Representation Reform – Every Voter Deserves a Voice In Every Seat on City Council

Seven seats on Rocky Mount’s City Council, along with the City Manager and the Mayor, have a lot to say grace over. These leaders are responsible for decisions that affect our financial footing, our neighborhood stability, and the decisions that shape whether Rocky Mount is a place where families can thrive and businesses choose to … Continue reading Representation Reform – Every Voter Deserves a Voice In Every Seat on City Council →

Stories Give Preservation Its Heartbeat

When future historians look back on this era of preservation and renewal, they will find that, it is the stories they uncover that give this movement its heartbeat. The world of preservation in America emerged from a growing awareness that progress, unchecked, was erasing the very places that told our nation’s story. As postwar development … Continue reading Stories Give Preservation Its Heartbeat →

The Samuel-Novarro House: Two Faces of an Icon – Art Deco Form

Our Art Deco journey takes us to Los Angeles, 1928. Picture the golden age of Hollywood: silent film stars, lavish sets, and a city inventing itself as a modern capital of style. In the midst of it all, Frank Lloyd Wright Jr., the son of America’s most famous architect, designed a house that still turns … Continue reading The Samuel-Novarro House: Two Faces of an Icon – Art Deco Form →

Bloody Hell!

This has a nice ring to it. If you are addicted to English mysteries as I am, you are familiar with the expression. In British, and other Commonwealth English, 'bloody hell' is an informal, mildly offensive expletive used to express surprise, annoyance, disbelief, anger, or frustration. Like, "Bloody hell, I can’t believe we missed the … Continue reading Bloody Hell! →

Part 1: Learning the Language of Art Deco

Why write about Art Deco when Rocky Mount has few examples of the style? Because learning to see architecture, in all its forms, builds our vocabulary for preservation. The more we understand design, the more we appreciate what we have, and the more we recognize beauty wherever it appears. Studying Art Deco sharpens our eye … Continue reading Part 1: Learning the Language of Art Deco →