Nixon American Legion renovates Post 547

For the first time in the 70-year history of the American Legion Post 547 in Nixon, it’ll have a facelift for a modern look.

The post opened in the late 1950s, providing space for veterans, families, friends and more.

“The American Legion has been a cornerstone of Nixon, providing a space for veterans, families, and friends to come together in fellowship and support. Our recent renovations not only enhance the aesthetics of the hall but also expand our capacity to host events, programs, and activities that benefit the entire community,” Post Commander Don Watt Jr. said.

Watt said they repainted the walls and removed the outdated wood paneling.

“Myself and other legion men just went in there and removed all the up drop ceiling and took out the old insulation in there and rewired the lights,” Watt said.

Watt added there are a lot of things now going on at the American Legion and members want this to be a community gathering place for the local area around Nixon.

“The Nixon American Legion had a history that everybody used to meet there; all the events, all the birthday parties, the FFA, everything happened at the American League and Bingo. Bingo was a huge part of this community out there at the American Legion, so it's just fallen by the wayside for the past 20 years,” Watt said.

Watt and other Legion members took about three weeks to a month to get the renovations done, he said. And they were going to the post working on renovations every day for this labor-intensive project, Watt added.

The American Legion also has been working with the city to have events again at the pos.

Watts plans to rent out the post for weddings and receptions, community gatherings, private parties, music festivals and quinceaneras.

“We're building a stage out there so we can have the local events. We're starting up bingo on Dec. 4 (Pearl Harbor Day), which is going to be huge. I can't tell you how many people have been asking me, when are we going to start doing bingo? So we got the plan. Some places are doing bingo in December,” Watt said.

“I'm trying to grow the post. I'm trying to get our membership back up again and start doing some of these community events, and start helping support Nixon, Wilson County, Gonzales County, you know, all the surrounding area,” Watt added.

The American Legion Post 547 is located at 580 County Road 483, Nixon, Texas.

EDITORS NOTE: Bingo Night at the American  Legion Post 547 is set for Wednesday, Dec. 4, not Dec. 7. It was a  misspoken quote by the interviewee.