Four months after the arson that destroyed the McComb railroad depot, officials who ran the museum inside the building gave an update about plans to restore the structure.
McComb Railroad Depot Museum director Ralph Price said in a post on the museum’s Facebook page Sunday that he along with representatives from the museum and city have met three times to discuss the building’s future.
Museum officials want to save as much of the structure as possible, including a former freight room that had been converted into exhibit space.
It’s located on the opposite end of the building from where the fire started and as a result received less damage.
Architect Steve Cox inspected the damage and recently sent a letter to the city recommending demolishing the structure and trying to reclaim as many materials as possible to be used in the construction of a new building in the style of the old one. He said contractors would rather build new construction than trying to salvage the building. He also noted that without immediate action there will be fewer salvageable items from the depot.
Price noted that the orignal building was on the National Register of Historic Places and no matter what goes in its place it will need special permission to ensure historical accuracy.
He said the Mississippi Department of Archives and History issued a report in late June that states the southern portion of the building could be restored.
Price said contractor David Harris of Harris Construction Co., which has experience restoring historic fire-damaged buildings, also toured the depot and concurred with the MDAH report.
“His recommendation was to remove the existing roof, replace it with pre-made trusses, and reroof the south end. Once the roof is replaced, the process of drying and treating the existing walls can begin,” Price wrote of Harris’ assessment.
The city board received the report on Aug. 10 and Mayor Quordiniah Lockley appointed a committee of city and museum officials to oversee the project.
Separately, Cox took a look at the building and sent his own report to the city, but not the committee, Price said.
“Had the committee reviewed it first, several questions could have been asked, and answered, that would have avoided the need for clarification as to what the committee thought Mr. Cox was tasked with doing on the inspection, that is, to help us answer our original questions,” Price wrote. “We highly respect Mr. Cox’s professional expertise and opinion, and we feel that once those questions can be answered, we will know the proper way to move forward.”
Price ended his report by reminding the public that the restoration will be a slow process but one that is worthwhile.
“Please know that everyone involved is working hard to re-establish our Depot and Museum,” he wrote. “Because of the complexities of some of the issues, certain parts of the process will take longer than we would like for them to, but in the end, we want to be able to look back and say that we did our very best to get it right.
“This is our existential history, our shared heritage, and it represents the very reason we are here.”
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Museum officials hope to save part of depot - McComb Enterprise Journal
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