Coffeeville

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.