A year after signing a letter of intent to buy the historic Ellicott City post office building, the county has formally sealed the deal, according to a county news release.

The county bought the property, at 8267 Main St., for $640,000. It is listed on the Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties and was on Preservation Howard's list of Top Ten Endangered Sites for 2008.

Howard County Tourism has an office in the basement and will expand its presence in the building, the release states, with historical exhibits, information on special events, brochures and local maps.

The post office also could be used for community meeting space or as a police substation, the release states.

The county has talked about purchasing the building for years because of concerns it had fallen into disrepair.

The building dates back to 1940 when it was built as part of a Works Progress Administration project. It has two historic murals of life in Ellicott City painted in 1942 by Peter Paul DeAnna, two of 16 post office murals in the state, according to Preservation Howard County.

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