Honoring the Past, Building a Future
Today's blog post is dedicated to my tutorial professor who reminds me from time to time that my job as a writer is to set us on higher ground. This admonishment caused me to think beyond the current crisis of allegations, where we are all focused, to what comes next once the future of our city … Continue reading The Rocky Mount Telegram – The Unfolding Story – Leads Us To A New Beginning
Having a day on my own in London, I spent part of it on Charing Cross Road in and out of the bookstores that were still open in those years. I was collecting Beverley Nichols on that jaunt and imagining that at any moment I would see Anthony Hopkins coming towards me straight from one of … Continue reading The Rocky Mount Telegram – Making a Mess at Rush Hour!
I want you to look at an example of an ordinary commercial building, not unlike some we have on Howard Steet. I encourage you to see the buildings I photographed with this example of a renovated commercial building in mind. According to Moss: Architecture: Design: Green, whose architectural firm did the work, this former repair shop has … Continue reading Howard Street – A Street to Build a Dream On – Part 2
"The current passion for reuse might be explained by sustainability or fashion but, most importantly, it affords a sense of history and texture, taking advantage of buildings already embedded in cities. They are buildings with atmosphere, history, and stories inscribed in their fabric. And sometimes sustainability isn’t just about the energy and materials saved but … Continue reading Howard Street – A Street to Build a Dream On
Samuel Sanders Toler became one of Rocky Mount's most substantial and highly esteemed citizens, a contractor and builder with a wide and well-established reputation. He moved to Rocky Mount in 1902 when he was 35 years old and began his construction career. He was employed by D. J Rose, the city’s most established contractor (and still so … Continue reading Samuel Sanders Toler – Contractor and Builder – The Setting of the Toler Years – Part 1
When I first met Peter Varney, the retired assistant city manager, I recall a pleasant man, dressed as neat as a pin, self-contained, with vivid blue eyes. Looking back, I've come to appreciate the saying, "Great oaks from little acorns grow." We meet people all the time but in this instance, I made a friend, which … Continue reading Peter Varney – One of Rocky Mount’s Crystal Prisms
Main Street Rocky Mount 