“We do not honor the historic buildings in our midst, nor those who once inhabited them, by trapping these structures in amber or sequestering them away behind velvet ropes. We do it by working to see that they continue to play a vibrant role at the heart of the community.” Kelsey Thomas
Growing up, I had a children’s shoe box filled with ‘Trading Cards’ that occupied a ten year olds time along with other girls as we collected and traded. I remember acquiring these two cards that were vintage, promotional/advertising playing cards for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway dating back to the 1940s. I wound up giving my cards to a younger child who was the right age to carry on the quest.
Now it seems I collect images of Main Street Historical buildings with creative additions like these artificial floral embellishments. I love this business facade in a restored, historical commercial downtown building.
Time spent in Goldsboro, NC opens a world of preservation, restoration and repurposing of commercial architecture that is an inspiration. Their accredited status with the Main Street Program leaves no doubt that their successful revitalization efforts can be Rocky Mount’s too. This plain commercial facade, and what you can see of the streetscape in my photo, tells you what can be achieved with leadership and commitment.
Elizabeth City is another major Preservation Success Story. I’ll leave you with a few images of commercial buildings. The residential architecture is worth the trip. Historic Rocky Mount’s Main Street area is filled with architectural gems. If others can achieve this amazing success, so can we.
Main Street Rocky Mount 