Peter Clayton

When driving into our community for the first time, our mailboxes usually make a distinct impression as they line one or both sides of our roads. The originals were sturdy wood affairs with a slot under the box holder for newspapers or the like mounted on a 6”x 6” post painted gray with teal trim. Seven or eight years ago the MCOA Board decided to offer an alternative – the Highwood-Hazelton mailbox –  which was made of polywood, thus maintenance free, and featured our new colors – a dark green with gold numbers. At the time many of the originals were in need of repair and some residents didn’t like their look – currently 124 residents retain the wood boxes while 488 have the H-H boxes.

The H-H boxes are hollow and anchored in cement which means they have no “give”, so when a vehicle makes contact they usually break – residents located on curves and corners can attest to such incidents. The wood boxes hold up much better as they aren’t anchored in cement and are stronger.

The 51 lots in the Villas have always had their own unique black metal boxes with metal numbers which over time also experienced some maintenance issues which were resolved thanks to the efforts of resident Clel Ray.

If your wood box needs repair, painting or the box holder needs replacing, a couple of residents can help – John Molinari and Peter Clayton. They use only treated wood and galvanized/rustproof fasteners plus the official Charleston green paint from Benjamin Moore and gold trim – they can also provide the gold numbers. Contact Peter Clayton – 904/436-3978 – or pac120691@ aol.com.