Historic Tarboro: Weekly Tales & Tidbits of Interest From Tarboro, NC

For a number of years this was the website about the Historic Tarboro District in Tarboro North Carolina.
From 2012 -2013 the site hosted a blog by R.B. “Rusty” Holderness, a real estate broker called Tarboro Stories - Weekly Tales & Tidbits of Interest From Tarboro, NC
Content is from the site's archived pages providing just a glimpse of what this site offered its visitors.

For the most current information about Tarboro go to: www.tarboro-nc.com/

 

One of the oldest, most unique and beautiful towns in America, Tarboro is rich in history and hasn't lost a bit of its original southern charm.  Nestled in eastern North Carolina, this Colonial town has one of the largest historic districts in the state with 45 blocks of beautiful old homes and parks, including one of the only two original town commons left in the United States.  

The county seat of Edgecombe, Tarboro has a great mix of small shops, restaurants and business opportunities. 

There are also plenty of recreational opportunities in the area:  from golf to tennis, to hunting and fishing: numerous venues, including an 18-hole course, the Indian Lake Complex which houses 4 regulation softball fields, 1 regulation baseball field, 2 soccer fields and tennis courts; not to mention a bike trail throughout the town.

Tarboro is strategically positioned between the Piedmont and the Outer Banks, making it a central location for those who enjoy the excitement of North Carolina's cities, and the relaxation of its Inner Banks coast. Raleigh, the state capital is only an hour drive away.  And the Atlantic coast with its many beaches is an easy drive during the summer months. Midway between New York and Florida, Tarboro is easily accessible from Interstate 95, only twenty minutes from Exit 138 to Downtown.

The local Heritage Hospital is affiliated with the East Carolina Medical School, recognized as having one of the top cardio vascular programs in the country.  Locally, Edgecombe Community College and North Carolina Wesleyan College can provide great opportunities for higher education. Both schools have state of the art auditoriums where concerts, plays and various other programs are presented regularly.

There are endless reasons to choose this charming southern town as the place to settle but the most compelling has nothing to do with its beauty or historic significance or even its affordability. It has to do with the intangibles that make life worth living: the people. When you come to Tarboro, we want you to come here to live, to get involved; share with us the stories and pictures of the grand kids, get involved in our local churches, join our very active Arts Council, invest in downtown, serve on the Hospice board, do Meals on Wheels, get into politics, eat breakfast at the round table at Abram's Restaurant with all the old-timers, be a member of our community...be a member of our family. Come and visit Tarboro, North Carolina. Let us show you a taste of real southern hospitality....of real southern living.

 



 

Visit Tarboro

Edgecombe County Courthouse

Edgecombe County Court House | Tarboro, NCEdgecombe County Courthouse is located in the heart of Tarboro, the county seat.  The courthouse is best viewed from “The Square” where townsfolk sit and visit while children throw wishing pennies in the wading pool.

The courthouse’s beautiful architecture is based on an 18th century hospital built in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.

Town Common

Located in the heart of the Tarboro Historic District adjacent to downtown, the historic Town Common was established by Tarboro’s founding fathers in 1760 and is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  It was originally established for Town Common | Historic Tarboro the common grazing of livestock, community outings and military drills, but now  stands today as an extraordinary centerpiece to Tarboro with its statuesque trees.  Several historic monuments can be found here, as well as the 1860 Cotton Press, the beautiful Herb Gardens area, and the nature walk along McBryde Trail.  Surrounding the commons are beautiful stately homes built between 1890 and 1910.

 The North Carolina Symphony holds an annual concert here each Spring which is free to the public.

Blount-Bridgers House

Blount Bridgers House Museum in Tarboro, NCThe 1808 Blount-Bridgers House, a national historic landmark, is home to a permanent collection that celebrates the 200 year-old material culture of Edgecombe County and the creative achievements of Tarboro-born artist, Hobson Pittman (1899-1972). In addition to the oil paintings, pastels, drawings, prints and watercolors by Pittman, the Blount-Bridgers House exhibits locally made antique furniture and nineteenth century paintings of Edgecombe County citizens, including work by painters Thomas Sully, Thomas Landseer, and William Garle Brown.  Nineteenth century ceramics and twentieth century Jugtown pottery are featured, along with silver and iron utilitarian objects.  The textile collection The Art Gallery at Blount Bridgers Houseincludes clothing, quilts and household linens.  Archival records and architectural information about Edgecombe County homes are actively collected and preserved.

Pender Museum

Built about 1810 for Silas and Rebecca Everitt, this modest hall-parlor house with a broken pitch gable roof is typical of the coastal plain house for middling and small North Carolina farmers throughout most of the nineteenth century. This small house is finished in a manner comparable to larger houses along the Tar River, including tapered porch post with molded caps, intricate dentil cornices and decoratively painted interior paneling and mantels.

In the 1980s the Pender family of Edgecombe County donated funds to move and preserve this house from the county to the grounds of the Blount-Bridgers House. Today, the museum is furnished with local hand-made furniture of the coastal plain. Many of these pieces are from local Edgecombe County families.

The Pender Museum of History is open by appointment only. Please call 823-4159.

Historic Tarboro Walking Trail
 
This National Recreational Trail begins at the Blount-Bridgers House and leads visitors through North Carolina’s largest historic district.  Take a leisurely stroll or drive past beautiful historic homes and churches.
Confederate Monument in Tarboro's Town Common
Monika Flemming, a local historian and author, leads walking tours of the historic district on Saturday mornings during the Summer and Fall, for more information, contact the Blount Bridgers House @ 252-823-4159.
 

 

Edgecombe County Military Veteran’s Museum

Established to recognize and preserve the history of the tremendous sacrifices and contributions Edgecombe County veterans have made to our nation’s security, the Edgecombe County Military Veteran’s Museum serves as an enduring memorial to those who have helped defend American’s freedom.  Exhibits in the museum recall the  American Revolution, Civil War and World Wars I and II.

General Henry Hugh Shelton serves as Honorary Chairman of the Museum. Admission is free. Call (252) 823-0891 or (252) 823-4159 for museum hours.

Fountains at the Albemarle

An upscale retirement The Fountains Retirement Village in Tarboro, NCcomplex with five levels of living from independent to Alzheimer’s care.  A quaint little community of family and friends located at the edge of downtown, the Fountains at the Albemarle offers services and amenities that bring out the personal best in everyone, and allows residents the freedom and independence to choose whatever they wish to do or to be.  Services are expertly performed by dedicated, well-trained professionals and are tailored to meet the residents’ needs and desires.

Riverfront Park
Located along the Tar River which is adjacent to downtown, Riverfront Park offers 25 acres of beautiful cypress lowlands, landscaped gardens and trails, and a boat ramp granting direct access to the river for boating and fishing enthusiasts.

 

EdgecombeCounty Cotton Press

Cotton Press in Tarboro, NCLocated in the Town Common, this press was moved from an Edgecombe County farm in the early 20th century before being restored.  It  is the last of its kind in North Carolina.  Mules and oxen were used to turn cotton into bales or crush fruit for cider and wine.

Calvary Church and Churchyard

Calvary Episcopal Church was designed just before the Civil War, and its gardens feature original Victorian plantings and design.  Rector J. B. Cheshire planted the botanical treasure house, described as “defining the character of Tarboro, historically and aesthetically.”  Free to the public.

Indian Lake Park

Indian Lake Park in Tarboro, NC
A fifty-two acre tract that features a six and one-half acre lake, outdoor stage, pavilion, nature trails, nature museum and campgrounds with tent sites, water, grills, tables and toilet facilities.  Pedal boats, Bingo, horseshoes, volleyball and fishing permits are also available.
 
Park hours are from sunup to sundown.  A Park Ranger is on duty from Noon until 8:00 p.m., April through September.
 
Indian Lake Sports Complex
 
The multi-million dollar Indian Indian Lake Sports Complex - Tarboro, NCLake Sports Complex features four regulation softball fields, one regulation baseball field, two soccer fields, four tennis courts and a playground.  Enjoy participating in or spectating local and area sports ranging in all ages.
 
 
Sterling Silversmiths
 
This was the original site of the silversmiths who created fashionable sterling silver jewelry for both fashionable locales and for worldwide export. They featured exquisite sterling silver rings of very high quality - their displays were of museum standards. European royalty discovered these craftsmen in the late 19th century and as word spread, the royal families of high society had lavish collections of sterling silver adornments, especially the sterling silver rings - like the ones worn by King Henry IX and his queen. The new owners have taken the business online, and you can still order these designer quality wedding sterling silver rings from SterlingForever.com.
 
 
E. L. Roberson Senior Recreation Center
 
A one-of-a-kind facility that offers a variety of programs and opportunities for older Tarboro residents, providing arts and crafts, a woodworking shop, greenhouse, meals program, multi-purpose room for shows and small theater productions, educational programs, game room, library, travel clubs, social, medical and legal services and outdoor patio areas.

 



 

Welcome to Tarboro Stories

Tarboro Stories - Weekly Tales & Tidbits of Interest From Tarboro, NC

 

Posted by Rusty on August 28, 2013

You can make a difference… no cost… no gimmicks… just a willingness to signup and spread the word.

We want to let the world know about Tarboro, North Carolina – a unique and beautiful community with a great heritage and fascinating personality… a place where people make a difference.

Tarboro was incorporated in 1760, the ninth oldest town in North Carolina, sixteen years before the signing of our Declaration of Independence. At its center is a 15 acre park set aside by the founding fathers as common ground. A place where you can graze your cattle or walk your dog or just lay out out under the 200+ year old oak trees. Surrounding this “Town Common” are 45 blocks – the largest designated Historic District in North Carolina – of beautiful and architecturally distinctive homes and businesses.

Tarboro is like a woman who has come into her twilight years. Her grace and beauty are less in her figure and more in her personality. Even though she sags a little, she can still make young boys and men weak in their knees. Tarboro is not likely to bring a big corporation to town, but she still has a unique charm and personality that can draw people from the outside into her open arms. The quality of life in Tarboro is second to none.

This is our goal – to spread the word about Tarboro, North Carolina. We need your help in letting us tell you about our community, our people, our heritage.. through a weekly edition of Tarboro Stories. We invite you to sign up to receive the emails for these free weekly tales and hopefully you’ll find them humorous, charming and otherwise entertaining… so much so that you would be willing to forward them to your friends and relatives. We believe that every single person who hears about or learns a little about Tarboro will help make a difference in saving our community.

Enjoy.

 



 

 

Issue 14 – January 31, 2013

Posted by Rusty on January 31, 2013

Welcome to Tarboro Stories
Issue 14 – January 31, 2013

Home of Tarboro Stories, your weekly update on things related to Tarboro; her people, places and goings on.

Please help us spread the word about Tarboro! Forward this edition to your friends, family members and colleagues. Free subscriptions are available

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A Powerful Coach

At our recent Men of the Church supper, our speaker was Jeff Craddock, the young (42 years old) Tarboro High School football coach.

For those of you who don’t know, Tarboro High, with a student population of around 600 students, is a football dynasty. The team has played in the N.C. State Championship for the past five years, winning three and loosing two. Last year (2012), they lost 24 to 20.

After hearing Coach Craddock speak, it is clear to me why they have a successful program.

I had never had the opportunity to hear him talk before and knew only what I heard in the community, which was all very positive. He is a transplanted Ohioan, having lived in Tarboro for the past 18 years, coming up through the ranks of assistant coaching until 2004 when he took over the job as head coach.

His first four years were mediocre at best, winning 24 games and loosing 23. Since then, his teams have won 72 games while only loosing 7, a winning percentage of over 91%, with three State Championships. By any coaching standards … impressive.

But what I discovered by hearing him speak was more impressive than his coaching record. He said that he speaks whenever he is asked to – many times during the year – to Rotary Clubs, church groups, any group that asks him. And what I determined was the reason he does this is not to hear himself talk so much as it is a way for him to get out in the community and listen to what the people are saying.

He is a natural speaker, but what he seems to like best is for the audience to ask him questions which he responds to with honesty, sincerity and enthusiasm. You can almost see him listening to the questions and gleaning from them a supply of information.

You hear him talk about his relationships with his assistant coaches, his players, his community, his wife and family and most importantly, his relationship with GOD. What I picked up on was that he seems to listen to all of them … not just listening, but sincerely and objectively paying attention to what is being said.

I don’t know many people who have that unique quality. My mother was one of the few. When I see it in a person, I am impressed and I can see why Coach Craddock is successful at motivating young men. I came away from that brief encounter, not thinking about how great a coach this guy is, but rather how unique a human he seems to be.

I think the Tarboro community is fortunate to have him as a part of our educational system. I hope he continues to listen and sincerely pay attention to our young children, not because they are winning football games but because he appears to really care about them.

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Thanks for subscribing and get ready to know us just like you used to know Mayberry RFP. And please tell your friends.

Until next week,
Rusty

P.S. If you have a story about Tarboro or Edgecombe County that you would like to share, please visit us. We’d love to hear from you!

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Issue 13 – December 17, 2012

Posted by Rusty on January 31, 2013

Welcome to Tarboro Stories
Issue 13 – December 17, 2012

Home of Tarboro Stories, your weekly update on things related to Tarboro; her people, places and goings on.

Please help us spread the word about Tarboro! Forward this edition to your friends, family members and colleagues.

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Don’t Wait Until The End Of The World

According to some, the world is supposed to end this Friday, December 21, 2012. This is the last recorded date on the Mayan calendar.

I’ve been reading in the newspaper what people are saying they plan on doing before the apocalypse. Many are going through their bucket list of things they have determined important before they die. Others prefer the stoic philosophy of “eat, drink and be merry”.

After some serious thought about what I would do if I knew that my time here on earth were to cease at a designated time, i.e., on December the 21st 2012, the question became more important than the answer.

What difference does it make if the world ends this week or if (when) I die in twenty-five years? What is it that I would I like to get done between now and then? In my case, it wasn’t going on a trip to Paris and it wasn’t eating at a five star restaurant with great wine and a Cuban cigar.

What came to my mind was that I would really like the people that I care about in my life – who are many – to know how much they have meant and continue to mean to me.

Obviously, my family, my brothers and sisters and their husbands and wives, their children and grandchildren, my wife and her family, our children and their respective others and our grandchildren. But the list goes on … the old friends that I grew up with, the college friends that I seldom see, the teachers and coaches that influenced my early years, the members of my church who prayed for me during the good and bad times, all the friends that came to family weddings and funerals, the many people who do so many good things in my community, the friends of friends who know friends … I am not able to name them all but there are many, many more.

The point is this … why wait until the end of time. If you have things you want to do … then just do them!!

Merry Christmas to all from Historic Tarboro.

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Thanks for subscribing and get ready to know us just like you used to know Mayberry RFP. And please tell your friends.

Happy Holidays,
Rusty

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Issue 12 – December 7, 2012

Posted by Rusty on January 31, 201

Welcome to Tarboro Stories
Issue 12 – December 7, 2012

Home of Tarboro Stories, your weekly update on things related to Tarboro; her people, places and goings on.

Please help us spread the word about Tarboro! Forward this edition to your friends, family members and colleagues.

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The Spirit of the Season

Who has read the book, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”, by Barbara Robinson? It was published in 1972, 80 pages and can be read in under an hour. I started reading it to my children around Christmas time when they were in middle school, which was probably a mistake because my daughter Inie took great pleasure in emulating any fictional character that fit her purpose.

The story is about a family of children called the Herdmans, the absolute worst kids in the history of the world – Ralph, Imogene, Leroy, Claude, Ollie and Gladys. They lied and stole and smoked cigars (even the girls) and talked dirty and hit little kids and cussed their teachers and took the name of the Lord in vain and set fire to Fred Shoemaker’s toolhouse.

It was said that their father left town on a midnight train, never to return and that their mother worked two shifts at the shoe factory because she couldn’t stay at home with all six of them at one time. They were the terror of elementary school, one after another, from the first to the sixth grade.

The narrator’s brother, Charlie, makes the fatal mistake of telling Leroy Herdman that he gets cake and candy every Sunday at Sunday school and this brings all six Herdmans to the Presbyterian church on the following Sunday.

One thing leads to another and before you know it, the Herdmans have taken over the key roles in the Christmas Pageant. Ralph is Joseph, Imogene is Mary, Gladys is the Angle of the Lord and Leroy, Ollie, and Claude are the three wise men. And everybody in the church goes bananas.

The revelation comes at the end of the pageant when everyone was waiting for the Herdmans to do something absolutely unexpected and they did. The Mother of Jesus, Imogene Herdman, was crying. In the candlelight her face was all shiny with tears and she just didn’t bother to wipe them away. She just sat there … awful old Imogene … in her crookedy veil, crying and crying and crying.

You’ll be crying too because the story brings to life the meaning of Christmas. So, download it to your Kindle for under $6.00 and spend an hour with the grandkids getting into the sprit of the season.

Happy Holidays from Historic Tarboro.

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Thanks for subscribing and get ready to know us just like you used to know Mayberry RFP. And please tell your friends.

Happy Holidays,
Rusty

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Issue 11 – November 28, 2012

Posted by Rusty on January 31, 2013

Welcome to Tarboro Stories
Issue 11 – November 28, 2012

Home of Tarboro Stories, your weekly update on things related to Tarboro; her people, places and goings on.

Please help us spread the word about Tarboro! Forward this edition to your friends, family members and colleagues.

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A Pre-Christmas Thought From Historic Tarboro.

Have you ever gotten an old song on your mind to the point where it almost gets annoying? Particularly the oldie, but goldie tunes of the sixties and seventies.

Not long ago, I got stuck on one after coming out of church one Sunday. I was humming to myself … “Every day with you Lord is sweeter than the day before…” without realizing that it wasn’t really “with you Lord” but “with you girl”. The original song, written by Buddy Buie and J. Cobb and recorded by Donnie Yost and the Classics IV band in 1969, is a classic tune.

But then I began to realize that the song made just as much sense with my words as with the original words. For example -

… They say that all good things must come to an end but Lord, it isn’t true, each day with you Lord, I fall in love again. And when I go to sleep at night time, tomorrow’s what I’m praying for, ‘Cause every day with you Lord is sweeter that the day before. And when I don’t sleep at night time, tomorrow’s what I’m waiting for, ‘Cause every day with you Lord is sweeter than the day before…

Now, without even being aware of it, I’ll start playing it back in my head and the neat thing is that it never gets annoying. On the contrary, it makes me feel good. It makes me happy to know that God’s love and grace is sweeter than the day before.

As we enter into the Christmas season, let’s all try to accept the greatest gift … GOD’s love and grace.

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Thanks for subscribing and get ready to know us just like you used to know Mayberry RFP. And please tell your friends.

Until next week, Happy Holidays!
Rusty

P.S. If you have a story about Tarboro or Edgecombe County that you would like to share. We’d love to hear from you!

P.P.S. Like us on Facebook!

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Issue 10 – November 21, 2012

Posted by Rusty on November 21, 2012

Welcome to Tarboro Stories

Issue 10 – November 21, 2012

– Home of Tarboro Stories, your weekly update on things related to Tarboro; her people, places and goings on.

Please help us spread the word about Tarboro! Forward this edition to your friends, family members and colleagues. Free subscriptions are available at http://HistoricTarboro.com

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Everything Is Relative…

My father’s most often repeated statement was “everything is relative” – basically saying that everything in life can be compared to things that are better or worse – bigger or smaller – more valuable or less valuable – a spectrum of possibilities and options to choose from and compare.

From a demographic perspective, Tarboro and Edgecombe County residents are considered by some standards to be less educated, poor, and rural. On the other hand, people who move here from other parts of the world often discover something entirely different.

They find a community that has an amazing number of talented and artistic individuals whose knowledge and wisdom can’t be found in books and formal education. They find people who have traveled the world, coming back, not to gloat about their good fortune, but to share those experiences as a way of giving back. They find an area that regards its history and heritage as its greatest asset.

Tarboro is a place where the older people, the older homes, the older customs are not destroyed or rejected, but rather treasured as a guide for a better future.

For some, this might sound like a poor excuse for living. For some it might not have the shopping, entertainment and culture of the big city. For some, it’s just rural, less educated and poor.

But for those who live here, it’s all very relative.

As the holiday season approaches, please think about shopping small. Small towns and small stores need your patronage. For them, your choice to make a single purchase can make a big difference.

Remember, everything is relative.

In Tarboro, pleae visit these local businesses either online or in person -

  • http://RustysGiftShop.com
  • http://RustysPeanutBrittle.com
  • http://PeaceBWU.com
  • http://xReba.com
  • http://OnTheSquareNC.com
  • http://AceHardwareTarboro.com

While holiday shopping in Downtown Tarboro, please stop by these & other Main Street Merchants and local businesses -

  • Addie’s Main Street Cafe
  • Roberson Dupree Shoes
  • Rex’s Jewelers
  • Sand and Sugar
  • Brewer’s Jewelry
  • Caroline’s
  • Above & Beyond Antiques
  • Simmons Furniture

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Thanks for subscribing and get ready to know us just like you used to know Mayberry RFP. And please tell your friends.

Happy Holidays,

Rusty

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Issue 09 – November 14, 2012

Posted by Rusty on November 21, 2012

Miss Bertha & Peanut Brittle Making

Miss Bertha came into our family in 1938 when my grandfather hired her to take care of my grandmother who was bedridden as a result of an automobile accident. A native of Edgecombe County native, Miss Bertha served as a nurse during World War I in the European theater, returning to her farm with her two spinster sisters on the outskirts of Rocky Mount after the war.

During the time she tended to Mama Zelle, she taught my mother Nancy how to make peanut brittle – and according to the best of our family lore, she invented it.

When I was growing up, my mother would start making peanut brittle at the beginning of December. I remember seeing her pour the boiling hot sugar onto a marble slab to let it cool, then breaking it up into small chunks to package and deliver to friends and family during the Christmas season. After my mother’s death in 1995, my sister Nancy took over the family peanut brittle tradition and made it for her Richmond clients and friends.

About five years ago, I attended the Richmond School of Peanut Brittle Making under the tutelage and guidance of Nancy and her husband Tom. After three days of extensive training and grueling twenty batches per day exercises, I became an accredited Miss Bertha’s Peanut Brittle Maker.

With the consent and approval of my sister Nancy, I have begun to make and package this unique recipe of peanut brittle under the name Rusty’s Peanut Brittle.

If you are looking for a holiday treat (Thanksgiving or Christmas), please choose Rusty’s Peanut Brittle. It can be purchased in Tarboro at On the Square Restaurant and Rusty’s Gift Shop on Main Street.

If you are from out of the area, you can order online

We know that you will enjoy the candy and hope that you will feel the joy of its past and those who created it and gave it to people they loved.

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Issue 08 – November 7, 2012>

Posted by Rusty on November 21, 2012

A Bit of Fun…

Yesterday being National Election Day and the end of all the political ads and campaigning, it’s time to report something positive.

Edgecombe County community leaders have let it slip that there is a movement afloat to construct (in an undisclosed site in the County) a new ninety-thousand seat sports complex. The state of the art facility will include 100 luxury suites intended for moderate and low income occupants. All suites and seats will have access to a piped-in distribution system of premium beers, wines and other select beverages.

There is some discussion about applying for a gaming license under the auspices of the Native American tribe of the Tar-Tar Indians who still have descendants in the Old Spartacus region of the County. If successful in obtaining this designation, the sale and distribution of lottery tickets will become secondary to the potential income derived from a full-scale casino to be housed in the main lobby area of the new complex.

A legislative liaison, T.A.C.F.G.T.I.E.C. (Tarboro Area Commission for Good Times in Edgecombe County) has been sent to Raleigh and is negotiating with the State legislature to get the project approved.

Contingent on a few minor issues, the projected is scheduled to break ground in the Spring of 2013 and to be completed for the pre-season opener against the Washington Red Shins in late Summer of 2014. The pre-sale of luxury boxes and season tickets is anticipated to surpass all expectations, creating a furor of optimism about further discussions for the construction on the Tarboro Town Common of a bright yellow 600-foot banana as a potential tourist attraction.

For those that did not get to invest in this project, please consider our next proposal, which will be a subway line from the hospital to the River bridge.

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Issue 07 – October 25, 2012

Posted by Rusty on October 26, 2012

Home of Tarboro Stories, your weekly update on things related to Tarboro; her people, places and goings on.

Please help us spread the word about Tarboro! Forward this edition to your friends, family members and colleagues. Free subscriptions are available.

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It Takes A Village

I was talking to a friend the other day about how Tarboro people look out for each other… some might call it meddling.

My children, growing up here, always wondered how we knew exactly what took place on any particular day at school, like we had eyes in the back of our heads or had a hidden camera in their backpacks.

It was no real secret… if anything of note occurred during the day at dance class, at school, at ball practice… someone… a teacher, a coach, a friend, even a busybody, would let either myself or Mary Ann know long before they would arrive back at home.

The point is that even though we sometimes thought we were too informed about our children, it was actually a comfort to know that Tarboro people cared enough to help us raise them.

I think of when we baptize a child in our church and the congregation is asked if they too will agree to support and encourage this child, making me forever grateful for our community of friends and family that contributed to raising our children.

I am still comforted to know that the process will continue in raising our five beautiful but potentially mischievous grandchildren. It does take a village to raise a child and Tarboro is a great community of good and caring people that take their responsibilities seriously.

Easy to find… Hard to leave.

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Earlier editions of Tarboro Stories are archived

Thanks for subscribing and get ready to know us just like you used to know Mayberry RFP. And please tell your friends.

Until next week,
Rusty

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Issue 06 – October 17, 2012

Posted by Rusty on October 17, 2012

Welcome to Tarboro Stories
Issue 06 – October 17, 2012

Home of Tarboro Stories, your weekly update on things related to Tarboro; her people, places and goings on.

Please help us spread the word about Tarboro! Forward this edition to your friends, family members and colleagues. Free subscriptions are available.

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Happy Anniversary to On The Square Restaurant & Wine Bar!

Ten years ago today, Stephen and Inez Ribustello purchased the property at 115 West Saint James Street in Tarboro, NC.On The Square circa 2000

The building was originally constructed ca. 1871 and housed the Odd Fellows Lodge #50. In 1939, Joe Pitt’s grandfather, William C. Pitt, Sr. and Jim Marrow’s grandfather, T.F. Marrow purchased the building and opened a radio store.

They hired Alva Clark, the first ham radio operator in the county, to manage the operations and as time passed, it transformed into a record shop. As the record business faded, the business transitioned to selling appliances and TV’s.

In 1978, Sandy and John Jenkins acquired the property and opened up a breakfast and lunch shop, naming it On the Square. In 1996, Frances Liverman took over the restaurant, keeping the name until she sold it to the Ribustello’s on October 17th, 2002.

Today, On the Square Restaurant and Wine Bar has become a fine dinning destination. The constantly changing menu and extensive wine selections make it one of the premier restaurants in North Carolina.

On The Square in 2012

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Thanks for subscribing and get ready to know us just like you used to know Mayberry RFP. And please tell your friends.

Until next week,
Rusty

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Issue 05 – October 10, 2012

Posted by Rusty on October 15, 2012

Welcome to Tarboro Stories
Issue 05 – October 10, 2012

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Freedom Hill, North Carolina – Established in 1865

Princeville, N.C. is located across the Tar River, south of downtown Tarboro. It was established by freed slaves in 1865 as Freedom Hill and incorporated in 1885 as Princeville.

It is the oldest town incorporated by African-Americans in the U.S.

In 1999, the entire town was flooded by Hurricane Floyd and was totally evacuated. Since then, more than two thousand residents have returned to the now rebuilt and restored historic town.

For those who might be inclined to learn more about it, or to revisit the history of Princeville, the Princeville Museum and Welcome Center is located at 310 Mutual Boulevard in the old grade school that was built in 1883.

The museum houses a permanent exhibit that can be viewed by making an appointment through the Princeville Town Hall. To make an appointment or for more information, please call 252-823-1057.

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Earlier editions of Tarboro Stories are archived on http://HistoricTarboro.com

Thanks for subscribing and get ready to know us just like you used to know Mayberry RFP. And please tell your friends.

Until next week,
Rusty

P.S. If you have a story about Tarboro or Edgecombe County that you would like to share, please visit http://HistoricTarboro.com/share We’d love to hear from you!

P.P.S. Like us on Facebook! http://facebook.com/HistoricTarboro

 



 

Real Estate

Tarboro is an excellent place in which to live and invest. It offers affordable housing, a mild climate, cultural and educational amenities, and access to quality medical care. Historic Tarboro - Real Estate Its easy access to interstate highways and close proximity to the coast and urban centers make this historic village a hidden jewel.

Tarboro’s restored downtown lined with old trees, brick sidewalks and homes with alluring front porches is reminiscent of storybook living. Its 11,000 inhabitants roll out the red carpet for those who are searching for a quality of life that is only dreamed about.

In addition to its old historic homes, there are neighborhoods featuring homes of all ages and styles. With an average sales price of $100,000, your dream home in a comfortable neighborhood is within reach.

Buy a surprisingly affordable old home in one of the state’s most beautiful historic districts or on the Town Common, a magnificent 15-acre village green dating back to the Town’s founding in 1760, with two hundred year-old oak and pecan trees. The North Carolina Symphony has an annual concert on The Common each spring. Or build on one of the many available lots in and around town at surprisingly low lot prices.

Come give us a look! You just might not want to leave.

Tarboro is home to the only eXclusive Real Estate Buyer’s Agency in the area -

The intelligent choice for the smart Real Estate BUYER.

If you are planning to BUY real estate in the area … do not allow any Realtor to act as your “DUAL Agent”.

N.C.’s property law doctrine is “Let the BUYER beware” (Caveat Emptor).

As such, every potential real estate client needs to know and understand the “Agency” relationships that exist. The NC Real Estate Commission requires that every agent review with every potential client the brochure, “Working with Real Estate Agents”. Click the link below for your copy.

Working With Real Estate Agents

This document attempts to explain the different types of “Agency” relationships that exist in a real estate transaction. After reading and understanding about Seller’s Agency, Dual Agency, Designated Agency, and finally BUYER’s AGENCY … the smart BUYERS will want an eXclusive Buyer’s Agent working for them.

Use this link to learn more about Choosing a Buyer’s Agent.

As an eXclusive Buyer’s Agency, we can show you all the properties for sale by all the SELLER’s Agencies in the area.

Click here to search the Rocky Mount, NC area listings

There is no obligation and a simple conversation could save you thousands of dollars.

Call:
R.B. “Rusty” Holderness, BROKER/OWNER
Rural Equity Corp. since 1983
(252) 823-7295 or (252) 903-9498
Visit Tarboro’s Exclusive Real Estate Buyer’s Agent
Email Rusty Holderness

 

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