or else I’ll have to drive up there and take them myself! Actually, I probably will do exactly that since I’ll be there for Christmas anyway. It would be nice if someone took them for me before then though. *hint hint*

Glen Burnie mailbox maker reaches new heights

By LISA BEISEL Staff Writer

 

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King Kong has made an appearance in Glen Burnie.

But don’t worry – he’s in miniature.

The gorilla sits atop Ed Witles’ 7-foot replica of the Empire State Building that also serves as the mailbox for his Eastern Street home.

It’s a new high for Mr. Witles, who’s been the subject of Maryland Gazette stories before for creating mailboxes. He’s been doing it about two years, since he retired from his job as a steam fitter at Crownsville Hospital Center.

“A lot of people like the tower out there. They ride by and they look,” he said.

His latest work is one of about 50 to 75 he’s made over the last two years. Each one is lighted and many of them have moving parts.

His hobby takes up a huge amount of time, and he often spends 10 or 11 hours per day working on mailboxes.

“I had to do something instead of sitting around here and watching TV,” he said.

Nancy Bueche, his niece who cares for him, said she likes the hobby.

“It keeps him out of my hair,” she said with a laugh.

It’s no wonder people often stop to marvel. His mailboxes are less like the standard box and more like works of art. There’s a fire engine, a tug boat and several cars, a dump truck. There’s a pony, a dog, a couple airplanes, and a spaceship.

“They went crazy over this thing,” he said, admiring a photo of the spaceship.

But they’re nothing compared to some of his latest projects. Right now, he’s working on a mailbox that’ll resemble the Taj Mahal. It’s about 3-foot square, and when it’s finished it’ll probably weigh about 100 pounds, Mr. Witles estimates.

“He’s got an eye for detail… He can take scraps and make what he needs,” Ms. Bueche said.

The mail carrier likes the interesting designs, Mr. Witles said. Like some of his neighbors, the mailman looks forward to seeing the new mailbox come out every few weeks.

“I want to make something unusual that kids see, and remember, and laugh at,” he said.

Most of the designs include a pullout drawer or hinged piece. One of the designs is a replica of his Eastern Street home, and a piece of the house opens to leave the spot for the mail. It’s still displayed on his front lawn.

Sometimes, though, the designs stump the mailman, like with the pony, a 2-foot high by 3-foot-long plastic piece that looks like it used to be a toy.

“They didn’t know where to put the mail,” Mr. Witles said with a laugh. (You have to lift up the pony’s head and put the mail inside his body.)

The mailman also had a problem with the windmill mailbox, which worked. He had to reach out and stop the spinning in order to deliver the mail.

Another problematic one was the furry dog – you had to pull on his tail and the mail goes inside his body.

He picks up most of the materials at flea markets or sales. Mr. Witles has only taken payment for his mailbox one time, for a neighbor who wanted one to look exactly like his car. He only charged him for the materials and 25 cents per hour in labor.

But he was so caught up in making it perfect that he didn’t enjoy it anymore.

He gives most of the mailboxes away, some to family and friends and others to the county Food Bank. They sell them and the profits go to the food bank, Mr. Witles said.

He gave a large windmill to his doctor, which she proudly displays on her yard. Mr. Witles has also created replicas of people’s houses to use as mailboxes or bird houses.

Besides the Taj Mahal, he’s working on a tree that’ll be covered with stuffed animals for Christmas. Whenever he runs out of ideas, someone suggests something, like when Ms. Bueche asked him to make a birdhouse to go with her wallpaper in the kitchen.

“It’s a challenge. It keeps me busy,” he said.

 

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Published 09/29/07, Copyright © 2007 Maryland Gazette,
Glen Burnie, Md.