Mailbox
- Object Name:
- Mailbox
- Object ID:
- 2026.011.01
- Date:
- 1950-1959
- Description:
- Mailbox from David Souter's home in Weare, NH, c. 1950s. The mailbox is painted brown and has a pressed sign reading, "SOUTER", on the top. The hinged mailbox cover is stamped on the front with, "U.S. / MAIL / APPROVED BY THE / POSTMASTER GENERAL."
- Material:
- Steel
Paint - Dimensions:
- H-11.5 W-7 L-21.5 inches
- Provenance:
- From David H. Souter's home in Weare, NH. Included in Centennial Auctions estate sale on April 14, 2026.
The weathered and rusted mailbox from Justice David Souter's Weare, NH, home became a symbol for him and his modest lifestyle. Following his 2005 vote in the "Kelo vs. City of New London" decision in favor of eminent domain for commercial developments, Libertarian activist Logan Darrow Clements started a petition to seize Justice David Souter's property for the creation of "The Lost Liberty Hotel." Clement was photographed next to the tilted mailbox with the weathered brown house in the background. Images of the mailbox and property became symbols of the eminent domain debate and David Souter himself. - Credit Line:
- New Hampshire Historical Society Purchase, Katharine Prentis Murphy Fund
- People:
- Souter, David H. (1939-2025)
- Subjects:
- Courts, Supreme Court justices, Judges
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