America's Birdhouse Capital

Elaine, Arkansas

Elaine, Arkansas, deep in the Delta, like many other small Delta towns did not fare well in the late twentieth century. While many towns took it on the chin and accepted their fate, the folks at Elaine took the higher road, declared themselves "America's Birdhouse Capital," and set about to give credence to their claim. See 59 pictures of their good efforts in this self-advancing gallery. See the stories that go with these pictures at Corndancer dot-com and Weekly Grist for the Eyes and Mind.

 

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  Whoda thunk old gallon cans would make a "red-light" bird house?
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  The goggle-eyed frog is backed up by a wreath made by senior citizens in Elaine,
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  And behold, Ora Scaife, the local coordinator for America's Birdhouse Captial. She has a thousand watt smile and ten megawatt energy for the project.
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  They put birdhouses every where in Elaine. This old organ is in the now-closed local pawn shop window.
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  We leaned the camera against the window for a better look.
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  Murals created by local kids.
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  High-rise bird houses lined up on an old building wall.
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  A slightly different angle.
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  Another look at the kids murals.
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  A "roofin' arn" roof on a bird house above the murals.
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  The Elaine Community Center where the "America's Birdhouse Capital" was hatched.
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  Entering Elaine from the north. There are nine birdhouses in these shrubs.
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  Close of up a shrub bird house.
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  Ditto.
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  Ditto.
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  Ditto.
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  Ditto.
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  Even the old drive-thru at the now defunct Elaine Liquor store is decorated with birdhouses.
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  A beaver birdhouse at Gary Carpenter's Hardware Store in Elaine.
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  An "old-codger" birdhouse at the hardware store.
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  There's even a "Floyd Turbo" hunting cap birdhouse at the hardware store.
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  The Elaine Mascot birdhouse at the hardware store.
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  Two truck body birdhouses protrude from the wall of an old service station in Elaine.
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  More birdhouses on the same building.
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  A hanging birdhouse in the same structure.
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  A "bucket-with-a-faucet" birdhouse.
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  "What's your sign?" birdhouses.
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  Nothing like a lime green, orange, and pink bird house with a pon-pom to liven up and old brick wall.
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  "Go Hawgs!" "Sooie!"
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  To catch a peek of this little jewel tucked in a corner, you have to look fast.
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  A closer look reveals faucet handle perches in better detail.
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  "They're everywhere, they're everywhere!"
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  Ditto.
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  Not far from "downtown," this tree sports several birdhouses.
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  More in the same tree.
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  Ditto.
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  A different angle.
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  A bird house in a neighboring tree.
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  A high-rise with vine decor.
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  A bird feeder.
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  The bird feeder from a different angle.
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  Back to our favorite tree.
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  A squirrel admires a birdhouse.
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  A birdhouse with the Arkansas state flag in the background.
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  Ditto.
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  Not a bird house, but passes the cute test for inclusionj.
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  Call anywhere from America's Bird Capital.
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  Read E-L-A-I-N-E at the bottom of the birdhouses.
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  Another look at the birdhouse wall of fame.
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  Wherever there's ugly, a bird house is there to brighten things up.
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  National headquarters of America's Birdhouse Capital.
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  Ditto.
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  Ditto. These birdhouses are for sale, by the way.
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  No self-respecting Arkansas yard is complete without a Razorback birdhouse.
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  These birdhouses were made by folks in Joplin MO from debris left the the killer tornado that attacked their city. The birdhouses are not for sale.
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  Front view of the national headquarters of America's Bird House Capital.