Old Claiborne-related stories from the July 14, 1983 edition of The Monroe Journal newspaper

Masonic Hall at Perdue Hill, Alabama

(Claiborne-related stories from the July 14, 1983 edition of The Monroe Journal newspaper) 

Restoration to continue on Perdue Hill building

By Jim Plott

The first phase of restoring the Perdue Hill Masonic Hall has been completed and some parts of the second phase have begun, but sponsors are waiting for a fundraising effort this fall before continuing.

“We have been very pleased with the progress we have made, and we’re more or less just waiting for more funds before we go any further,” said Nancy Boroughs, treasurer of the Perdue Hill-Claiborne Historic Preservation Foundation, Inc., which is sponsoring the project.

The first phase involved repairing the building’s foundation and reroofing it, which Mrs. Boroughs said was completed in the spring.

Because some money was left over from the first phase, members decided to go into the second phase and replace the building’s 36 windows, she said.

Mrs. Boroughs said painting would be the next step in renovating the building, which is more than 150 years old. That phase is expected to cost about $3,000, and members hope to obtain it from some type of fundraising event this fall.

“A lot of people may pass by and think we haven’t done anything, but a lot of work is not visible. Just because you might not see anyone out there, I don’t want people to think that we have forgotten it (the renovation) or anything – we haven’t,” Mrs. Boroughs said.

“We haven’t totally stopped. We’re still doing little things and all.”

Mrs. Boroughs said the historic William Travis house was also moved from Claiborne to the site beside the Masonic Hall and is being restored.

The relocation of the house was funded by Palmer and Ann Bedsole of Mobile, who are natives of the area.

Mrs. Boroughs said the foundation is accepting contributions for the projects.

House urges precautions in bridge construction

The Alabama House of Representatives has passed a resolution urging the State Highway Department and Department of Public Safety to do everything possible to prevent traffic accidents during the construction of the new Alabama River bridge at Claiborne.

Rep. Jimmy Warren of Castleberry, who sponsored the resolution, said several people had told him they were concerned about safety.

“Serious inconvenience will be caused the driving public,” the resolution says. “and it is quite possible that even hazardous conditions will exist throughout the construction period.” It asks the two state agencies to “take every possible step to insure the safety of the driving public.”

Warren said he wanted the construction period to be safe “even if it means one-way traffic, or whatever it means.”

Relief bridges and approach roads are already under construction, and the state will open bids Friday of next week on the main river span that will replace the narrow, half-century-old Claiborne-Murphy Bridge on U.S. 84.

Work can be expected to start soon after that, Warren said. He said contractors were “very anxious for the job.” Several big companies are bidding, and “we should get a good deal,” he observed.