Discover 8 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Gastonia (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Downtown Gastonia Historic District, Gaston County Courthouse, and Robinson-Gardner Building. Also, be sure to include Loray Mill Historic District in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Gastonia (North Carolina).
Table of Contents
Downtown Gastonia Historic District
Downtown Gastonia Historic District is a national historic district located at Gastonia, Gaston County, North Carolina. It encompasses 77 contributing buildings and 1 contributing object in the central business district of Gastonia. The commercial, civic, institutional, and multi-unit residential buildings were built between the 1890s and 1954, and include notable examples of Colonial Revival and Classical Revival architecture. Located in the district are the separately listed former Gaston County Courthouse, First National Bank Building, Third National Bank Building, and Robinson-Gardner Building. Other notable buildings include the U.S. Post Office, York Medical Building, Kress Department Store, Leibowitz Department Store, Ideal Moving Picture Theater, City Hall, Kirby Building, First Baptist Church, Gaston County War Memorial Hall, and the Gaston County Public Library.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.[1]
Gaston County Courthouse
Courthouse. Gaston County Courthouse is a historic courthouse building located at Gastonia, Gaston County, North Carolina. It was designed by Milburn, Heister & Company in 1909 and built in 1910. It is a three-story, rectangular, Classical Revival style tan brick building with a rear addition. It features pedimented porticoes supported by Ionic order columns, a heavy modillion and dentil cornice, and three-sided pavilions on the side elevations. The building was renovated in 1954.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It is located in the Downtown Gastonia Historic District.[2]
Robinson-Gardner Building
Robinson–Gardner Building, also known as the Robinson Brothers Building, is a historic commercial building located at Gastonia, Gaston County, North Carolina. It was built in 1899, and is a two-story, three bay, brick building with Renaissance Revival style design elements. The second story of the front facade features a round arch with a decorative cartouche at the keystone position and terra cotta swirls at the bases. Within the arch is a pressed metal swag between a pair of ribboned wreaths pierced by vertical torches. Above the arch, pressed metal wreaths hold another, larger, metal swag.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. It is located in the Downtown Gastonia Historic District.[3]
Loray Mill Historic District
Loray Mill Historic District is a national historic district located at Gastonia, Gaston County, North Carolina. It encompasses 649 contributing buildings, 2 contributing sites, and 1 contributing structure in a predominantly residential section of Gastonia. The district includes the five-story brick Loray Mill and all or parts of some thirty blocks of frame mill houses constructed primarily between the early 1900s and the 1920s. They include notable examples of Colonial Revival, Gothic Revival, and Bungalow / American Craftsman architecture. Other notable buildings include the Loray Baptist Church.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001, with a boundary increase in 2006.
The district will soon be linked to the Main Avenue section of downtown Gastonia via the FUSE District that will include a new stadium. This stadium will have artificial turf and can be configured for baseball, soccer, football, rugby, and concerts to spur economic growth and investment in the area near the Loray Mill Historic District.[4]
Third National Bank Building
Third National Bank Building is a historic office building located at Gastonia, Gaston County, North Carolina, USA. It was designed by Milburn, Heister & Company and built in 1923. It is an eight-story, four bay wide, English Tudor Revival style steel frame building. It is sheathed in dark red brick and stone with a molded terra cotta covered top story. It features a projecting main entrance with a two-story segmental arched opening.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. It is located in the Downtown Gastonia Historic District.[5]
First National Bank Building
Building in Gastonia. First National Bank Building, also known as the Lawyers Building, is a historic office building located at Gastonia, Gaston County, North Carolina. It was designed by Wilson & Sompayrac and built in 1916–1917. It is a seven-story, rectangular, Classical Revival style steel frame building. It is sheathed in cream-colored brick with limestone and terra cotta trim.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. It is located in the Downtown Gastonia Historic District.[6]
York-Chester Historic District
York-Chester Historic District is a national historic district located at Gastonia, Gaston County, North Carolina. It encompasses 649 contributing buildings, 2 contributing sites, and 1 contributing structure in a predominantly residential section of Gastonia. The dwellings were built between about 1856 and 1955, and include notable examples of Queen Anne and Bungalow / American Craftsman architecture. Located in the district are the separately listed former Gastonia High School. Other notable contributing resources include the Beal-Ragan Garden, Oakwood Cemetery, Caroline Hanna House, Spurrier Apartment building, Edgewood Apartments, and Devant J. and June S. Purvis House.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.[7]
City Hospital-Gaston Memorial Hospital
City Hospital-Gaston Memorial Hospital is a historic hospital complex located at Gastonia, Gaston County, North Carolina. The complex consists of: the 1924 Classical Revival style City Hospital designed by architect Charles Coker Wilson; the 1951 Gaston Memorial Hospital; the 1957 addition that connects them; and a 1947 nurses’ school and dormitory. The original section is a four-story, 12 bay by 3 bay, brick building.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.[8]