There are days when it feels like Rocky Mount is under judgment, its name dragged low. The wrongdoing has left marks, and it would be easy to declare the whole city unredeemable. Wendell Berry draws the line more carefully: “There are no unsacred places; there are only sacred places and desecrated places.” Desecration can be … Continue reading Never Giving Up on Rocky Mount →

We can admit it plainly: this is a 'mell of a hess.' Accounts hidden, money misused, trust broken. It has gone on too long without justice. And yet, what matters is coming to the other side of prosecuting those to blame without becoming unbelievers. Wendell Berry once wrote: “It is not from ourselves that we … Continue reading Monday: This is How We Remain Believers →

David Jeptha Rose, 1861–1940 Every town has its heroes, the ones whose work still surrounds us and continues to shape the life of the community. In Rocky Mount, one of those heroes is D.J. Rose. More than a builder, he was an architect of place, a craftsman whose vision helped turn a small tobacco market … Continue reading The Builder Who Shaped Rocky Mount: Remembering D.J. Rose →

Tomorrow is a big day on the Main Street blog. J.D. Rose is a man of consequence and significant to the Rocky Mount, NC scene. He is always with me and so.....I want you to have information so you can enjoy his company too.

The previous Main Street blog post featured 109 SE Main Street. Beside it rises a landmark, the 1918 Rocky Mount National Bank building. Designed by the celebrated architectural firm Milburn & Heister, this grand structure brought Beaux-Arts style to our city at a time when banks wanted to symbolize strength, permanence, and civic pride. Beaux-Arts … Continue reading The Rocky Mount National Bank: Beaux-Arts on Main Street →