This post is dedicated to Robert Lewis Stevenson as I begin Treasure Island, a book I haven’t read since Jr. High School. However long it has been, we can all sing, Fifteen men on the Dead Man’s Chest Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum! Drink and the devil had done for the rest Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!
Treasure Island is part of a collection of Stevenson’s novels I put on my Kindle for a next to nothing price. More than you might want to know about Stevenson can be found on Wikipedia. It is fascinating.
Anticipating the pleasure of rereading what I remember, I also thought about some of my favorite opening novel lines and about the house at 612 Hill Street in Rocky Mount that I am researching. Leave in comments below a favorite opening line of yours. I know everyone will enjoy it.
612 Hill Street
This house has captured me. When I first saw it I thought of the opening lines of Daphne du Maurier’s Gothic classic, Rebecca. In the novel the large country estate is called Manderley. Please look at the video clip that captures the mystery of why preservation should be the destiny for Rocky Mount’s past glories. FYI: An earlier generation voted Rebecca‘s opening line #1.
“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.”
Please copy link and paste to see a short clip ttps://youtu.be/cU0UZfgGQN4?si=wHHSBYIovnATBZgw
I love opening lines. I mentally collect them. “All children, except one, grow up.” comes from Author J.M. Barrie: Peter Pan. I can’t think of the name of this mystery series, but it features an Episcopal Priest. It begins, It was a hell of a cold night to loose a baby. Though I forget the name of the series, I’ve never forgotten this opening line.
I know we all look at things from different perspectives, but romantic that I am, a house like 612 Hill holds a story that needs remembering. It’s like our ancestor tree, even when we find a pirate, a recluse, a bank robber, it is part of who we are and the Lord says, and it is good. I wonder while on my knees weeding who the gardener was that has shown up in my own endeavors? And I wonder about the people who have lived at 606 Hill that have left their dust motes floating in the sunshine in the stairwell. If only saving the homes of Rocky Mount were more than campaign rhetoric when housing is declared a priority….again. If you know anything about 612, please share it with me.
Another ‘if only’ – the readers of Mainstreetrockymount.com would find their own 612 Hill, or better still, the house they live in, and go on an architectural dig to reclaim the history/story for those who will come after. Would you consider that? If only I could sketch I would draw Rocky Mount houses. If YOU sketch, get going. We’ll have an exhibit and, and, and………..
Main Street Rocky Mount 
Hi Stepheny,
I found your post very interesting. In the early 1960s I lived at 623 Sycamore St with my parents. It was a solid house, but after they moved to a more modern one story house, the buyers let it get run down. Eventually due to roof leakage it became too costly to repair, I assume, and was torn down. There were a lot of good memories there, and I was sad to see it go.
By the way, the house you write about is not 606 Hill Street, but 612,
Regards, Bruce Sharer
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I love this post, Stephanie! I have my own “Manderly” that stood on Tarboro Street in Rocky Mount. It’s no longer there but I dream of it often, and my mother is always there in my dreams…
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