Battle Park, Part II

We headed to Rocky Mount to introduce my husband to Battle Park. I won't rehash the report I posted last week, but I will say I saw more of the area including the falls, which I somehow missed on my first trip (I mentioned the falls in my previous report, but I had become aware of its existence only through research. I'd apparently been too entranced by the view of the glossy black waters of the Tar and the massive boulders beside the river to notice.)

Winter in Rocky Mount

While walking down the path to the rock-strewn banks of the river on this visit, I was again struck by the peace and serenity of this place. The old cotton mill is a bit unsightly, but it was a big part of this town for nearly two centuries. On the way to the park that morning, I had slowed long enough to read the historical marker outside the mill and learned that construction on it began in 1818. It was burned down by the Federals in 1863, rebuilt, and used until the late 1990's. For more information on the mill, go to www.historync.org/RockyMountMill.htm and www.lib.unc.edu/mss/inv/r/Rocky_Mount_Mills.html

These links solve the mystery behind Battle Park's name. One of the first owners of the mill was Joel Battle, and the Battle family owned the mill from 1825 to 1883. I'm sure we'll visit this park again, if only to investigate the trail that winds along the river.

Scouting Mission to Battle Park, Rocky Mount, NC

We had just a few hours to explore today, so we headed to Battle Park, a short, half-hour drive from where we now live. Rocky Mount is located off Highway 301, just south of Hwy 64, east of I-95, and about 60 miles east of downtown Raleigh. The Rocky Mount Chamber of Commerce website states Rocky Mount is the halfway point between Florida and New York. I couldn't let a statement like that go unchallenged, so I pulled up Mappoint and placed pushpins at the northeast edge of Florida, the southern tip of New York, and Rocky Mount, and did some quick calculating. By George, they're right.

I found Battle Park while reading through The Official Travel Guide: North Carolina that we picked up in New Bern shortly after our arrival in this state. In addition to providing articles about various NC destinations, the guide breaks NC down by Mountains, Piedmont, and Coast, and lists activities for each city in those regions.

From the guide and from the Chamber website, I learned Battle Park is a 54-acre park situation along the Tar River near Rocky Mount Mills Historic Mill Village. Unfortunately, we didn't have much time to look around. But what I saw was enough to make me want to go back for more. Tall loblolly pines scattered along the ground sheltered a forest floor covered with pine straw and fallen pinecones. A gazebo, built near the river, overlooked what I think is an old mill, the still waters above the Falls of the Tar, and the boulders that all information claims are the source of the Rocky Mount's name. We stopped at an old cemetery at the rim of the park and examined the headstones stretched across a slightly sloping hill. The park is reportedly the original site of the city of Rocky Mount, and the old Post Office is somewhere in the vicinity.

But how did Battle Park earn its name? I assume it's derived from one of the battles fought in this section of the state, a supposition that seemed to be confirmed by the existence of a tall marble monument commemorating Confederate soldiers, which stands near the entrance to the park. I'll have to stop by the local library on our next visit. I'm also interested in the history of the Tar River, such as the source of its name and its role in the wars fought near its banks, and the names of the wildflowers that grow in that area.

Directions to Battle Park are somewhat confusing. We traveled north on 301, then headed south on 48-43. The park is a mile or so down the road on the left. However, the road divides shortly before the turnoff. We had to turn around a block or so past the area where we thought the park was located and then drive north to reach it.

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To see my notes from our return trip to Battle Park, go to carolinatrails.blogspot.com/2008/02/battle-park-part-ii.html

For more information on Rocky Mount, go to www.rockymountchamber.org/recreation.html