We found these great old folding wooden theater seats at the Andover Historical Society’s barn at Potter Place. Located near the old historic train station and country store, the Andover Historical Society has an old freight warehouse full of donated antiques for sale. Check it out on Saturdays and Sundays next to the old blue Boston and Maine boxcar along the Northern Rail Trail.
For twenty bucks we got a very compact seating option for two people. It’s rather lightweight and folds up in two ways. The seats flip up and the whole thing folds. These old seats were probably used as extra seating or in building that served a dual purpose like a grange, Odd Fellows hall, church social room, or meeting house.
The building might have shown movies on the weekend and held meetings during the week. Or perhaps they were the front row in a theater that needed to be rearranged for movies and musicals. The front rows could be taken up and stored to make room for an orchestra.
We’ll be doing a cleaning to remove stuck on, decades old gum, skuff marks and general grime. Using sand paper we’ll sand down just enough to remove the old finish and dirt but I hope to leave much of the old patina.
Once sanded, clean and dry – I’ll be using professional-grade Mohawk Pre-Catalyzed Clear Lacquer – Matte
This will provide a nice protective finish and the lacquer is probably same as the original finish. This pre-catalyzed type of lacquer needs to be applied quickly unlike some other forms of lacquer. Three coats with 15 minutes in between coats. Be sure to use it in a very well-ventilated area such as outside.
Mohawk Pre-Catalyzed Clears offer the durability of a pre-catalyzed lacquer with the ease of aerosol application. The dry film is very durable and adheres to where other finishes will not. Pre-Catalyzed Clears have been tested and approved for in the factory as well as onsite touch-ups on catalyzed finishes.
My wife will use her upholstery skills to replace the seat while I tackle the wood. Luckily this piece of furniture is very modular, every piece can be unscrewed with will make it easier to sand and refinish.
Here is what the theater seats looked like upon purchase. Notice the springs under the seats, the old bubble gum, and the way they flip up. Also, notice the four holes under the seat for letting out air as the patron sits down.
About Potter Place
The Potter Place Railroad Station in Andover dates from 1874. It replaced an earlier depot that was built in 1847 when the Northern Railroad was under construction from Concord, NH to White River Junction in Vermont.
It has been identified by the New Hampshire Division of Historic Resources as the best preserved and the most architecturally important railroad station still standing in Merrimack County, NH, and perhaps the best 19th-century wooden railroad station surviving in New Hampshire. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
https://andoverhistory.org/potter-place-railroad-station-and-museum/
