Watertown Public Square

The one-block commercial square at the center of Watertown, a Wilson County town of about 1,553 people, 45 minutes east of Nashville. The city keeps a running log of what films in town.

A 1903 fire leveled the commercial district, and the square took its present shape in the rebuild. The district joined the National Register of Historic Places on November 8, 2000.

Tennessee’s film incentive register lists 4 feature films the city claims: Billy: The Early Years, Country Strong, Pure Country 2: The Gift, and Old Henry. It proves in-state shooting, not the square.

Justin Bieber shot “One Less Lonely Girl” at the Kleen-O-Matic laundromat on the square in 2009. WKRN reports the video turned the town into a stop for his fans, and the laundromat still operates.

Miranda Lambert filmed a video here in January 2017, working inside the Melton Block on the northeast corner and shooting into the night. Mayor Mike Jennings confirmed the shoot to The Wilson Post.

The city’s log also credits Garth Brooks with shooting “Wrapped Up in You” on the square in 2001, along with a Dr Pepper television commercial.

The city’s own log is the record, opening in 1997 with Tom T. Hall’s video for “Watertown, Tennessee” and running to 29 music videos, 6 feature films, and TV segments by 2021.

A free public square, open at any hour, with on-street parking and shops and cafes keeping daytime hours. No plaque marks any shoot; the city’s list lives on its website, not on the square.