Honoring the Past, Building a Future
Undated photo of the 100 block of SW Main St. On the 100 block of SW Main Street, the past lingers in brick and shadow. An old photograph holds the memory of that block—when storefronts welcomed customers with a handshake and a smile. That image reminds us: buildings don’t preserve themselves. People do. Two such … Continue reading What Rocky Mount Can Learn From: Jane Jacobs and Richard Moe
What do a former First Lady, a Black preservation economist, a coffeehouse founder, and a bricklayer have in common? They believed in the power of place. They knew that old buildings hold more than walls—they hold memory. Craftsmanship. Community, and the promise that something worth saving still stands. This blog series, What Rocky Mount Can … Continue reading Beginning 4-24-25 – A New Series- What Preservationists Have to Teach Rocky Mount
Unhappy that Duke basketball is over this season, I needed to get out and make a Stepheny kind of day. On the drive from Nashville to Harris Teeter on Sunset, "down the road a piece," I saw gas priced at $2.69 at Citro. It was $3.01 in Nashville. I bought my first eggs in forever. … Continue reading Saturday Afternoon In Rocky Mount-A Stepheny Kind of Day
FL. -Houston tonight. I'm having a picnic on my lap with a delicious Subway chicken something or other, chips and sweet tea; I haven't begun to recover from Duke's loss. Knowing that these young men, this team have had their last moments together, our last moments - in the vernacular of a younger generation - … Continue reading Last Moments Are Powerful
I met Polly at St. Andrews. I can't tell you how or why it happened, but Polly became a Rocky Mount mentor. She shared stories and introduced me to her friends as we came upon them. We would linger after lunch, talking! Beyond Rocky Mount history, we talked books and about our pasts, how we … Continue reading Remembering Polly Ann Reynolds Warner
Main Street Rocky Mount 