Historic Preservation Commission – A Door is a Door is a Door Or Not! – Part 2

"Why are you insisting on these rules and regulations, when I'm the good guy here. I'm fixing an otherwise over-looked house that is spiraling downward. I am willing to put money into the project to improve the neighborhood. There's a boarded up house, for heaven's sake, next door." -An objection from Stepheny's writing world … Continue reading Historic Preservation Commission – A Door is a Door is a Door Or Not! – Part 2 →

The ‘Badass” Historic Preservation Commission or Not! – Part 1

Buying property in a Historic District comes with certain responsibilities. "We are only the caretakers of these houses, which were here before we owned them and which will be here after we are gone. They contain the wood from the old-growth forests, they are monuments to the skill of those who labored to build them, … Continue reading The ‘Badass” Historic Preservation Commission or Not! – Part 1 →

General Eisenhower and ‘The State of Things’ on Rocky Mount’s City Council

Are you familiar with the term the borrowed view? This is a technique where a distant view is incorporated into the garden setting and becomes part of the design. (My 2013 Photo - Chicago Lincoln Park Zoo - illustrates the concept.) Though I am the eternal optimist, I'm not happy! Come and sit a spell on one … Continue reading General Eisenhower and ‘The State of Things’ on Rocky Mount’s City Council →

A Day in the Life of a Rocky Mount Cheer Leader

With a wonderful friend, the day really got started over lunch at the Prime Smokehouse. I LOVE the Smokehouse! There is a Prime Rib sandwich on the menu just now that is delicious. I LOVE the food, the people who own and run it, the customers at all the tables who never mind if you ask … Continue reading A Day in the Life of a Rocky Mount Cheer Leader →

“Historic and Worth the Trouble” – Tap @ 1918 – A Preservation Success Story

What is deemed historic, and worth saving, often depends on whose eyes you are looking through. I like the definition "old and worth the trouble," when applied to structures that are under consideration: should they be preserved or torn down? With each individual decision, we need to ask ourselves what part the structure has played in Rocky … Continue reading “Historic and Worth the Trouble” – Tap @ 1918 – A Preservation Success Story →

Saving The Shotgun Houses of Rocky Mount – Part 1

We’ve lost our minds, you do know that, right? For instance, I feel strongly about the removal of monuments.... the editing of our history....but I've mostly banged my head on the floor like a child getting a lot of mileage from a temper tantrum. I’m trying a new strategy when it comes to the preservation … Continue reading Saving The Shotgun Houses of Rocky Mount – Part 1 →