By SAVANNAH BARR

savannah.m.barr@gmail.com

SMETHPORT — After being shuttered for several weeks due to renovations, the McKean County Historical Society has set the date for its grand reopening of the Old Jail Museum. Originally scheduled for June 7, it has been moved to 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. June 28.

“We are very close to being done but we’re still wrapping a few things up,” said Lu Vandermark, museum director. “I think people are going to be very surprised when they see how things have changed.”

The museum has been undergoing some major renovations and wrapping up some big projects. Volunteers have helped restore the sheriff’s apartment and the Prospect Hill Fire Tower, in addition to creating a new sign. Volunteers and staff have been working hard to hang wallpaper, remake displays and improve handicapped access to the fire tower, among other changes.

The grand opening will feature a ribbon cutting, speakers and other surprises yet to be scheduled.

Beyond just the renovations, almost every display in the museum has been updated and rearranged.

“As we finished the apartment we were able to take some things up there and that made room downstairs to change more things up,” said Vandermark. “So it has been quite a process.”

Guests will finally be able to tour the refurbished sheriff’s apartment on the upper floor of the museum. Plans to renovate the apartment have been in the works for many years. Recent donations and grants have made the dream come together.

“Since I started here in 2000 I have been hearing about how we needed to restore the sheriff’s apartment,” said Vandermark. “We just had these empty rooms and they were kind of calling out to us.”

As the name would suggest, the museum used to be a functioning jail. It held inmates from 1876 up until the 1990s.

For much of that time, the sheriff and his family were expected to live in the attached apartment.

“It was a way for them to keep an eye on the inmates,” said Vandermark.

The matron, or the sheriff’s wife, was not left out of the work either.

“It was part of her job to look after the female inmates and the children,” said Vandermark.

“There was a juvenile section here for a time before the laws changed and said you couldn’t keep the kids so close to the adult inmates.”

Twenty-four sheriffs and their families lived in the apartment from 1876 up until 1974.

“The wife of the sheriff who was elected that year, Richard Miller, said she didn’t want to live in the apartment and that kind of put an end to it,” said Vandermark.

The apartment consists of two bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom and living room. The 14-foot walls proved no match for the intrepid volunteers who hung the new wallpaper.

“It was a lot of work but it has made a big impact — it looks great,” said Vandermark.

Museum staff hope that locals can help them learn more about the various sheriffs who inhabited the apartment.

They are looking for help from those who may know more about these men and their families.

“In the apartment there is a long, narrow hallway that has a lovely blank wall where we want to feature every sheriff who lived here,” said Vandermark. “So if anyone out there has pictures or stories about these sheriffs we would love to get help with our display.”

The rooms are divided by theme. There is even a doctor’s office that will now house the museum’s extensive collection of antique medical devices.

“The doctor’s office ties back into the county’s history because it connects to the Poor Farm,” said Vandermark. “They gave medical service to people at the Poor Farm and there are even stories of the inmates being sent to the Poor Farm when they needed a doctor.”

Museum staff are hoping that locals can lend a hand filling up the apartment’s kitchen with period appliances.

“We are looking for appliances from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s,” said Vandermark. “We have an old stove and refrigerator but we are hoping to gather some other vintage items if anyone would like to make a donation.”

The Prospect Hill Fire Tower is also open for visitors. The fire tower served its purpose for 49 years, before being taken down and acquired by the society.

“We wanted to save the fire tower but we also wanted to make it accessible for everyone,” said Vandermark.

“That is why they have installed the walkways and ramps.”

The Prospect Hill Fire Tower is now one of the only restored handicapped accessible fire towers in the country.

“Right now they are putting in ramps and another staircase that will get you up into the cabin,” said Vandermark. As part of that accessibility, MCHS volunteers are putting in sidewalk access to the fire tower. They plan to place bricks along the sides as trim. These bricks, which will sell for $50 each, are a great way to memorialize a loved one or honor a family member, representatives said. Those interested in purchasing a brick can contact the museum at (814) 8875142.