By SAVANNAH BARR

s.barr@bradfordera.com

SMETHPORT The McKean County Historical Society’s Old Jail Museum is undergoing some big changes.

Staff are currently remodeling the former sheriff’s apartment upstairs, redoing displays and finalizing work on the fire tower outside, in addition to other surprises.

‘Right now we’re making a big mess but I think people are going to like it once it is all done,’ said Bart Barton, of the society.

The museum will remain closed while renovations are underway. A grand reopening will be held in June, assuming everything is complete.

The society is looking for some helpful hands to speed the process along.

‘We are looking for volunteers to help with painting, wallpaper and carpentry,’ said Barton.

‘The more people we have the faster we can get these projects knocked out.’

One of the major projects is restoration of the sheriff’s apartment, which is on the upper floor of the museum. The apartment housed the sheriff and his family during the time when the museum was still a jail.

‘In the sheriff’s apartment we have put up new vikings, restored the floors in two of the rooms and the hallway and we have wallpaper going

New… page A-8

McKean County Historical Society up,” Barton said. The original 1875 flooring has been restored to its former glory. “We were able to sand that down and put a couple coats of varnish on them — they look very nice,” said Barton.

The apartment consists of two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen and dining room. When it is complete, the rooms will feature an eclectic mix of antiques from many eras.

“In the living room we have a 1947 television set and a little sofa that was my grandmother’s when she lived there 100 years ago,” said Barton. “So we really have a variety of things.”

One of the bedrooms will be turned into a doctor’s office to house the museum’s extensive collection of medical equipment. It will include a 1940s dentist chair complete with drill and an X-ray machine from the 1950s. Many of the items have been donated by local doctors throughout the years.

“We hope having all the medical equipment together helps bring it to life,” said Lu Vandermark, executive director of the museum.

Another new display will occupy the hallway, where they plan to place large bookcases to house the museum’s extensive collection of vintage and antique Bibles.

Josh VanGordner is helping to rebuild the marquee signs that used to hang downtown at the old Star Theater. When the signs are finished, they will replace the current sign that sits on the museum’s front porch.

“They are going to be nice, backlit signs that will be much easier to see than our current black sign,” said Barton.

Another major project that is reaching the final stages is the restoration of the Prospect Hill Fire Tower. The tower restoration has been a multiyear undertaking. After a 49-year tenure, the tower was acquired by the society. Members had a dream to not only restore the tower but make it accessible to everyone.

“After it was torn down we had it in storage for a few years until we had enough money to put it out in the yard,” said Barton. “It sat there for almost another year and a half until we got the funds.”

Grants from Lumber Heritage Region and Collins Companies Foundation helped enable work to continue. The inside has already been repainted and restored.

“When the weather gets nice next week I am hoping to sandblast the outside of it,” said Barton.

Contractors are coming to put a deck around the tower and wheelchair ramp leading up to it. “When that is done we will have one of the only fire towers with wheelchair access,” said Barton. If you would like to volunteer, call the McKean County Historical Society at (814) 887-5142 Tuesday through Friday.