Appanoose County Historical and Coal Mining Museum

The Appanoose County Historical and Coal Mining Museum is housed in the former U.S. Post Office building, which was built in 1904. The museum explores local history, particularly the coal mining industry which was a major part of the county's economy during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It features a variety of exhibits with numerous items and artifacts on display including photographs, musical instruments, tools and machinery, military uniforms and related items, period clothing, and household items. There are also two walk-in replicas of the nearby Diamond Mine and a scale model of an old mining town called Mystic. The museum is operated by the Appanoose County Historical Society.

The building itself is an excellent example of Georgian Revival architecture. Interesting features include arches containing tripartite windows with fanlights, a decorative frieze running the length of roofline, and a pair of columns beside the a main entrance doors. The post office was designed by the architectural department of the U.S. Treasury, which was headed by James Knox Taylor at the time. The building originally had cupola in the center of the roof but it was eventually removed. It appears the Appanoose County Historical Society acquired the building from the U.S. Postal Service sometime in the late 1970s and opened the museum a few years later.

"About." Appanoose County Historical and Coal Mining Museum. Accessed August 30, 2021. https://www.appanoosehistory.com/about.

Bowers, M.H. "U.S. Post Office." National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. November 7, 1978. https://npgallery.nps.gov/pdfhost/docs/nrhp/text/78001204.PDF.