The mid-town site where Postal Station K stands has a history of fighting the powers-that-be.

175 years ago, William Lyon MacKenzie started the Upper Canada Rebellion at what used to be Montgomery's Tavern.

On Saturday, dozens of residents in the Yonge-Eglinton area gathered in front of the post office to carry on that tradition, demonstrating against a plan to sell the post office and the land it sits on.

Neighbourhood residents are worried the site will be sold to a private developer who will convert the land into a high-rise condo building.

They fear losing a popular public gathering place and patch of green space that they believe is becoming increasingly rare on Yonge Street.

Richard Anglin lives just a few blocks away from Postal Station K and says that the building is important to the community's atmosphere.

"This is North Toronto and it does have some feel, with the older buildings and that.  There's a history and I think this is all about preserving that."

Built in 1936, the post office is one of the only buildings in the British Empire to bear the insignia of King Edward VIII before he gave up the throne.

Today, it still houses a post office and mail sorting facility, as well as a dance studio on the second floor.

While the land Postal Station K sits on is a national historic site, the building itself is not.

During the rally, organisers collected dozens of signatures on a petition that says the post office should be kept in the public trust.

(with files from James Moore)