Ever
been to Coffeeville? We hadn't, even though we had been close many times and
had planned to visit many times. But, sadly, we had run out of time many times.
So, on this day we made it one of our priorities to drive through town. It was
a holiday, so nothing much was open, but we can always stop by again and check
on them.
One
of the first things we noticed was the beautiful church that houses the
Yalobusha County Historical Society. It's unfortunate that it was closed
because we have read that there is seriously interesting Civil War information
housed there. Next time.
The
most outstanding place we saw was the Yalobusha County Courthouse, surely one
of the most beautiful of Mississippi's many beautiful courthouses.
We
drove on to Coffeeville's main drag, where we spied some real potential – there
are some charming brickwork details here. Like so many old Mississippi towns,
however, it appears to have been "modernized" along about 1960. We
see this in so many towns...the huge plate glass windows and the metal and
plastic awnings over the sidewalk. While functional, these things sure cover up
a lot of charm.
We
were very impressed, however, that they have installed handrails at their
handicap ramp. We don't recall ever seeing such a thoughtful, useful gesture.
But,
it was the mural that made us park and get out of the car. As you can see, the
plaster is tearing away from the brick now, so much of it is lost, but how
stunning this must have been in its heyday. It's still beautiful, and one of
the best murals we've seen – and that's saying something because Mississippi
has some beauties.
We
were also impressed that the powers that be in Coffeeville saw fit to salvage
an old painted sign. These signs are one of our favorite things to spot on our
travels. They are such a cool part of the past, but of course they fade over
time until they eventually disappear. While painting a sign on a building is
fine, reviving an ancient sign is the best of all.
