October 7, 2025 - In this case, the most powerful statement a voter can make is not a vote at all. In response to a comment on Facebook about the shameful neglect of the Happy Hill neighborhood, I replied with a thought I now want to explore more fully. Councilman Reuben Blackwell is running unopposed … Continue reading Boycotting a ‘ballot line’ In Happy Hill: Councilman Rueben Blackwell →

It’s one of those warm Sunday nights when the cicadas hum in the trees, and the porch swing creaks like an old friend. The radio drifts in and out with soft music, while the scent of Sunday supper still lingers, fried chicken and biscuits from grandma’s kitchen. Spending a few afternoon hours washing the car … Continue reading The Sweet Remembrances Of Childhood Summers 7-20-25 →

Dear Friends and Readers: For those of us who love to walk the old sidewalks, peek behind the facades, and tell the stories that stitch the past to the future, summer offers me a time to pause, and concentrate on several 'causes' I have. So, with deep affection for what Mainstreetrockymount.com has become and the … Continue reading Main Street Readers: Stepheny Is Going Fishing →

One of Rocky Mount’s hidden gems and the most important surviving example of Mid-Modern residential architecture in town. But what makes this home truly special is the man who designed it, George Foster Harrell, FAIA; a nationally respected architect who spent his boyhood in Rocky Mount. Harrell spent his formative years in Rocky Mount, and … Continue reading A Mid-Modern Masterpiece: Remembering George Harrell’s Rocky Mount Legacy, S.S. Toler -The I. Jesse Dowdy Residence →