Minnie Pearl statue now graces winery as dispute goes unresolved

03/22/2010 myrakaj

Rod Harris and Centerville Mayor Bob Bohn both say they hoped to renew negotiations this year over the location of a bronze statue cast in memory of the country comedienne, but the $10,000 price tag is no laughing matter.

Last year, Harris lifted 900-pound Minnie from her limestone pedestal on the east side of the Hickman County Courthouse during a dispute over relocating the statue. Harris had spearheaded efforts to pay for the $150,000 statue through donations and said the city violated a contract with plans to move it for public square renovations.

“They wanted to put Minnie Pearl on the corner, and the only girl that does that is a working girl. That is not where she belongs,” Harris said.

“The whole thing isn’t about money — it’s about principle. It’s about honoring a contract and honoring what you say you are going to do.”

In 2005, the statue was installed on the square in Centerville, about 50 miles west of Nashville. It stood just two blocks from the birthplace of Sarah Cannon, who became a country and western icon after her Cousin Minnie Pearl persona joined the Grand Ole Opry. Cannon died in 1996.