Along U.S. Route 360 in Callao stands a weathered historical marker erected in 1994 commemorating the Chambers Stamp Factory, owned by four generations of the Chambers family from the American Civil War to the Great Depression. Its existence is mostly obscured by the mists of time, and those who remember it are very few, but for more than half a century, from 1867 until 1931, the Chambers Shop, as it was known to locals, quietly labored as the sole supplier of steel postmark and cancelation stamps for the U.S. Post Office Department and some foreign countries.
The company was founded in 1830 in Washington, D.C. by Benjamin Chambers, Sr., a self-taught master engraver, artist and inventor. Later, his son Benjamin Chambers, Jr., moved the business to Northumberland County at Lodge, on a finger of land named Tucker’s Point, on the Yeocomico River. Chambers, Jr., was seeking a secluded spot where the secrets of the trade were unlikely to be divulged. It certainly helped business that the site was ideally situated among the steamboat wharves of the day — Lodge, Mundy Point, Coan, Lewisetta, Sampsons Wharf, and Reedville, among others. Every wharf had a post office and a convenient means to receive raw materials for production and ship finished products to major ports in the United States and beyond.
Originally designed and engraved by Chambers, Sr., the postmark and canceling stamp was a two-part mechanism operated by one handle — the postmark having the name of the town from which the letter was mailed and the other part which canceled the postage stamp.
The view from the stamp factory property looks out toward Lodge, where steamboats brought supplies and shipped products to major ports in the United States and beyond.
The entire Chambers Stamp operation was the brainchild of Benjamin Chambers, Sr., who was born in 1789 in what is now Ashe County, N.C. He volunteered twice during the War of 1812 — first in the Ashe County Militia, then in Richmond, to which he traveled on foot more than 400 miles and volunteered to defend the city without pay. He later spent time in Alexandria, Baltimore and Philadelphia. He settled permanently in Washington, D.C., pursuing the self-taught profession of plate engraver and was a well-known artist among the people of his city. He was eminently successful, being largely employed by many departments of the U.S. government. He was considered one of the best artists of his day.
In 1826, Chambers, Sr., engraved a picture of Thomas Jefferson and a copy of Jefferson’s last letter. The mayor of Washington invited Jefferson to the July 4, 1826, 50-year celebration of American independence. Being in ill health at the time, Jefferson declined the invitation, and he died the day of the celebration. The engraved picture of Jefferson is commemorated in the Dictionary of American Painters, Sculptors & Engravers in the central library in Washington, as well as in the Library of Congress.
All that remains of the 1877 Chambers Stamp Factory is a cornerstone in a serene setting.
The energy of Chambers, Sr., was not solely focused on the business of engraving; his mind was often occupied developing other inventions. He labored for many years devising a breech-loading cannon, patent number 6612, July 31, 1849. It became the most sought-after weapon by both armies during the American Civil War. A model of this cannon, built by Chambers, Sr., is now in the Virginia Historical Society Museum in Richmond.
The Post Office Department went into the postmark stamp business in 1799; inventors and manufacturers soon entered the scene. Benjamin Chambers, Sr., seems to be the first major supplier of postmark and canceling stamps to the Post Office Department as early as 1830. In the List of Patents for Inventions and Design, issued by the United States from 1790 to 1847, only two patents are listed for hand stamps — Benjamin Chambers, Sr., held one of them.
The view from the rear of the original 1887 manor house overlooks another historic property formerly owned by the Chambers family.
As the family brand expanded, Benjamin Chambers, Jr., was born on November 17, 1841, in Washington, D.C. At an early age, he was taught by his father to engrave and make postmark canceling stamps. While his father kept the family business thriving, Chambers, Jr., held a number of military positions during the Civil War — he was a mounted guard for the president, as well as a member of the Pennsylvania Cavalry, 59th Regiment. In 1856, Benjamin Chambers, Jr., entered into a subcontract with Fairbanks & Company of New York City to complete its contract with the U.S. Post Office Department, an agreement which lasted until April 1867. The Fairbanks Co. was a manufacturer of scales and had always subcontracted work to smaller suppliers.
The Chambers Stamp Factory interior view showing machinery , circa 1900.
In 1867, Chambers, Jr., entered into his own contract with the U.S. Post Office Department to make postmark and canceling stamps and was successful in renewing the contract for the rest of his life. Benjamin Chambers, Sr., died in 1871 in Washington, D.C. at the age of 82 and is buried in the Congressional Cemetery. In 1877, Chambers, Jr., bought the property on Tucker’s Point in Lodge, Northumberland County, and built his new stamp factory there. Historical reports say he found the labor supply adequate and economical, and had no trouble training skilled machinists. According to reports, the manufacturing process was quite painstaking — with an assortment of some 30 or 40 chisels, the “cutters” would carve out each letter of every town and state from a blank steel plate.
Benjamin Chambers, Jr., was also elected to the Virginia House of Delegates from Northumberland and Westmoreland counties for two terms, 1889-90 and 1891-92. He continued to steer the company until his death in 1908, at which time his son Henry Bennett Chambers took over the business. Henry Bennett Chambers was also a trained stamp cutter and ran the company until his untimely death as a result of a hunting accident in 1927. The company passed to the next in line, Henry Benjamin Chambers, who was at the helm until July, 1931.
At that time, early in the Great Depression years, the U.S. postal service awarded its stamp contract to Pitney-Bowes of Stamford, Connecticut. For years, rubber stamps had begun to make inroads into the business in which the Chambers family had held a virtual monopoly for more than 50 years.
The manor house was built circa 1887 for Benjamin Chambers, Jr.
Skill and economy could not overcome the advantage of an inexpensive material which could be easily and quickly molded to the desired form. The Chambers operation simply could not make its product at a price that could compete with the larger company’s low bid and cheaper materials.
In 1932, the company closed its doors forever, and later, the building which housed it was torn down. The factory’s demise during the Depression crisis dealt quite a blow to the local economy. However, the Chambers Shop was long remembered for paying its employees a liberal wage and looking out for them in every way — in spite of economic hardship, most of them owned their own homes and small farms and could afford higher education for themselves and their children. The company, in turn was rewarded with honest, loyal and skilled employees who learned quickly and performed excellently.
Thanks to Virginia Burgess and the Northumberland County Historical Society for help with the research and photos for this article, especially for the loan of its Vol. XXVI - 1989, and Vol. VI - No. 1 - 1969.
Thanks, also, to the Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Society for help finding photos and reference literature.
In addition, we’re grateful to David and Lia Royle, who graciously allowed us to wander freely on their property and photograph at will. Their hospitality was much appreciated.