Downtown for rent

When I went to Mansfield, Louisiana, for the first time in November 2006, it was a city struggling to recover from the effects of Katrina. Note the number of empty windows and the overall conditions of the buildings in the photograph above. The Mansfield Theater is the building in the center.

So imagine my shock and surprise when I returned to Mansfield and found this:

It turns out the film The Great Debaters was partially filmed in Mansfield back in July 2007. The downtown area around the courthouse was done up to resemble 1935 circa Marshall, Texas. Mansfield may have been in need of renovation, but I sort of feet like it allowed itself to be defaced. So it goes. If what I saw in Smithville was typical, the coat of Hollywood will fade away sooner than later.

Here are some more pictures of Mansfield dressed up as 1935 circa Marshall. I kept wondering why I hadn't seen any of this my first time in Mansfield(!):



a gas lamp on the courthouse grounds



"Sheriff Harrison County" - Marshall is Harrison County Seat



This building was there in 2006,
but not with this on its side(!):


"How could I have not noticed this the
first time I was here??" I kept thinking...


Based on Smithville, I bet this'll be much worse for the wear in a year or two.



Finally, here are some pictures someone else took as the filming of The Great Debaters was being done in July 2007.