The History of the Mailbox

You may be surprised to note that mailboxes were not common until the 1900s. In fact, it wasn’t until 1923 that it was required each house have a residential mailbox or letter slot.

During the early 1800s nearly all letters in the USA were taken to the post office to be mailed. Similarly, each individual had to check with the post office to see if they had received any mail. During the second half of the 1800s, mail started to be delivered to citizens in cities, and eventually, to everyone. There was a period when USPS employees delivered to the citizens themselves, rather than the house. Due to this, the mail would be delivered across the same area multiple times a day. This is when mailboxes began to be encouraged and eventually, required.

At the beginning mailboxes didn’t even have any mandates when it came to size and shape. This meant that individuals could use nearly anything for a mailbox. Now there are many requirements when it comes to your mailbox, such as height, door size, and more.

Mailboxes have gone through many changes through the years. Residential mailboxes can come in all sorts of styles, including locking mailboxes. Mailboxes may be manufactured from plastic, wood, and more. Cluster box units were developed to serve many individuals in just one, single box. It has been suggested in recent years that door-to-door delivery be replaced entirely by CBU delivery to save on money. This has been met with a lot of protests.

Mail delivery is an important part of US history. The mailbox allows for both outgoing and incoming mail. It provides storage for all types of items; a postcard from a relative overseas, a letter from a family member, a business letter for employees, advertising for companies, a package ordered online, and more. The mailbox is incredibly important, even if it has been around for a shorter time than any of us thought. It is so essential, in fact, that one may have believed it had been around as long as the US Postal Service.