I click my heels, pause, and salute the one hundred–year celebration of a historic Main Street building. As the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer says, “It is meet and right so to do.”
Standing on a corner of Main Street with steadfastness, this commercial building has done its work faithfully for a century.
It holds the history of downtown Rocky Mount; those who have come and gone. Today it is part of the revitalization of a proud community.
From the sidewalk, this building speaks clearly.
It was designed to do what good Main Street architecture has always done: engage the street, support commerce, and hold its place with confidence. Its proportions are balanced and deliberate. Its materials are honest, it uses restraint, repetition, and craftsmanship to make its point.
The cream-colored brick softens the building’s mass while allowing light to move across the facade. The deeper brown trim provides rhythm and structure, giving definition to windows and cornice.
The design reads in clear layers. The ground floor belongs to the public, with broad display windows meant to slow passersby and invite curiosity. The upper floors, with their steady pattern of paired windows, signal permanence and daily use.
This was architecture built for participation.
Buildings like this shaped the social life of Main Street. The sidewalk outside these windows was a place to pause, to recognize neighbors, to linger. Furniture stores in particular were places of conversation and aspiration. Shopping was not hurried. It was relational.
Over time, buildings like this became landmarks in the truest sense. Directions were given by them. Memories attached themselves to them. They earned trust simply by their longevity.
That is part of the language of good architecture.
Davis Furniture Company has carried that language forward into the present day. Founded as a family business in 1989, the company became part of this building’s story in 1994, when Doug Davis purchased the property and established Davis Furniture in this Main Street location.
Today, that responsibility rests with Melanie Davis, the store’s manager, who shoulders both the daily work of the business and the stewardship of the building. She is supported by wonderful staff and family that take great pride in the business itself. Open to the street, engaged with the town, and grounded in continuity, this is a Chamber of Commerce business winner.
This year, 2026, as this building celebrates one hundred years on Main Street, it stands as a reminder that longevity is not accidental. It is the result of good design, care over time, and businesses willing to honor the places they inhabit.
We have Davis Furniture to thank for continuing to maintain this important landmark. For their eye for design and providing an inventory of beautiful furniture and accessories. For service where ‘they treat you like family.’ THE place to shop for something new for your home.
This building has been speaking the language of Main Street for a century.
It is worth celebrating.
The historical interior of the building is a delight as these two photographs show.
Main Street Rocky Mount 