Official Renaming of the Indiana Post Office in honor of James Stewart

Friday, June 10th, 2011 was a gorgeous afternoon in downtown Indiana!  On this beautiful day, spectators filled the area on 7th Street in front of the Indiana Post Office to witness a tribute to Indiana County hometown hero - Jimmy Stewart.  Today the Post Office would receive a new name in honor of this military hero, civic leader, family man and world citizen - James Maitland Stewart.

Below is a photo taken prior to the start of the ceremony as people and members of the press began to gather in front of the Post Office.

As we waited for the start of the ceremony, spectators enjoyed the musical talents from multiple individuals.  Local groups and students as well as the Indi-Anna Sweet Adelines performed prior to the start of the ceremony as well as throughout the ceremony.

Also prior to the ceremony, on-goers could get a closer look at an enlarged reproduction of a stamp issued in Jimmy Stewart's honor in 2007.

Attendees were also treated to a visit by the guardian angel Clarence from "It's A Wonderful Life" (portrayed by Indiana Councilman Tom Thompson) as he mingled with the crowd distributing bells for celebration.

"Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its' wings!"

The bill that renames the Post Office was devised by U.S. Rep. Mark Critz.  With the support of U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and former Sen. Arlen Specter, the bill was signed in January 2011 by President Obama making the name change official.

Pictured speaking below: Indiana Postmaster, Michael Olsavsky.

Chris Collins, the talented Jimmy Stewart impersonator, shared a few excerpts from some of Stewart's famous films with the crowd.

Here is just a short preview of the talented performance.

Pictured speaking below:  Senator Don White

Pictured speaking below: Charles McCreadie - Post Office District Manager

Pictured speaking below:  U.S. Rep. Mark Critz, D-Johnstown

Next was the unveiling of the plaque that will hang inside the Post Office.  It is really neat to think that this 1917 building that we were standing in front of is the same building that Jimmy Stewart would have used as a young man.

Here is a quick video of the unveiling of the plaque.

Photo below:  Commemorative Plaque that will be on display at the newly named Post Office.

Area Boy Scouts presented the flags at the beginning of the ceremony. In the photos below they are gathering the flags at the conclusion of the ceremony.

Photo below:  A view of a portion of the crowd that attended this ceremony.

Following the ceremony, the crowd was invited inside the Post Office to enjoy cake.  Many onlookers then traveled along Philadelphia Street en route to the Jimmy Stewart Museum for a tour of the museum and additional entertainment from Chris Collins.

 I highly suggest walking across Philadelphia Street if you have never done so for a unique experience.  Myself, along with other pedestrians, enjoyed hearing the sound of Jimmy Stewart's "voice" as it was projected into the streets when the crosswalk sign changed for safe crossing.  He kindly announces when it is safe to cross the street, gives you a countdown for safe crossing and lets you know when the traffic light is about to change. It was just a neat experience that you should check out when you are in the area!

 As I passed the Indiana County Courthouse, I paused for a photo of the bronze Jimmy Stewart statue that is positioned in front of the courthouse.  The statue was dedicated to Jimmy on his 75th birthday.

Once arriving at the museum, I was greeted by "Jimmy Stewart" and "Harvey" before entering the museum.

The Jimmy Stewart Museum is devoted to the famous actor's film, radio, television and military career as well as highlights from this civic leader's life.  I highly recommend stopping by the museum to learn about his family's history in western Pennsylvania.  I had the opportunity to see artifacts from his days in the military and pieces of memorabilia from his days in Hollywood.  Did you know that Jimmy personally selected a few of his favorite keepsakes from his career to display at the museum?  Those items include a Winchester commemorative rifle and a propeller blade autographed by the cast and crew of "Flight of the Phoenix".  While there today, visitors piled into the movie theatre and listened to excerpts from films performed by Chris Collins.  You can visit the museum and view famous films and clips in the atmosphere of a 1930's vintage movie theatre complete with velvet drapes while also enjoying a state-of-the-art sound and projection system, which was donated by Universal City Studios of Hollywood.