Rocky Mount, North Carolina: Old Man In Tree

An Old Man's Face is carved into a tree at battle Park in Rocky Mount (not a Monkey Face, as reported earlier). Located beside the supports of an old bridge on the trail through Battle Park. You have to park your car at one of the picnic areas, then walk downstream on the paved walkway until you come to a pier that has old bridge supports located on both sides of the river. To your right on the pier is a tree with a carving of an old man's face with a ring through his nose. This may have been for tying up a boat at one time. The old man's face has been on the tree for as long as I can remember. It is over 30 years old, maybe older. [Chip Little, 05/17/2006]

[RA: April 2009: Photo added.]

When I was a teenager, I took a bus trip to Rocky Mount, NC to visit a friend who had moved there. During my visit she took me to a park (I think it was called Battlefield Park, but then what park south of the Mason-Dixon isn't?) and showed me an eerie carving of a Monkey Head in a tree there. I say "carving," but there are no discernable tool marks. The creepiest part is the iron ring in the monkey's nose. It appears to be completely solid, as if the tree grew up around it. Is there anybody who knows the history of this site and/or how to get there? [Sarah E. Smith, 03/15/2001]