Owner: Bonnie and Clyde museum in peril from leaky roof

The owner of the Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum in rural north Louisiana says a leaky roof may force him to move elsewhere — possibly his hometown of Atlanta.

The building in Gibsland once housed the cafe where Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker bought sandwiches shortly before the ambush that killed them in Arcadia, about 7 miles away on May 23, 1934.

“The roof’s been leaking about eight years. Now it ain’t leaking no more — it’s just pouring in,” said Harry Carver, who bought the exhibits in January from L.J. “Boots” Hinton, son of the youngest lawman in the ambush.

Carver said Thursday that the building’s owner, James Walker of Denver, told him he could patch the roof instead of paying rent.

“I’ve spent $2,300 and there’s no patching. It needs a new roof,” he said.

Walker did not immediately respond to a call for comment.

Users at tripadvisor.com have listed the museum, under three names, as the first, second and third of four things to do in Gibsland. The ambush marker in Arcadia is listed fourth.

The museum’s exhibits include a strongbox and flashlight taken from Barrow’s car, newspaper articles about Bonnie and Clyde, bullets from other sites they robbed, and a 1934 Ford V-8 with decals to represent bullet holes.

Barrow’s car, the shirt he was wearing and other memorabilia are at Whiskey Pete’s Casino in Primm, Nevada; the casino paid $85,000 just for the shirt.

A Minden resident had lent the museum a shotgun “taken out of the death car,” but has reclaimed it because of the roof problems, Carver said. “He said once we’ve got everything squared up, he’ll bring it back.”

The building also houses a food bank.

Carver said Walker offered to sell the part that holds the museum for $40,000 and put another $10,000 into roof repairs.

“It’s one roof that covers it all. The whole roof needs to be re-covered,” Carver said. He estimated that a new roof would cost $18,000 to $20,000.

He said he has offered to buy the whole building for $20,000 and put the same amount into a new roof.

“Then I’m committed to Gibsland for $40,000. That’s a lot of money to invest in a town that has nothing but the museum,” he said.

If he had a suitable building, he said, he’d like to add two businesses: Bonnie’s Boutique and Bonnie and Clyde’s Sandwich Shop.

“I’m at my wits end,” he said. “I left six kids, my mom and grandkids in Atlanta to come over and do this. I didn’t come here for this headache. I will pack it up and move back to Atlanta.”

“It’s not what I want to do,” he added. But he said he’s had two heart attacks and is currently on medication for anxiety.

“I’ve stopped ordering everything, my souvenirs and everything,” he said.

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