subject: Home Mailboxes And Their History [print this page] The early history of mailboxes, which back in the day, were referred to as mail slots or private letterboxes, was known to be used as early as the late 1700's in Paris, France. However, the popularity did not spread around to the rest of Europe for nearly a century later.
In America, it wasn't until 1863 that mail began to be delivered to the home address, due in large to the creation of Free City Delivery. Then in 1923, the U.S. Post Office officially mandated that every household were to have a mail slot or mailbox so that they may receive their mail at home.
Certain requirements are expected by all homeowners. Regardless of the type of mailbox that is being used, you must keep the area surrounding your box safe for the postal carrier by keeping the area clear of clutter or other potential dangers. It is the postal carrier's decision to stop all deliveries to an address until the area is deemed safe for delivery.
This also goes for meeting any requirements as set by the U.S. Post Office. Whether it is a safety situation or size regulation, especially for custom built boxes, all deliveries and pick ups will stop until you meet postal standards.
Some of the different types of mailboxes that you can see throughout a community are:
- Curbside
- Mail Slots or Letterboxes
- Wall Mounted or Attached
- Locking
- Recessed
- Community
Curbside Boxes
The speed of which the mail was being delivered was becoming a big issue in America. Therefore, to cut down on the time on deliveries from house to house, it was proposed that mailboxes be posted curbside, especially in more rural areas along the route. This would allow postal carriers the ability to drive up to the box without taking time to walk up to the house.
From there, curbside boxes began attaching signal flags, or also known as a Semaphore Arm. These red or fluorescent orange flags were intended to inform the postal delivery person that there was outgoing mail inside.
It was also used by the postal worker to let the resident know if there was mail inside the box for pickup. If the flag was down, there was no reason for the resident to go out in bad weather to check for incoming mail.
Another form of curbside mailboxes, for outgoing mail only, are the bigger size boxes located throughout cities along streets, on the corners or near certain businesses or shopping centers. Although these boxes have taken a hit for security and theft reasons in recent years, it is still a viable tool for postal carrier pickups in larger quantities.
Mail Slots and Letterboxes
Mail slots (America) and Letterboxes (Britain) are very similar. These are slots that are generally seen cut into the front door of homes, businesses or panels of multiple letterboxes. They have the ability to be set either in a horizontal or a vertical manner.
These slots require a flap guard on it for weather protection and require the ability to close on their own, whether it's by a spring or simple gravity. These types of slots are usually found in older American cities, compared to a universal usage in Britain.
Wall-Mounted Attached
Wall-mounted, also known as Attached Mailboxes, can also be used in lieu of mail slots, and are usually located near the front door of the residential home. Most wall-mounted mailboxes include hooks underneath for newspapers, magazines or other larger, foldable items.
Locking Boxes
With the rise of mail and identity theft, the first approved design for curbside mailboxes with locking devices was in 2001. The carrier would drop the mail into a slot and only the owner of the box would have a combination or a key to retrieve the mail.
Recessed and Community Boxes
Properties that may contain a multiple of homes, condominiums, apartments or businesses may use a community mail station, also known as Cluster Mailboxes. The boxes have multiple compartments for the mail to have centralized delivery for everyone in the building or a neighborhood.
Mail carriers carry a key that opens a larger door from the side or back, so that they can reach into each compartment. Each tenant or resident will then have their own key only allowing access to their box from the front panel.
In addition, these community boxes are now being designed with little more flare to them as you may see 2-4 boxes on one decorative post that handles a one-stop curb side service for the postal worker, saving time and energy.
If you find that you are in the market for a new mailbox, be sure to check all requirements before buying or having a box installed so that it meets all postal standards.
As you can see, the mailbox as we know it, has taken on different shapes, sizes and even usages. None the less, like anything in history, the mailbox has been through it all. As their saying goes, "neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."
