[4/16/03]It’s out with the old and in with the new at the Old Court House Museum in an effort to restore the courtroom closer to its original look.

New custom-made bench-type seats, provided by donors, are being installed this week to replace theater-style seats that were not original to the 1860 building.

Though no one is sure when the departing seats were installed, they are shown in a 1940s-era photograph of the courtroom.

But in addition to not being authentic to the period of the courthouse construction, the seats were “old and ugly,” said Gordon Cotton, director and curator of the Old Court House Museum. Made from plywood and iron, some were in bad shape and could not be repaired.

They were also a tight fit for too many museum visitors, Cotton said.

“They were close together and made in an era when people were smaller,” he said.

Cotton said references in records indicate the original seats were benches, so a “bench” committee was formed from members of the museums advisory council. John McHan, who owns McHan Cabinets, was hired to design and build the new benches to replicate the original seats.

After searching old books and the Internet for ideas, McHan settled on making a prototype.

Work on the benches took McHan and five employees about five weeks, he said. They are oak, heavy and stained and finished to blend with existing courtroom decor.

McHan, who began working about 25 years ago with his father, C.B. McHan, does remodeling and other custom woodworking jobs. And he said he has enjoyed this project.

“This is the kind of thing we like to do,” he said.

There are 28 benches and most have been “purchased” with donations of $500 each from local people. Small brass plaques will identify honorees. About eight or 10 remain to be sold.

There is a reduction in the historic room’s capacity. The benches will hold about 140 people while the old seats provided room for about 176.

“We’ll lose a few seats, but the comfort will be worth it,” Cotton said.

The Old Court House Museum-Eva W. Davis Memorial is operated by the Vicksburg and Warren County Historical Society without any allocation of public money and subsists on admissions fees, membership dues and profits from gift shop sales.

The courtroom is a place for several public programs each year, including concerts, lectures and meetings. In December, the courthouse was host to the Confederate Christmas Ball, complete with ballroom dancing.

“This will be a lot easier for those who want to sit and watch,” Cotton said.

Historical society president Jeff Richardson said since the organization is entertaining more now, the new seats are a good addition.

“Having good and proper seating is more important with the growing cultural events,” he said, adding that the courtroom was a venue again for this year’s International Chamber Music Festival.

The courthouse itself is due for a major roofing project. The Warren County Board of Supervisors obtained a grant for a portion of the work and has budgeted the remainder among this year’s projects.

The building is a National Landmark and has been the scene of presidential speeches, the first speech of Jefferson Davis’ political career and many other events. During the Siege of Vicksburg, Union POWs were housed on its grounds as a means to keep gunboats on the river from targeting it for destruction.