NATCHEZ &045;&045; Mimi Miller is among those who can hardly wait until restoration of the William Johnson House is complete.

&uot;It’s another piece of the puzzle … to tell the whole story of Natchez,&uot; said Miller, director of education and preservation for the Historic Natchez Foundation.

In addition, she said, it will give people another historic site to visit, contributing to foot traffic in attractions and businesses throughout downtown.

And Miller may not have to wait much longer to see that happen.

Workers are putting the finishing touches on the restoration right now, said Keith Whisenant, superintendent of the Natchez National Historical Park.

Johnson was a free black man who was known as &uot;the Barber of Natchez&uot; and kept an extensive diary in post-Civil War days &045;&045; what some believe to be one of the most complete records of Natchez at that time.

When the National Park Service, which owns the building, completes its renovations, the house will contain exhibits related to Johnson and the family life and Natchez society of his time.

The McCallum House, which is being rebuilt next door, will contain an information center and Park Service offices.

This week, workers are busy with interior work such as repairing shutters and painting. A walk-through inspection is set for the last week in June, and any minor glitches revealed by that inspection should be fixed by mid-July.

&uot;Initially, we thought we would be finished by March, but when we got in there, it was in worse shape than we thought,&uot; Whisenant said.

Park rangers are now working on temporary exhibits for the house and must still do outside work such as laying brick for the sidewalk, erecting a new wooden fence and landscaping.

A &uot;soft opening&uot; should happen in late September. At that time, the site will be open to the public Thursdays through Sundays.