Washington's best-known "town for sale," which sits seven miles northeast of Brewster and about an hour's drive from Wenatchee, never sold. Despite all the hoopla, and its abundant wildlife, rugged frontier history and riverfront access, [Monse] couldn't catch a break.

"It's sad that it dissipated," said Juli Doty, the Wenatchee real estate agent who pushed to see it purchased and redeveloped. "It was an incredible opportunity."

Undaunted by the aesthetic challenges, Janet Jordan, an insurance agent in Brewster, bought the circa-1900 schoolhouse and enough land for her two horses. Unmistakably a 19th-century structure, the school rises two stories, covers about 1,800 square feet and features high ceilings and oak floors. "I'm nostalgic," Jordan said. "I'd love to restore that schoolhouse. A contractor told me it would be a labor of love."