Post office in Plains, Georgia to be renamed after Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter
The small post office in Plains, Georgia, will soon be named after the town’s most famous residents: former President Jimmy Carter and his late wife, former first lady Rosalynn Carter.
Legislation to rename the post office, championed by Georgia Democratic Senators Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock, is expected to be signed by President Joe Biden soon. The Senate approved the measure on Thursday, Dec. 19.
The bill designates the tiny brick-and-glass post office, located at 119 Main Street beside the train depot where Carter conducted his presidential campaign, the “Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Post Office.”
The small town of Plains, with its 781 residents, has no shortage of landmarks named after the pair. Both Carters were born in Plains and returned to their ranch home there after departing the White House in 1981.
Still, Sen. Ossoff called the gesture a “small but fitting tribute to their legacy.”
"Renaming the post office in Plains, Georgia, in honor of President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter is a tribute to their lifelong service," Sen. Ossoff said. "The Carters have left an indelible mark on our nation and the world.”
Sen. Warnock shared a similar sentiment, saying, “Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter led exemplary lives while serving Georgians and our nation and were fiercely committed to uplifting the lives of all Americans. Renaming the Plains post office after both of these Georgia icons is a small nod to their triumphant legacy in the Peach State.”
Carter, who celebrated his 100th birthday on Oct. 1, is currently in home hospice care. Rosalyn passed away in November 2023 at the age of 96.
Melissa Cruz is an elections reporting fellow who focuses on voter access issues for the Paste BN Network. You can reach her at mcruz@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter, at @MelissaWrites22.