Honoring the Past, Building a Future
WASHINGTON STREET I grew up listening to my parents sing in the front seat of the car. (Stardust and Melancholy Baby were my father's favorites.) I knew the words to The Sunny Side of the Street by the time I started school. The melodies and lyrics that have followed me through my life play quietly … Continue reading Direct Your Feet to the Sunny Side of the Street
I was out having what I call, ‘a Stepheny kind of day,’ headed to the new relocated restaurant, Lillie May’s Kitchen. It is in the beautiful, restored space that began as the Washington Street Grill. Besides a good Philly cheese steak wrap, a friendly and welcoming owner,Vincent Jamal Wiggins, the same brick walls that make … Continue reading The ‘Moe Deloach Generation’ – Picking Up The Right End Of The Stick
Despite my new pacemaker, yesterday, as I watched video of the Robert E. Lee monument come down, my heart felt broken. Here is the scaffolding during construction in Richmond in 1890. On May 7 as many as 10,000 citizens put their hands on ropes and hauled three large crates a mile and a half to … Continue reading Writing About The Robert E. Lee Monument and The Fact, Everything In Rocky Mount Is Hard
In the latest Podcast, Talking Main Street with Stepheny, CLICK ON: http://anchor.fm/stepheny-houghtlin (Episode 20) I ask the question, Qui Bono? In five minutes there wasn't enough time to tell you about a conversation I had with my great granddaughter, who at the time was four years old. We were headed into the Event Center to … Continue reading Rocky Mount’s Railroad and Asking Qui Bono?
Once again, we are asking, "Where did the summer go?" I think of summer ending when the children go back to school, but then I often look at summertime through the nostalgia of my youth. I remember the last day of school when it seemed there were endless days ahead to play. I wonder if … Continue reading The Last Day of August – Where Did The Summer Go?
I’m on a Rocky Mount ‘high’ after spending time on ROSE STREET checking things out. Research consistantly points out that restoring one home leads to the next. People get inspired, they see that it can be done, and pride in the outcome spreads down the street. One of the most beautiful architectural jewels in Rocky … Continue reading Rose Street: A Preservation Dream Come True
Main Street Rocky Mount 