Clarendon AR: Where We've Been: Sites

Hunter's Paradise

Birder's Haven

Dining and
Accommodations

Fast Facts

Visions for Clarendon has developed a self-guided historical walking tour of Clarendon. Please pick up a brochure at the City Hall when you visit.

Monroe County Courthouse

Monroe County Court House
Monroe County was created in November 2, 1829, from portions of Arkansas and Phillips counties and was named for James Monroe, the fifth President of the United States. It has an area of 603 square miles. The county seat was first situated in Lawrenceville, which is located between Indian Bay and Holly Grove.

The county seat was moved to Clarendon in 1856. The first courthouse built in Clarendon was torn down by Federal troops who used the materials for the military strength at Devalls Bluff. A second was built in 1872, but burned to the ground in 1895. Its replacement was constructed six months later and demolished to make room for the present building which was built in 1911 at the cost of $118,000.00.

Courthouse hours are 8:00 a.m. til 4:30 p.m. Monday thru Friday. Closed for lunch from 12:00 to 12:30.

Photo by Tricia Rogers.

White River Bridge
The highway bridge over the White River at Clarendon was an impressive engineering project, as well as a vital contribution to the growth of not only Clarendon and Monroe County but also much of Eastern Arkansas. Constructed between 1930 and 1931, the bridge was designed by Ira G. Hedrick and built by the Austin Bridge Company with a sublet to Williamson and Williamson Bridge Construction. Ford and McCrae were consulting engineers, and Charles Davis was the master mechanic. The 720-foot steel bridge has reinforced concrete flooring for the two-lane highway and has an elevation of 233.9 feet. The steel bridge is a double span warren truss with verticals based on four concrete piers. There are 160 feet between the first and second and between the third and fourth piers. The second and third piers are 400 feet apart. On either side of the steel bridge are massive concrete approaches with 14 x l4 inch square concrete pilings 50 feet long. The approach on the east side covers three blocks, while the approach on the west side is interconnected with dirt fills that span "Old River" and Roc Roe Bayou and is about three miles long.

White River Bridge

The entire project cost one and a half million dollars, and was originally a toll bridge to help pay the cost. Electric lamps once lined the concrete approach on the East side, but they have since been removed.

The dedication service on June 11, 1931 was a tremendous spectacle, complete with a parade with bands and floats from BrinkIey, Stuttgart, Helena, Marianna, Roe, Holly Grove and Little Rock. Notables present included Justin Matthews of North Little Rock representing the State Highway Commission, Arkansas Governor Harvey Parnell, Harvey C. Couch of Arkansas Power and Light, and officials from the Cotton Belt and Missouri-Pacific Railroads. It remains one of the most important transportation links between much of Eastern Arkansas and the rest of the state.

Photo by D & C Carruth.

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