The Architectural Heritage Of Gaston County North Carolina

This award-winning, lavishly illustrated history displays the wide range of North Carolina's architectural heritage, from colonial times to the beginning of World War II. North Carolina Architecture addresses the state's grand public and private buildings that have become familiar landmarks, but it also focuses on the quieter beauty of more common structures: farmhouses, barns, urban dwellings, log houses, mills, factories, and churches. These buildings, like the people who created them and who have used them, are central to the character of North Carolina. Now in a convenient new format, this portable edition of North Carolina Architecture retains all of the text of the original edition as well as hundreds of halftones by master photographer Tim Buchman. Catherine Bishir's narrative analyzes construction and design techniques and locates the structures in their cultural, political, and historical contexts. This extraordinary history of North Carolina's built world presents a unique and valuable portrait of the state.

Cherryville, originally called White Pine, was renamed for the cherry trees lining the Old Post Road leading into town. It is located in the rolling hills of the Carolina Piedmont. The village was spun from the wilderness during the mid-1700s, when Scots-Irish and German immigrants settled the area around Beaver Dam and Indian Creeks. These settlers brought with them their languages, religions, music, and customs. The German tradition of shooting in the New Year with muskets and black powder continues today after 250 years. The area was a hotbed of Tory activity during the Revolutionary War, with Col. John Moore, the notorious Tory who was defeated at the Battle of Ramseur's Mill, living on Indian Creek. With the advent of the railroad in the 1860s, the first cotton mill in 1891, and the international firm of Carolina Freight Carriers Corporation in 1932, Cherryville has grown into a sophisticated, modern town.

From the mid-18th century, Mount Holly was known as Woodlawn, for Capt. Robert Alexander's farm. Alexander was a power in military and state affairs. When European settlers arrived, they found Catawba Indian settlements along the river. The historic Tuckaseegee Ford and Trail became a pathway west across the Catawba River for pioneers and for famous French botanist André Michaux in the late 18th century. Gaston County's first two textile mills, Mountain Island Mill (1848) and Woodlawn Mill (1852), bordered the Woodlawn community and started a textile revolution. The Mount Holly Cotton Mill (1874), the fourth Gaston County mill built in Woodlawn, became the name of the town in 1879. Capt. Wash Holland formed the acclaimed Euterpean Band in the early 1890s and was selected to play at the inauguration of Pres. William McKinley in 1897. American & Efird, Inc., a global thread company, has been headquartered in Mount Holly since 1891. Now, the river that drew early industry attracts boaters and kayakers from across the nation.

Walking the historic streets of Dallas, North Carolina, reveals a town unchanged by time. The Gaston County seat for over sixty years, the town has roots that were planted in the days of Native American and early immigrant settlement. Union soldiers camped in the Court Square during the Civil War. The famed Dallas Courthouse rose from the ashes of a devastating fire in 1874. Discover notable natives such as the longest-serving UNC president, Dr. William C. Friday, and get a glimpse into Dallas past, present and future. And with mouth-watering regional recipes pulled straight from Dallas residents, this book is a trip back to the halcyon days of the small-town South. Follow along with Dallas native and author Kitty Heller as she chronicles the history of a truly unique small town.

Located west of the Catawba River in the fertile North Carolina Piedmont, Gaston County brims with neighborly people and majestic vistas. With the advent of railroads in a Reconstructed South, the county united from High Shoals to Crowders Mountain and from Mount Holly to Bessemer City. Gastonia Station was born at the crossroads, and by 1910 the city's economy thrived and its population boomed. In 1926, Gaston residents again embraced progress as they witnessed the completion of the state's first four-lane highway through the area. While it eased the crowded trains and trolleys, the boulevard, now known as Franklin, would forever alter the rural landscape.

Central North Carolina boasts a rich and varied architectural landscape. This richly illustrated guide offers a fascinating look at the Piedmont's historic architecture, covering more than 2,000 sites in 34 counties. 535 illustrations.