Madison County historic courthouse to be digital museum, learning center. What that means

For nearly two centuries, the Madison County Courthouse has stood in the center of Canton's town square. Today, the building is a historical landmark.

The building has long since shed its role as a courthouse, and a committee formed several months ago to find a new purpose for the antebellum structure.

On Monday morning, the Madison County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve conceptual plans to turn the courthouse into a digital museum and gathering space.

From antebellum courthouse to museum

The courthouse, constructed from 1854 to 1856, has seen nearly two centuries of change from its home in the Canton Square's center.

The courthouse's construction marked the fourth county seat of Madison County, which was created in 1828. The city of Canton was incorporated in 1836, two decades before the courthouse's completion.

The courthouse has stood in Mississippi through the Civil War, the Civil Rights movement and decades more of societal change.

The architecture was part of the Greek Revival in the mid 19th century, marked by large columns and archways. The courthouse underwent restoration in 2015 and has long awaited a new purpose. Now, it will serve as a museum telling the history of Madison County.

Plans are still in preliminary stages, but John Wallace, chair of the courthouse planning committee, presented the Madison County Board of Supervisors with details of what the space may look like during Monday morning's meeting.

The digital museum will sit on the first floor. The "digital" part of the title means instead of a traditional museum format, the displays will include large digital kiosks. Guests can interact with these kiosks to learn about the county's history.

The second floor will house gathering spaces suited for school field trips and business meetings.

Wallace asked for the board's approval to move forward. Wallace said the courthouse would become a "learning center" and described it as a "mini conference center."

Addressing the board, Wallace said the original plans to turn to the courthouse into a tradition museum were scrapped due to the cost. The digital museum concept partnered with the new meeting spaces not only reduces the cost, but gives people more incentive to visit.

"Let's say somebody's there for a business conference of some type. During the breaks and so forth, if they're interested, they can go to the kiosks and learn more about Madison County," Wallace said. "Or you can just come as a history class from Velma Jackson, or Madison, Ridgeland, whatever. Bring your class there and you can go through all the history that's been accumulated and made available virtually or digitally."

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the concept.

Next steps

The next steps for the courthouse are renovations. A committee for the courthouse's rebirth is already in place and will continue meeting as the summer goes on.

There is no set date for the new building's opening. While addressing the board, Wallace called the plan a "long-term project."

Plans on the museum's content are still in early stages as the committee moves into the next phase. On Monday, the board approved the concept, but still needs to approve concrete plans including renovations at a later date.

The board did not give an estimated cost Monday morning, but during a meeting on Jan. 18, the board approved restoration plans with an estimated cost of roughly $450,000.

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Telling the story of Madison County

Wallace said that the historic courthouse already has value, but this new plan will make it usable to schools, businesses, clubs and the general public.

Before approving the plans, Supervisor Paul Griffin made comments supporting the concept. He emphasized that many who were born and raised in Madison County have little to no knowledge of its history. Griffin also remarked that the museum comes at a time of growth for the county.

"We got a big amount of people moving into Madison County that don't know nothing about the history," Griffin said. "So, I think it's going to be a great, positive thing to have."

Jo Ann Gordon, vice chair of the planning committee, also addressed the board members Monday morning, telling them how the digital museum will serve as a much-needed source of Madison County history.

"It's going to be a wonderful asset just to tell the story of Madison County," Gordon said. "We haven't yet told that story."

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Got a news tip? Contact Mary Boyte at mboyte@jackson.gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Madison County historic courthouse to become digital museum