Drivers on rural roads north of Gresham, Oregon, often notice a tall, narrow wooden structure at the end of a driveway.

Standing around 15 feet high, it features siding, a small pitched roof, and a glass panel at the bottom facing the driveway. It’s not a mailbox, deer feeder, or treehouse—it serves a completely different purpose.

Locals have nicknamed it the “driveway periscope.”

Solving a Visibility Problem

Many rural driveways meet the road at locations where hills, trees, or fences block the view, making it hard to see oncoming traffic. A common solution is a convex mirror across the street, but this structure tackles the problem differently.