Place:Rocky Mount, Nash, North Carolina, United States

source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Rocky Mount is a city in Edgecombe and Nash counties in the coastal plain of the state of North Carolina. Although it was not formally incorporated until February 28, 1907, the North Carolina community that became the city of Rocky Mount dates from the beginning of the 19th century. The first post office in the area opened in 1816. The city's population is currently at 57,477.

Rocky Mount is the principal city of the Rocky Mount, North Carolina area, which encompasses all of both Edgecombe and Nash counties. Rocky Mount is also a part of a Combined Statistical Area which encompasses both Rocky Mount and Wilson metropolitan areas. The Rocky Mount–Wilson CSA population is currently over 200,000 residents. Rocky Mount is about 45 minutes away from the state capital, Raleigh.

Rocky Mount has a growing arts community. The city operates the Maria V. Howard Arts Center, a Children's Museum & Science Center, and a Community Theater at the Imperial Centre for Arts & Sciences.

Recently, the City also renovated the Douglas Block, located in Downtown Rocky Mount. Six historically significant buildings, all of which comprised the African American business district of the Downtown area in the early to mid-1900’s, was a part of this renovation. The Douglas Block also includes Thelonious Monk Plaza, named after Rocky Mount native and jazz musician, Thelonious Monk. To find out more about the rich history of the Douglas Block, visit http://www.douglasblock.org/history.html.

Research Tips