A Sunday Message From Stepheny: Resetting the Cornerstone in Rocky Mount

In traditional masonry construction, the cornerstone is the first stone set when construction begins. It is placed at the corner where two walls will rise. Everything that follows depends on that stone. The cornerstone fixes the position of the building on the site. It establishes the angle of the walls. Masons measure outward from it, … Continue reading A Sunday Message From Stepheny: Resetting the Cornerstone in Rocky Mount →

Clean Up on Aisle Atlantic Avenue: A First Look at Rocky Mount

I take the Atlantic Avenue exit often. I always look for improvement. Sometimes there is obvious work going on, but overall, year after year, the street is a terrible first impression. I keep meaning to count how many used car lots there are. There are houses sitting in deep neglect. Rooflines sagging. Windows boarded. Yards … Continue reading Clean Up on Aisle Atlantic Avenue: A First Look at Rocky Mount →

A Jewel Being Polished: 234 SW Main Street

I'm in love again with another beautiful building under restoration. This time it’s 234 SW Main Street. The first thing that caught my eye was the color palette. The soft gray façade, the white trim, and the darker accents create an elegance that feels both modern and respectful of the building’s history. Whoever is guiding this restoration … Continue reading A Jewel Being Polished: 234 SW Main Street →

High Alert!! We Can’t Lose The Imperial Centre and the Life of Art in Rocky Mount To Pay For A Lack Of Oversight

“Art is not a luxury. It stands at the essence of our humanity…” Salman Rushdie On this Main Street blog, I write about buildings, their beauty, their endurance. They tell us what a town once believed about itself, and ask what we believe now. But architecture is only one part of a living Main Street. … Continue reading High Alert!! We Can’t Lose The Imperial Centre and the Life of Art in Rocky Mount To Pay For A Lack Of Oversight →

A Barking Dog At The City Council Retreat

I have listened to portions of the City Council retreat on YouTube. The retreat carried a certain tension. The council members discussing Rocky Mount’s financial problems are the same body whose lack of oversight allowed those problems to develop in the first place. As I listened, an odd literary memory surfaced. Many people know the … Continue reading A Barking Dog At The City Council Retreat →