to add a staircase on the north side
came during the reconstruction when evidence of an earlier staircase
on that side was revealed as the plaster was removed. From this it was
conjectured that the courthouse of the early nineteenth century had
had two staircases, but that one had been abandoned in reconstructing
the building after the Civil War.

The present stairways each have 18 steps with 8 inch risers and treads
2 feet 11 inches wide by 10 inches deep. They form a single flight,
open style stairs, with no brackets and plain balusters, 1 inch
square, painted white and supporting a cherry handrail. Newel posts at
the top and foot of the stairway have turned shafts with cube bases
and capitals. A flat sphere of solid wood tops the capital of the
newel post.

Beneath the staircase on the north side of the building is a closet,
and on the south side is a stairway leading into the basement. The
doors to this closet and stairway are made of vertical beaded boards
similar to the wainscotting, each equipped with two "H" hinges of
black metal having a pebble finish and black metal box locks with
small polished brass doorknobs.

_Balcony._ The courtroom balcony contains three rows of wooden benches
similar to those on the ground floor, except that they are straight
instead of curved. The rows are arranged so the two rear benches are
on daises raised 9 inches above the one in front. Solid-panelled
free-standing wainscotting is set along the back of the rearmost
bench. The first two rows of benches are 17 feet 7-3/4 inches long,
while the rear bench is 22 feet long, allowing space at each end for
the steps of the raised dais.

In front of these benches, across the full width of the balcony
between the two staircases, is a railing of plain white spokes
(matching the balusters of the staircase) and a plain cherry handrail
2 feet 11 inches in height.

The ceiling of the balcony is painted flat white and the walls are
mauve. White beaded board wainscotting standing 3 inches high is
around the sides and rear wall of the balcony similar to that on the
ground level. Three recessed lights provide light for the balcony.

_Jury Room._ At the rear of the balcony an aisle 3 feet wide runs the
full width of the building, allowing passage behind the rows of
balcony benches and access to the jury room through doors near each
end of the aisle. The jury room uses the space above the first-floor
portico, an area 12 x 19 feet. The doors t