As I walked into the lobby of the #WinstonTower, in downtown Winston Salem my first thought was: I hope I do not have to go to the top floor! Luckily I did not. Standing tall at 29 floors the #WinstonTower built in 1966 remains a part of Winston Salem, NC history. Remaining the tallest building in Winston Salem up until 1971. Luckily the 12th was as far as I needed to venture. Heading towards the elevators to make my assent I noticed this interesting box on the wall. The words inscribed said “Letter Box : U.S. Mail”. With everything around me modernized through renovations, here staring at me was a reminder of the past.
I’ve had the pleasure of visiting numerous buildings, either for networking or site selection with clients. In many, I find interesting historical elements intertwined with new development. These aspects, while many are small, add a big impression and uniqueness to the feeling within the walls.
What was this, this letter box? How was it used? These questions have been circling in my head. According to the USPS article “Oh, chute”, this amazing architectural artifact is called a #MailChute. The #architect James Goold Cutler, invented the mail chute in 1883 as a way for people to get mail to the first floor of tall buildings and skyscrapers. The receiving box (what I saw and is in the photograph) attached to a chute spanning each floor, was placed on the first floor for the postal workers to collect the mail.
“This receiving box, which was located at the bottom of the mail chute, was manufactured by James G. Cutler, who received patent #284,951 for his design. which stated that the box must “be of metal, distinctly marked ‘U.S. Letter Box,'” and that the “door must open on hinges on one side, with the bottom of the door not less than 2’6″ above the floor (Smithsonian National Postal Museum).”
The chutes were made accessible and with three sides of glass so that mail could be removed as needed by the postal workers (Smithsonian National Postal Museum). Despite this, mail jams were common; the McGraw Hill building in New York had over 40,000 pieces of mail removed from a jam in 1986. In 1997, “…the National Fire Protection Association deemed mail chutes a fire hazard and banned buildings from installing them (USPS).”
Next time you walk into a building don’t forget to search for these hidden treasures!
-Dana Kimball
Citations
“Oh, Chute! – USPS Employee News.” Usps.com, 8 Apr. 2019, news.usps.com/2019/04/08/oh-chute/. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.Smithsonian.
“Cutler Mail Box and Chute.” Si.edu, Smithsonian National Postal Museum, 2026, postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibition/customers-and-communities-serving-the-cities-overcoming-congestion/cutler-mail-box-and. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
