GILFORD — Members of an ad-hoc committee of the Gilford Islands Association have saved the Glendale Docks mailboxes, after the U.S. Postal Service informed the association the structure lacked integrity, marking them unsafe.
The disorganized mailboxes are a staple of the docks, full of quintessential New England charm. It was for this reason the ad-hoc committee, comprised of Samantha Sawyer, Abby Fopiano Thompson and Rick Dean, is working to rectify the post office request.
“We’re in the process of rectifying the structural integrity, and the position of the mailboxes wasn’t up to code,” Thompson said.
At the Gilford Islands Association latest meeting on March 7, the committee addressed the group at Ellacoya Barn & Grille. They were pleased to provide an update on the 2025 notice from the post office, saying, “The ad hoc committee's determination is to keep the mailboxes.”
For those delivering mail at Glendale Docks, it can be quite a feat to locate each box. They’re out of order, and many have been abandoned over time, so the committee is working to identify owners.
“We know if it’s a community issue, we will correct the problem,” Dean said.
An email to Gilford islanders asked residents to submit their name, island address, phone number, and whether they wanted to keep their mailbox, or dispose of it. Those responses were due Dec. 5.
Next steps include estimating the cost of the repairs; the committee is seeking donations for this endeavor.
For now, the mailboxes remain a welcome sight at the docks, a reminder that island dwellers need modern amenities, too, and the mail boat doesn’t frequent many of the Big Lake’s water-locked houses.
Most of the mailboxes are labeled with love, painted different colors, like the one representing Cow Island, painted a hot pink with a pig nose and eyes. Sawyer was quick to point out the unique charm of the mailboxes at Glendale Docks, and knows they are a near and dear image to many.
“We want to keep the quaintness,” she said.
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Katlyn Proctor can be reached at katlyn@laconiadailysun.com or by calling 603-524-0150.
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