The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

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  • Restaurant owner Rebecca Zupanick, left, has bought this brick home on South Oakwood Avenue from Marlene Blankenship, center, and Vickie Harrah, right. The Zupanicks own Dobra Zupas, currently located at 105 Third Ave., and plan to move it to the South Oakwood location in the near future. F. Brian Ferguson

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January 6, 2013

Beloved bricks

By Wendy Holdren Register-Herald Reporter



A beautiful, three-story Beckley home built in 1921 has once again changed owners.

Longtime owners of the historic 600 S.Oakwood Ave. home, Vickie Harrah and Marlene Blankenship, have sold the home to Joseph and Rebecca Zupanick.

The house was originally built for Judge T. J. McGinnis, once a Republican candidate for the 9th Judicial District, and his wife and daughter.

His daughter and her husband left the home to their son, Wade Bailey, who later sold it to Harrah and Blankenship.

They purchased the home from him in 1989 and converted it into their Coldwell-Banker Real Estate Center.

Blankenship’s son and a carpenter remodeled the house, which featured eight bedrooms, three fireplaces, bathrooms on each floor, walk-in closets, real oak wood floors, French doors, walls nearly a foot thick, a butler’s quarters and a stone addition once used for a two-car garage.

Blankenship estimated the home cost $10,000 to construct back then, which would be equivalent to about $250,000 today.

“I just loved that building. We had a wonderful real estate agency with 21 agents. The clients all raved about the building.”

Even when they sold their real estate business, they held onto the home.

The home was first rented to Colony Drug, then later to Jean Ann’s Bridal.

The Zupanicks expressed an interest in purchasing the home a couple years ago, Blankenship said.

“We really did not want to sell it,” she said. “We hated to give it up, but we decided maybe it was the right time to sell.”

After much thought and consideration, they first offered the home to the owners of Jean Ann’s Bridal, as they were currently renting the space. However, they decided to relocate to Beckley Crossing, beside the Social Security Building, instead of buying.

Harrah and Blankenship sold their beloved home to the Zupanicks on Dec. 28, 2012.

The Zupanicks  are the owners of the restaurant Dobra Zupas, currently located at 105 Third Ave. in Beckley, and plan to move their facility to the South Oakwood location in the near future.

“We think the building will make a very nice restaurant,” Blankenship added.

— E-mail: wholdren@register-herald.com

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