In 1775 when the Continental Congress was organized at Philadelphia to establish an independent government, one of the first questions before the delegates was how to deliver the mail. Benjamin Franklin, newly returned from England, was appointed chairman of a Committee of Investigation to establish a postal system, and after his report in July of that year, members of the Second Continental Congress agreed “… that a Postmaster General be appointed for the United States, who shall hold his office at Philadelphia, and shall be allowed a salary of 1,000 dollars per annum…”  That simple statement signaled the birth of the Post Office Department, the predecessor of the United States Postal Service. And now, 236 years later, we’re still enjoying the benefits of that decision.

Click here to download this complete article as a pdf.



Of course, to receive mail today, you need a mailbox. Rather than simply attach it to a wooden post, you can easily weld together a stylish steel mailbox stand that will look great and provide years of trustworthy service. Follow the step-by-step plans in the attached article (click pdf link above) to craft your own stand that will admirably serve through snow, rain, heat and gloom of night.

MAILBOX SPECIFICATIONS
When building a mailbox stand, it’s important that you follow these basic guidelines from the United States

Postal Service:

• Install the mailbox so the bottom of the box is 41 to 45 in. above the road surface, unless you have a road or curb condition that prevents this. If you do, be sure to contact the postmaster before you change your mailbox location.

• Boxes must be on the right-hand side of the road and in the carrier’s direction of travel in all cases in which driving on the left-hand side to reach the boxes would pose a traffic hazard or violate traffic laws and regulations.

• The mailbox should be set back so that the door is 6 to 8 in. from the front face of the curb or road edge.

• The letters or numbers on the mailbox should be at least 1 in. tall.

• A mailbox with a lock must be a model that’s USPS approved by the Postmaster General with a slot large enough to accommodate your daily volume of mail.

• Advertising on a mailbox or its supporting post is prohibited.

• You can attach a receptacle for newspaper delivery by a private company to the post of a curbside mailbox used by the Postal Service as long as it doesn’t touch or use any part of the mailbox for support, doesn’t interfere with mail delivery or obstruct the view of the mailbox flag, doesn’t extend beyond the front of the mailbox when the box door is closed, and doesn’t display any advertising except for the publication’s title.


Mailbox Stand Project Details:

Cutting List
Key    No.    Description*    Size
A    2    Main uprights    1 x 1 x 43 in.
B    3    Main cross members    1 x 1 x 7 in.
C    2    Infield uprights    1/4 x 1/4 x 26 in.
D    2    Infield cross members    1/4 x 1/4 x 4-1/2 in.
E    1    Mailbox support plate, steel C channel    1/8 x 2 x 20 in.
F    1    Base support, steel C channel    1/8 x 2 x 16 in.
*All parts hollow steel tube except as noted.

Shopping List
1-in.-sq. x 4-ft. hollow steel tube (2)
1-in.-sq. x 3-ft. hollow steel tube (1)
1/4-in.-sq. x 3-ft. hollow steel tube (2)
1/8 x 2 x 36-in. steel C channel (1)
1/2 x 4-in. stainless steel bolts, nuts and washers (2)
#10 x 1-1/4-in. stainless steel screws (16)
Lumber for mailbox base (size according to your mailbox)
Mailbox