On a Sunday morning in June of 1815, Scotsman James Brown found himself staring across the countryside of Waterloo, Belgium. A bugler for the Royal Scots Greys, Brown clutched his instrument and prepared to enter battle against the famous French army of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Just a few years later James Brown, witness to perhaps the most iconic battle in European history, immigrated to America. Ultimately ending up in Flat Rock, NC.

In May 2024, Flat Rock Together published a story about the history of one of East Flat Rock’s most iconic structures, the Stepp Walker Building. At the time, there were considerable gaps in the building’s history.

Fortunately, two individuals with personal histories with the building saw our original story and helped fill those gaps. We heard from Elizabeth Pressley Hill whose father operated a grocery store in the building in the 1950s and 1960s and Jim Kirkpatrick whose father acquired and grew a very successful business there in the 1980s. Those stories are recounted here.

At the end of each year, I undertake the impossible task of selecting my five favorite Flat Rock Together stories from the preceding 12 months. It is, of course, a task that is both arbitrary and unfair. Every story is valuable and should be celebrated in its own right. Stories are how we mark time, celebrate relationships, bestow accolades on the protagonists, and give meaning to our existence.

Five favorite stories from 2025 here.