“Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave and grow old wanting to get back to.”
John Ed Pearce
“A home is more than a house. It’s a history, a legacy, and a sanctuary of the heart.”
James Patterson
First of all, here is my disclaimer. I have only been in town a short while, and these images come from just a few hours of hiking around with my camera. So here are a couple of things to remember as you read this post;
- I likely do not know your story or your house.
- If you have a cool renovation story you want to share, then invite me over; I’d love to learn about it and take some photographs.
- My favorite “R” words include: Redemption, renewal, refreshment, renovation, restoration, and resurrection.
I am amazed at how many homes in this part of Tarboro carry plaques indicating historical significance. Part of me wants to restore one of these beautiful structures, then the rest of me remembers that A) I don’t have a handyman bone in my body; and B) I don’t have the likely $200,000 it would cost to do what is necessary to restore even the humblest example!
So I have tremendous respect for those in this community who are – another “r” word – reinvesting; not only their own future but that of their neighbors too.
The Town Common is a lovely feature in this part of the community. It’s a beautiful stretch of green parkland running several blocks, essentially east-west, just north of the town center. For the most part, the homes on Park Avenue are well maintained and provide a picturesque, elegant, inviting vista.
It’s an interesting fact of life that communities like this tend to thrive when people make investments that benefit their neighbors, when improving public spaces (parks, downtown, trails, recreation) increases value for everyone, and when “quality of life” is determined less by how much money we make and more by the way we experience community.
So, again, here are a few more of the photographs. Neighborhoods, residences, and then the riverfront. All within a short walk of our home, of Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church, and of the town center.
Plus a short video – with commentary – from alongside the Tar River. Then enjoy the photo gallery below. You will see homes that are lovely… and also some in desperate need of redemption.
But of course we are all in need of redemption, all in need of community, all very much in need of GRACE (my Advent word for this week) – DEREK
