Gastonia, North Carolina, United States

🇺🇸 Gastonia is the most populous city in and county seat of Gaston County, North Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest satellite city of the Charlotte area, behind Concord. Gastonia is the 13th most populous city in North Carolina. It is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC Combined Statistical Area.

The city is a historic centre for textile manufacturing and was the site of the Loray Mill Strike of 1929, which became a key event in the labor movement. While manufacturing remains important to the local economy, the city also has well-developed healthcare, education, and government sectors.

History Gastonia is named for William Gaston, a jurist and United States Representative from North Carolina.

The Loray Mill strike occurred in Gastonia in 1929. The role of organizers for Communist Party-affiliated National Textile Workers Union (NTWU) alienated religious leaders in Gastonia, who denounced the organizers' ideology, undermining support for the strike. The strike collapsed after the death of Gastonia's police chief, Orville Alderholt, led to a murder trial of several militants including NTWU chief organizer Fred Beal. Beal was convicted in the killing but fled to the Soviet Union. The strike largely failed in attaining its goals of better working conditions and wages, and the American labor movement was never able to gain a foothold among textile workers in Gastonia. The strike, however, became for a while an international cause célèbre, figuring in several novels published in the 1930s.

Historic Places The City Hospital-Gaston Memorial Hospital, Craig Farmstead, Downtown Gastonia Historic District, First National Bank Building, Gaston County Courthouse, Gastonia High School, David Jenkins House, Loray Mill Historic District, Robinson-Gardner Building, Third National Bank Building, and William J. Wilson House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 50.7 square miles (131.4 km²), of which 50.5 square miles (130.8 km²) is land and 0.23 square miles (0.6 km²), or 0.45%, is water. Gastonia occupies 14% of the total area of Gaston County. Gastonia is approximately 21 miles (34 km) west of Charlotte, 22 miles (35 km) east of Shelby, and 37 miles (60 km) south of Hickory.

Economy Many shutdowns and job losses have plagued Gastonia over the past decade. Gastonia maintains a relatively strong manufacturing workforce, but many workers are laid off and many more are facing job losses. The city had an unemployment rate of 7.9% as of 2010; 12,536 of the 71,341 residents lived and worked in the city, with a daytime population change of +10,610. The city is the international corporate headquarters for textile company Parkdale Mills, the number one manufacturer of spun yarn in the world. The company also operated two production facilities in Gastonia and several in surrounding communities. Parkdale, like many other companies, has closed plants and moved production to other countries.

Other manufacturers in Gastonia include Wix Filtration Corp., Freightliner Trucks, Stabilus, Curtiss-Wright Controls Engineered Systems and Radici Group. Other major employers include the City of Gastonia and Gaston County governments, the Gaston County Schools system, CaroMont Regional Medical Center, and retailers Walmart and Advance Auto Parts, with two and six stores (plus a distribution center) respectively.

Arts and culture The Schiele Museum of Natural History features a number of permanent exhibits, including the Hall of North Carolina Natural History and the Henry Hall of the American Indian. The museum is also home to the James H. Lynn Planetarium, the only planetarium in the Charlotte area.

The Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is located just south-east of the city in Belmont on NC 279.

The U.S. National Whitewater Center (on the Catawba River) is located east of the city in neighboring Mecklenburg County.

Crowders Mountain State Park is located west of the city, near Kings Mountain. The park offers a number of hiking trails, as well as campgrounds, picnic areas, rock climbing, and fishing.

Economy: Retail Eastridge Mall, located at exit 20 on North New Hope Road, is the only indoor regional mall in the area; it is anchored by Belk and Dillard's. The mall is also home to over 80 specialty stores, a full-service food court, Red Lobster and other services.

Downtown Gastonia Historic District has undergone a revitalization with locally owned businesses including Webb Custom Kitchen, Gaston Pour House, Owl and Ivy, Java House, The Hive, Viva Tequis, Fannie Cakes Bakery, Pho Feel'n Asian Cuisine among many others. This has created a unique atmosphere of local shopping experiences with events centered around the community.

There are also a few more shopping centres across the city with other well-known national and local retailers.

Sport The Gastonia Honey Hunters of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a partner of Major League Baseball, began to play in 2021 at FUSE District Stadium, which is part of an overall renewal project called the Franklin Urban Sports and Entertainment (FUSE) District. Before the Honey Hunters' arrival, the Gastonia Grizzlies, a Coastal Plain League summer collegiate wood-bat team, played at Sims Legion Park.

The Gastonia Gargoyles play rugby at Gaston County's North Belmont Park. The team is part of the Carolinas Geographical Union (CGU) and plays Division IV men's social rugby. The club plays in the fall (August - November) and spring (Feb - May) seasons. The club also hosts an annual rugby 7's tournament in Clover, South Carolina, during the Clover Scottish Games on the first or second Saturday in June.

Gastonia's two roller derby teams are the GForce (senior team) and MiniGs (junior team). Bouts take place at Kate's Skating Rink on Hudson Blvd.

Law enforcement The city is served by the Gastonia Police Department, the Gaston County Police Department, and the Gaston County Sheriff's Office.

Fire and rescue The Gastonia Fire Department consists of eight fire house spread throughout the communities within the City limits. The Gastonia Fire Department maintains 130 full-time firefighters working 3- to 24-hour shifts. The Life Safety division has a Fire Marshal and four inspectors, the Administration consists of the Fire Chief, Deputy Chief, Assistant Chief, Training Chief, and two Administrative assistants. Gaston County EMS (GEMS) is the county ambulance service.

College and university Although there are no colleges or universities within the city limits of Gastonia, higher education is well represented in the greater Gastonia area. Gaston County is home to Belmont Abbey College (Belmont; four-year) and Gaston College (Dallas, Lincolnton (Lincoln County), and Belmont; two-year).

Library The Gaston County Public Library has three locations in the city.

Media: Print The Gaston Gazette is Gastonia's main newspaper. It is published daily, and covers Gastonia city, Gaston County, and surrounding areas. The Charlotte Observer (North Carolina's largest newspaper) is also available, citywide.

Media: Radio Gastonia is served by numerous FM and AM radio stations, mainly based in nearby Charlotte. The city has one licensed AM station: WGNC 1450 AM; it has two licensed FM stations: WGNC 101.1FM and WBAV 101.9 FM.

Transport Interstate 85 (I-85) links Gastonia directly with Charlotte, Greensboro, Durham, and Petersburg/Richmond (to the northeast) and Spartanburg, Greenville, Atlanta and Montgomery (to the southwest). Gastonia's transportation network is supplemented by one additional freeway (US 321), the freeway portion of which directly connects Gastonia with transcontinental I-40 and the city of Hickory, 35 miles (56 km) north of Gastonia.

Gastonia is also served by three federal highways: US 29, US 74 (US 29 and US 74 follow the same route through the city), and US 321. US 29 parallels I-85 through the Carolinas, while US 74 provides direct east–west links to Charlotte and Wilmington (east), and Asheville and Cherokee (to the west). US 321 links Gastonia to central South Carolina and the Blue Ridge Mountains in north-west North Carolina. State highways include: NC 7, NC 274, NC 275 and NC 279.

Franklin Boulevard, Garrison Boulevard, Hudson Boulevard and Ozark/Long/Airline/Gaston Avenues are major east–west city thoroughfares. New Hope Road, Chester Street/York Road, and Marietta Street/Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, are major north–south city thoroughfares.

Transport: Bus (local)

Gastonia Transit (GT) is Gastonia's city transit provider. The bus service operates on a fixed-route system covering most of the city and stops are clearly visible around town. Buses run Monday-Saturday, and transfer downtown Gastonia at the Bradley Station. Regular fare is $1.00, transfers are free.

Bus (regional) Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) is Gastonia's commuter provider to Charlotte. The Gastonia Express (Route 85X) offers Monday-Friday bus service to/from uptown Charlotte, via the Bradley Station. One-way fare to/from uptown Charlotte is $4.40; transfer is free when transferring to any other CATS services.

Transport: Bus (national)

Greyhound Lines serves the city. Alongside Gastonia Transit, Greyhound utilizes downtown's Bradley Station.

Rail (Amtrak) Amtrak's Crescent (trains 19, 20) connects Gastonia (GAS) with the cities of (to the north) New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, and Charlotte, and (to the south) Atlanta, Birmingham, and New Orleans. The unmanned Amtrak station is situated at 350 Hancock Street.

Transport: Air General service: Gastonia Municipal Airport (AKH) handles most of the city's private air service needs. It is located in the south-east part of the city on Gaston Day School Road, off NC 274 (Union Road).

Commercial service: Charlotte/Douglas International Airport (CLT) provides the city with a major domestic/international gateway and is located 18 miles (29 km) east, in Charlotte. American Airlines has the airline's second largest hub operation at Charlotte.