Honoring the Past, Building a Future
When husband, Bob, offered the gift of a Kindle, I turned my nose up preferring a book in my hand. Sound familiar? The year I said, "yes, please," the Kindle turned out to be one of the best gifts ever. Not having to shelf the books on my Kindle is helpful. Lately I've been reading … Continue reading Rocky Mount: Falling in Love With Impractical Architects
Main Street Rocky Mount and the surrounding streets (Tarboro, Washington, Thomas, Church to name a few) is the place to go for delicious food or a glass of wine, a cup of coffee, great Southern cooking. You can even have the 'Best Sandwiches Ever' on the Douglas Block. They all have their unique atmosphere and … Continue reading Rocky Mount Is Becoming “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”
#I - THE WRONG ANSWER FOR MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING: Affordable housing in historic districts and Wards should be looked at as a sustainable method of housing development. Buildings are durable commodities that can be used for decades. The addition of historic districts, which Rocky Mount has seven, into the housing equation is a win-win for … Continue reading Saying NO to Tarboro Street Housing For At Least 3 Reasons
"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
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
The war was still reverberating in 1946 when the former editor of Fortune magazine, Eric Hodgins, wrote the novel Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House. There was a national housing shortage. The American dream of the returning G.I.'s included home ownership. The film correctly read the mood of those who wanted to move on to … Continue reading Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House In Historic West Haven – Part 2
Main Street Rocky Mount 