U.S. Post Office Becomes First-Class Home

Joseph D'Agnese of  This Old House writes on the MSN Real Estate webpage, "It may be a fine place to visit, but who would seriously consider turning a former government building into a private sanctuary? Well, Dr. Sarah Belhasen, for one. And she's no eccentric. She is, quite to the contrary, a family physician, a student of history, an inveterate collector of Americana and a practical-minded native of Paintsville, Ky."

He goes on to say,"That her current address, smack in the middle of Paintsville's sleepy business district, served the local population of around 5,000 as a U.S. post office for 70 years is a circumstance based on some clear-minded financial and lifestyle choices and more than a little determination. Ten years ago, the young physician moved back to this former coal-mining town nestled in the Appalachian Mountains with the goal of buying a house in her hometown. But not just any house: It had to be a house with character."

Shown above, the former postmaster's office which Dr. Belhasen turned into a office and den.

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