Downtown

You can spend a beautiful Carolina afternoon and breeze through the Twin County Area Driving Tour or take a few days and thoroughly Tour each stop. The driving Tour is laid out for your convenience with interesting side trips, which are linked, throughout the Tour. Some places may require you to park and walk a short distance to see the most interesting places.

A good place to start your journey is Main Street Rocky Mount. This area is alive with activity on Main, Franklin, and Church Streets and in the midst of an architectural renovation. The facades decorated with intricate trims and detail in the late 1800's and early 1900's are becoming exposed again through renovation. Of special interest is the 1918 Peoples Bank building on the corner of East Main and Tarboro Street which is currently being renovated for The Self Help Credit Union. Just around the corner on Washington Street is Harambee Square and the campus of Edgecombe Community College. At the end of the southern end of Main Street is the original railroad depot, the bus terminal and the Senior Citizen Center. Carousel Antiques, Harper Books, and Towel Town are three places you'll want to visit as you go south on Main Street.

The Rocky Mount Train Station (#10) has the highest Amtrak passenger count in NC and currently is home to the Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce. South of the train station is the REA Freight Depot that has been renovated for use as the Greyhound Terminal and the transfer center of the Rocky Mount Area Transit.

Just across Church Street is Fire Station #1. It now is home to the Rocky Mount Fire Museum which has the original horsedrawn steam fire engine on exhibit. Going North on Church Street the large white building is City Hall which houses the city offices and police department. Surrounding City Hall and other public buildings is the Salmagundi Exhibition, an annual presentation of large art installations by artists from throughout the US.

A short side trip to the left from Church on Western to Grace Street will take you to MacHaven House (#12), home to the City Club. It was built in 1910 by J.W. Hines who made his fortune selling ice before the days of home refrigeration. MacHaven is on the National Registry of Historic Places. Behind MacHaven is the neighborhood of Villa Place, another neighborhood on the Historic Registry.

Further North on Church Street is the old warehouse district where tobacco was sold by auction for many years. Today, this area is experiencing a new life. The Phillips Warehouse on the left is home to one of the area's largest home accessory sales in January and in November celebrates Rocky Mount area history with the Twin County Notables induction ceremony.

The Imperial Centre

The Imperial Centre is on the left, home to The Children's Museum and Science Center (CMSC), The Art Centre and The Theatre. Park and visit this state-of-the-art cultural arts center. The Art Centre contains nine galleries with the work of local, regional and nationally recognized artists. The CMSC contains hands-on learning exhibits, live animal habitats, a salt-water touch tank and a digital planetarium. The Main Stage Theatre has productions with local talent and traveling shows. The old Braswell Library has been renovated into art, music, dance and rehearsal spaces. Just beyond the Imperial Centre is the new Braswell Memorial Library.

Falls Road Historic Area

Continuing along Falls Road you see a variety of architectural styles which mark the progress of Rocky Mount from the turn of the century through the 1930's and 1940's. During the early 20th century a melange of architectural influences associated with the American Colonial period found their way into the homes at the edges of expanding Rocky Mount. A number of Rocky mount's most impressive residences stand along Falls road (also in the historic registry), an extension of the early main street. A fine example of this era is the William E. Fenner house (#7), built in 1914. A stately residence with an elegant pedimented entry, now serves as home to a party and catering business. The tree-lined street also features a striking example of the Queen Anne style, the T.B. Bunn House (#6).

Mill Village

Continuing along Falls Road you arrive at the historic Mill Village. The Village is made up of one and two story wood framed homes that housed workers at Rocky Mount Mills, some homes dating back to the mid-1800's. Rocky Mount Mills and Mill Village is included in the historic registry. During recovery from Katrina, several of the mill homes were restored by local churches and housed Katrina victims and many of the mill homes are going through renovation as private homes. The Rocky Mount Mill building will soon be home to a local business and plans are to eventually include condominiums, offices, restaurants and shopping.

Rocky Mount Mills (#3), established in 1818 was considered to be the oldest operating textile mill in the Southeast when it closed in 1996. The B.D. Battle House, built in 1835, served as administrative offices for the mill and remains in use today. The Battle House and the smaller mill supervisors cottage on the mill grounds is one of Nash County's earliest examples of the Greek Revival style. The grounds are landscaped with boxwoods that were brough from Warrenton in 1837. The interior was designed with four-panel doors and restrained post-and-lintel mantels, popular Greek Revival elements. When the invading Union Armies burned the cotton mills in 1863, the Battle House was spared.

Farmers Market

Back toward Downtown on Peachtree Street on the edge of the Mill Village is the Nash Area Farmers Market. During the long Eastern NC growing season, you'll find locally grown fruits and vegetables, flowers, yard plants, homemade jams, jellies and pastries as well as locally processed country sausage and farm grown fish. In addition you'll find the products of locals potters, woodworkers and other home decoration items.

Battle Park

Across the Tar River on Falls Road is Battle Park and the Rocky Mound (#2), the area that gave Rocky Mount its name. Walk the well marked trails and you'll find the site of the original Rocky Mount post office, circa 1816 and a graveyard dating back to the early 1800's. Battle park offers picnic facilities, overlooks the Tar River rapids and Dam, and has access points for the three mile Tar River Trail. To the East the Trail leads along the edge of the Tar River, through Stith-Talbert Park on to Martin Luther King Park. To the West the Trail goes to Sunset Park and City Lake. Park you car and take a leisurely walk through some of the prettiest natural areas inside the City. The Dam supplied power to Rocky Mount Mills and still provides power to the renovated Mill project.

Stonewall Manor

Stonewall Manor (#1) is across Falls Road from Battle Park. Built in 1830 by Bennett Bunn, Stonewall is an outstanding example of late Federal architecture. Today Stonewall has been restored to its original splendor and is open to the public. Please see their website for hours of operation. Stonewall manor is on the National Register of Historic Places and is maintained by the Nash County Historical Association.

Sunset Park & City Lake

Turning right from Stonewall onto Peachtree and then right on River Road, you'll pass through the Mill Village, you'll reach Sunset Park, the flagship of the City Parks. The historic Carousel, a miniature version of an Atlantic Coastline passenger train just the right size to ride, a spray park and skate park are here. In addition there are picnic shelters, basketball and tennis courts and everything needed for a great family reunion.

To the right on Taylor Street and right on Thomas Street will get you to City Lake (#16), where you may wish to stop for a picturesque Picnic. This man-made lake was completed in 1933 as a W.P.A. project. A major renovation in 1991 included a lighted fountain, gazebo, wildlife island, beautiful landscaping and observation decks that extend over the water. At the Northwest end of City lake is The Power Plant (#17). The Power Plant once provided power for the city by generators powered by the Tar River. Now it is home to offices and a restaurant.

West Haven

Leaving City Lake to the right is West Haven (#15). Winding through beautiful landscaped streets are homes originally platted in 1928. This neighborhood of lanes, broad lawns and spacious homes covers over 200 acres. Colonial Revival dominates the architecture but an assortment of Spanish Colonial, Renaissance Revival, Dutch Colonial and Tudor Revival styles are throughout the neighborhood which is on the National Registry of Historic Places.

Other Points of Interest

We're proud of Rocky Mount and the surrounding area. We hope you take the time to discover all the charming facets of our people as well where we work, live and play. The following list of places to visit, while not on our driving tour, are well worth you time to visit.

North from Downtown

Rocky Mount has grown to the West and North. On Church Street to the left is the Rocky Mount Sports Complex which is used for local athletic events as well as Tournaments with teams from all over the Southeast. Opened in the fall of 2006, this local "field of dreams" contains playing fields for baseball, football, softball, soccer, walking trails, concessions and restrooms well equipped for major tournaments.

On the back of the sports complex is the new state-of-the-art YMCA.

Continue North on Church Street to Wesleyan Blvd. and you'll see NC Wesleyan College, home to the Dunn Center for Performing Arts. NC Wesleyan is also home to the Three Sisters gallery, home to a unique collection of "outsider art." On campus is a restored late Federal plantation house "Bellemonte," circa 1876. Behind NC Wesleyan is Fords Colony, a new planned community with over 1,000 homes, a golf course and associated facilities.

South of Downtown

NC97 leads to the Tar River Reservoir. Fishing, boating and water sports make for fun-filled activities.

East of Downtown

East on Grand Avenue and left on Atlantic Avenue will take you to Stith-Talbert Park. On the banks of the Tar River you'll see the longest wooden suspension bridge in NC, a part of the Tar River Trail. Play areas, picnic shelters and ball fields make this a popular recreation area. Near here at what is now OIC, and is where Matin Luther King, Jr. gave a speech that contained part of his famous "I have a dream" message.

You can walk on the Tar River Trail East to Martin Luther King, Jr. Park or drive over on Viginia Avenue. This park honors Martin Luther King, Jr. with a walking area and a special memorial that commemorates his memory.

Traveling on US64 to Tarboro, you'll find some of Eastern NC's finest historic homes. With a detailed map you can stroll the byways of Tarboro and revisit the homes of yesteryear. Downtown Tarboro has many restored store fronts that are now retail stores and restaurants.

West of Downtown

US64 West takes you to Nashville, the county seat, and Spring Hope where local shopping and antique hunting is a must. In Nashville, Washington Street is the core of the "Nashville Historic District." Listed on the Historic Register is Cooley Manor, former home to 3rd District US Congressman, Harold D. Cooley. The restored Nashville Baptist Church is now home to Nash Arts, where you may see anything from original local art to a western version of "Christmas Carol."

Further West on US64 is Spring Hope. This small southern town is home to the Spring Hope Historical Museum as well as a fun concentration of antique and collectible shops and occasional Friday night antique auctions.

Further West on US64, then South on US581 on your way to Bailey is Dan Finch Pottery, where in addition to handmade ceramics you'll find the home of NC Bluebird houses. On to Bailey for the Country Doctor Museum. This is a museum created from two offices of typical turn of the century rural doctor offices who practiced from 1857-1887.