farmers, and educate their children. He realized that dream after establishing the town of Whitesboro, in Middle Township. 
Many of the early settlers came from North Carolina and included Henry “Willie” Spaulding, who laid the town’s foundation and became its first postmaster, as well as a number of White’s family members and friends. Some moved to the town after seeing advertisements seeking residents. 
The White family built the Odessa Inn, so tourists could enjoy the summer season at the shore. In 1908, White completed the construction of the town’s first school, beginning a long tradition of educational and professional development in Whitesboro.
Middle Township Committee has advocated for the post office to be named in White’s honor for more than a year. In June 2019, the committee passed a resolution requesting that Congress designate the building – then in the planning stages – as the George H. White Post Office. 
Since that time, local organizations have rallied around the plan. On March 16, the NAACP State Conference passed a resolution backing the effort to dedicate the post office in the memory of George H. White. The Cape May County Branch of the NAACP provided a separate letter of support.
On June 10, the Board of Directors of the Concerned Citizens of Whitesboro sent the township a letter that noted their “wholehearted support” for the dedication.
“We appreciate these partnerships and community cooperation in this important effort,” Mayor Tim Donohue stated. “The unique and inspiring history of the founding of Whitesboro and its decades-long history as a thriving and distinct community within Middle Township should be a source of pride for all of our residents. We thank Congressman Van Drew for joining in this effort and we look forward to congressional approval in the near future.”