The Sharpsburg

Post Office has gone from a 2,000-square-foot building with two double-wide

trailers and a single-wide one, to 21,000 square feet and enough space

to cover a 10-year growth.

The Manager

of Administrative Services, United States Postal Service, H. W. Keaton,

welcomed several hundred guests Sunday and explained that the Sharpsburg

Post Office was unique.

In February,

2000, the Postal Service froze all future construction, except for that

already on the drawing board. The only exception was the building in Sharpsburg.

Keaton said

that for efficiency and service at the level set by the Postal Service,

a new building was very much needed in this 136-year-old town.

Turin Boy Scout

Troop 46 raised the flag on the new pole. The invocation was delivered

Post Master,

Joan Ingram, said "I really appreciated the merchants who contributed

to our grand opening today. They worked until late last night and came

early this morning to get ready. I welcome everyone and appreciate your

coming out on such a warm afternoon. Come inside and share our pride in

your new post office."

Sharpsburg

mayor, Alvin Arrowwood, spoke of the many firsts for the town, and the

people who made them. He said the community was very proud of its newest

"first," and the person who made it come true, Joan Ingram.

The ribbon

cutting was handled by H. W. Keaton, Alvin Arrowwood, Joan Ingram, Sen.

Mitch Seabaugh, and Joe Griggers, Manager of Post Office Operations for

the 302 zip code area.

The guests

were escorted inside the $2 million plus building.