Stone Mailbox – Lincoln, MA

At this home in Lincoln, MA we are building a stone mailbox surround.  The column will be built entirely of stone and will surround a stainless steel mailbox.  Power will also be routed so a light can eventually go on top, and bluestone number plates will be included on the sides.

The material we will use is called Colonial Wallstone.  It is the same material as Bluestone and is generally the irregular cast of pieces from the bluestone quarries.  It can be called ‘stack stone’ or ‘thin stack’ as well and gives a neat, clean, and modern look.

Stone Mailbox Construction:

To build the stone mailbox column we first dig 2′ deep, pour concrete for a base, and install electrical conduits.  We then prep for the column by making a template and stretching plumb lines to the ground.  We use a stack of cinder blocks for the template to rest on.  Once the stone mailbox column is prepped we can start building up with our wallstone.  The stone is not a veneer, but full bed stone.  The stones are mortared, and the middle of the column is filled with concrete/mortar.

 

The process is slow going as there are four corners and not much space in between them.  The stones will look natural in the end but often need to be cut or trimmed to fit. We aim for a mix of sizes, level stones, but with varied courses.  The number plate is the same type of stone but cut from a bluestone paver.  The numbers will be drilled and attached later.

The stone mailbox reaches final height and we are ready for the cap stone and numbers.  The cap stone is also bluestone, has a slight overhang, and gives the column a more finished look.