Gaston County, North Carolina

Gaston County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 206,086.[1] The county seat is Gastonia.[2] Dallas served as the original county seat from 1846 until 1911.

Not to be confused with Gaston, North Carolina.
Gaston County
U.S. county
Gaston County Courthouse in Gastonia
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°18′N 81°11′W
Country United States
State North Carolina
FoundedDecember 21, 1846
Named forWilliam Gaston
SeatGastonia
Largest cityGastonia
Area
 • Total364 sq mi (940 km2)
 • Land356 sq mi (920 km2)
 • Water8.1 sq mi (21 km2)  2.2%%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2019)
224,529
 • Density579/sq mi (224/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district10th
Websitewww.gastongov.com

Gaston County is included in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the fourth largest county in the metropolitan area, behind Mecklenburg County, York County and Union County as of the 2018 US Census estimates.[3] It is located in the southern Piedmont region.

Of North Carolina's 100 counties, Gaston County ranks 74th in size, consisting of approximately 364.5 square miles (944 km2), and is tenth in population[4]. The county has fifteen incorporated towns.[5] In addition to fifteen incorporated towns and cities, there are several unincorporated communities such as Hardin, Lucia, Crowders Mountain, Sunnyside, Alexis, Tryon, and North Belmont.[6]

History

The earliest European settlers of Gaston County were principally Scots Irish, Pennsylvania Dutch, and English. In the 1750s, Dutch settler James Kuykendall and others constructed the Fort at the Point at the junction of the Catawba and South Fork Rivers.[7] The fort was built because of ongoing hostilities with the Cherokee, but it was apparently never attacked. Tensions between the settlers and the Native American inhabitants (primarily of the Catawba tribe) were eased considerably when the boundary dispute between North Carolina and South Carolina was settled in 1772, after which most of the Catawba settled on a reservation near Fort Mill, South Carolina.[8]

Most early farms were small, cultivated primarily by White yeoman farmers of English ancestry. North Carolina's colonial policy restricted the size of land grants, and in Gaston County they tended to be about 400 acres (1.6 km2) each. One of the earliest grants in the area was given to Captain Samuel Cobrin, commander of a local militia company, on September 29, 1750.[9]

Gaston County was founded in 1846. It is named for William Gaston, member of the state supreme court.[10]

Between 1845 and 1848, Gaston County experienced an industrial boom. During this three-year period, the first three cotton mills in the county were established. Some authorities say that the first one was established by Thomas R. Tate on Mountain Island, near the present site of Duke Energy's Mountain Island Dam and Hydroelectric Station. Other sources say that the first mill was established by the Linebergers and others on the South Fork River near McAdenville. Most sources agree that among the first three mills in operation in the county was the Stowesville Mill, founded by Jasper Stowe and associates in the South Point Community south of Belmont. Gaston County still leads all other counties in the country both in the number of spindles in operation and in the number of bales of cotton consumed.[8]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 364 square miles (940 km2), of which 356 square miles (920 km2) is land and 8.1 square miles (21 km2) (2.2%) is water.[11] It belongs to the southern Piedmont physiographic province.

Most of Gaston County is in the drainage basin of the Catawba River, except for small areas along the western edge of the county which are in the basin of the Broad River. Both the Catawba and Broad Rivers are in the greater Santee River basin. The Catawba forms the eastern border of the county and much of the central part of the county is in the drainage basin of its right tributary, the South Fork Catawba River.[12] The county is located in the Piedmont region of central North Carolina, which consists of gently rolling terrain frequently broken by hills, river and creek valleys, and low, isolated mountain ridges. The highest point in Gaston County is King's Pinnacle, a rocky monadnock which sharply rises over 800 feet (240 m) above the city of Gastonia. King's Pinnacle rises 1,690 feet (520 m) above sea level, and is part of Crowders Mountain State Park.[13]

Adjacent counties

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18508,073—
18609,30715.3%
187012,60235.4%
188014,25413.1%
189017,76424.6%
190027,90357.1%
191037,06332.8%
192051,24238.3%
193078,09352.4%
194087,53112.1%
1950110,83626.6%
1960127,07414.7%
1970148,41516.8%
1980162,5689.5%
1990175,0937.7%
2000190,3658.7%
2010206,0868.3%
2019 (est.)224,529[14]8.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[15]
1790-1960[16] 1900-1990[17]
1990-2000[18] 2010-2014[1]

As of the census[19] of 2004, there were 194,459 people, 73,936 households, and 53,307 families residing in the county. The population density was 534 people per square mile (206/km2). There were 78,842 housing units at an average density of 221 per square mile (85/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 83% White, 13.9% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 1% Asian, 0% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 1% from two or more races. 3.00% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 92,094 males and 98,271 females in Gaston County. Of these 39,492 are under 15, 23,082 are aged 16–24, 59,096 are aged 25–44, 44,710 are aged between 45-64 and 23,985 are 65 and over. The median age is 36.89 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,482, and the median income for a family was $46,271. Males had a median income of $33,542 versus $23,876 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,225. About 8.30% of families and 10.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.50% of those under age 18 and 11.10% of those age 65 or over.

Law and government

Gaston County is governed by a seven-member Board of Commissioners. Two members are elected from Gaston Township and one each from the other five townships of Gaston County. They are elected on a partisan basis to four-year staggered terms. Those that file for a particular seat must live in the township. However, the vote is countywide or "at-large."[20]

The offices of Sheriff, District Attorney, Clerk of Superior Court, and Register of Deeds are also elected offices, elected on a countywide, partisan basis. Gaston County currently is divided into forty-six (46) voting precincts.[21]

The county is administered by a full-time professional County Manager. Gaston County is a member of the regional Centralina Council of Governments.[22]

Board of Commissioners
Office[23]HolderPartyTerm expires
County Commissioner (Chairman)Tracy PhilbeckRepublican2022
County Commissioner (Vice Chair)Jack BrownRepublican2020
County CommissionerChad BrownRepublican2022
County CommissionerAllen FraleyRepublican2020
County CommissionerBob HovisRepublican2020
County CommissionerTom KeigherRepublican2022
County CommissionerRonnie WorleyRepublican2020

Soil & Water Conservation District superviors
Holder[23]Term expires
Becca Hurd2022
Roger Hurst2020
Esther Scott2022
Robin ArmstrongAppointed
Kevin MauneyAppointed

Superior court judges
Office[23]HolderPartyTerm expires
Senior Resident Superior Court JudgeJesse B. Caldwell IIIDemocratic2022
Superior Court JudgeDavid PhillipsDemocratic2020

District court judges
Office[23]HolderPartyTerm expires
Chief District Court JudgeJohn K. GreenleeRepublican2020
District Court JudgeRichard B. AbernethyDemocratic2020
District Court JudgeCraig CollinsRepublican2022
District Court JudgeAngela G. HoyleRepublican2020
District Court JudgeJames A. JacksonRepublican2020
District Court JudgeMichael K. LandsRepublican2022
District Court JudgePennie ThrowerRepublican2020

Other offices
Office[23]HolderPartyTerm expires
SheriffAlan CloningerDemocratic2022
Register of DeedsSusan LockridgeRepublican2020
District AttorneyR. Locke BellRepublican2022
Clerk of Superior CourtLarry BrownRepublican2022

North Carolina House of Representatives
DistrictRepresentative[23]Party
108John A. TorbettRepublican
109Dana BumgardnerRepublican
110Kelly HastingsRepublican

North Carolina Senate
District[23]RepresentativeParty
43Kathy HarringtonRepublican
44Ted AlexanderRepublican

Senate
Senator[23]PartyTerm expires
Richard BurrRepublican2022
Thom TillisRepublican2020

House of Representatives
District[23]RepresentativeParty
5thVirginia FoxxRepublican

Courts of law

North Carolina has a unified statewide and state-operated court system, called the General Court of Justice. It consists of three divisions: appellate courts, superior courts, and district courts. In Gaston County, there is also a small claims Court.

Small claims court handles civil cases where a plaintiff requests assignment to a magistrate and the amount in controversy is $5,000 or less. There is no jury and usually no lawyers. A person who loses in small claims court may appeal for a trial by jury before a judge in district court. Magistrates are appointed for two-year terms by the senior resident superior court judge upon nomination of the clerk of superior court.[24]

Politics
Presidential elections results
Presidential elections results[25]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2020 63.2% 73,033 35.5% 40,959 1.3% 1,506
2016 64.1% 61,798 32.3% 31,177 3.6% 3,456
2012 62.0% 56,138 36.7% 33,171 1.3% 1,174
2008 62.2% 52,507 37.2% 31,384 0.6% 511
2004 67.8% 43,252 31.8% 20,254 0.4% 249
2000 66.7% 39,453 32.6% 19,281 0.8% 445
1996 58.4% 33,149 34.3% 19,458 7.3% 4,132
1992 56.5% 34,714 31.1% 19,121 12.4% 7,600
1988 70.3% 34,775 29.5% 14,582 0.2% 94
1984 73.4% 39,167 26.5% 14,142 0.2% 83
1980 55.6% 25,139 42.1% 19,016 2.3% 1,049
1976 46.1% 19,727 53.5% 22,878 0.4% 159
1972 75.8% 27,956 22.9% 8,462 1.3% 483
1968 43.8% 18,741 23.6% 10,100 32.6% 13,973
1964 45.9% 17,129 54.1% 20,197
1960 51.4% 21,250 48.6% 20,104
1956 53.7% 18,159 46.3% 15,671
1952 51.9% 19,157 48.1% 17,781
1948 32.6% 6,180 47.3% 8,966 20.2% 3,822
1944 30.5% 6,023 69.5% 13,744
1940 19.9% 4,294 80.1% 17,262
1936 21.4% 4,772 78.6% 17,555
1932 28.4% 5,164 70.8% 12,890 0.9% 157
1928 59.1% 9,702 40.9% 6,702
1924 35.0% 3,566 64.2% 6,554 0.8% 82
1920 44.8% 5,803 55.2% 7,148
1916 45.6% 2,542 54.2% 3,019 0.2% 11
1912 6.2% 244 59.5% 2,333 34.3% 1,347
1908 44.6% 1,970 54.4% 2,398 0.9% 40
1904 31.1% 896 68.0% 1,958 0.8% 25
1900 44.9% 1,626 53.4% 1,931 1.6% 58
1896 43.6% 1,625 55.5% 2,069 0.8% 33
1892 36.5% 1,173 50.3% 1,616 13.0% 418
1888 42.9% 1,260 54.1% 1,589 3.0% 88
1884 41.4% 978 57.4% 1,356 1.0% 25
1880 50.6% 1,139 49.2% 1,107 0.0% 1

Education

Public education in Gaston County is administered by the Gaston County Schools public school system. The system is governed by the nine-member Gaston County Board of Education which sets policy and establishes guidelines for school operations. Board members are elected on a nonpartisan, county wide basis, with seven representatives chosen from the six townships and two members selected at-large.[26] Gaston County Schools has 54 public schools, including 9 high schools, 11 middle schools, 32 elementary schools, one alternative school (middle and high school age), and one separate school (Webb Street School in Gastonia) serving students ages 3 to 22 with moderate to severe disabilities.

Gaston County has four charter schools: Community Public Charter School (K-5) in Stanley, Ridgeview Charter School (K–4) in Gastonia, Piedmont Community Charter School (K–12) in Gastonia, and Mountain Island Charter School (K–8) in Mount Holly.[27]

There are two colleges in Gaston County. Gaston College is a community college located in Dallas offering associate degree, Certificate, and Diploma programs. Belmont Abbey College is a Roman Catholic Liberal Arts College located in Belmont.

The Gaston County Public Library has 10 branches spread throughout the county.

Transportation infrastructure

Major highways

Rail service

Gaston County is served by Amtrak, with a stop in Gastonia. Freight rail service is provided by the Norfolk Southern Railway, CSX and Patriot Rail.

The Norfork Southern main line passes from west to east across the county, passing through Kings Mountain, Bessemer City, Gastonia, Ranlo, Lowell, Cramerton and Belmont. From Gastonia, a branch line leads south to Crowders.[28]

CSX rail lines pass through the northwestern and northeastern corners of Gaston County. In the northwest, a line between Lincolnton and Shelby passes through Cherryville. In the northeast, a line between Lincolnton and Charlotte passes through Stanley and Mount Holly.[29]

Patriot Rail operates state-owned trackage between Gastonia and Mount Holly with a spur extending to Belmont.

Airports

Charlotte-Douglas International Airport is a major, full-service airport with passenger flights. It is across the Catawba River in Mecklenburg County in Charlotte.

The city of Gastonia owns and operates Gastonia Municipal Airport, which is a general aviation airport with a single runway, Runway 3/21, an asphalt runway that is 3,779 feet in length.[30]

Natural heritage

Gaston County's most significant natural heritage sites are distributed across the county. They range from Crowders Mountain in the southwest corner to sites east of Stanley and at the mouth of the South Fork Catawba River.

Gaston County has twelve natural heritage sites listed as being of state or regional significance. Six of these are listed because of the presence of the bigleaf magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla). This magnificent plant has the largest simple leaf of any species in the temperate world, and one of the largest flowers. Of the 34 known sites containing bigleaf magnolias in North Carolina, 29 are in Gaston County.

Two sites are important because they provide habitat for the bog turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii). The bog turtle is the single most significant rare animal species surviving in Gaston County.

Crowders Mountain State Park is the largest natural heritage site in the county. It covers over 3,000 acres (12 km2) of topographically, botanically, and zoologically diverse land. Six natural plant communities are found in the park, and the area supports a diversity of wildlife species. Some animals documented in the park have not been documented elsewhere in the county. A second natural heritage site, Pinnacle Road, has recently been incorporated into the park. This site is most significant for the occurrence of dwarf juniper (Juniperus communis) along its ridgeline.

The Stagecoach Road site is the largest and best preserved granitic outcrop in the county. Its thin soils are dominated by hickory species and it is also home to several smaller species such as Talinum teretifolium (fame flower), Diamorpha smallii (Small's sedum), and Hypericum gentianoides (pineweed) that are found only in this type of habitat. A farm site contains an old growth forest dominated by beech, yellow poplar, oaks, and maples - some trees with diameters of nearly 3 feet (0.91 m).[31]

Another 25 sites are listed as being of local significance. Two of these are home to extremely rare plants. Catawba Cove, near the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, supports a stand of Schweinitz's sunflower (Helianthus schweinizii), a federally endangered species. The Armstrong Ford site near Belmont is the only place in western North Carolina (and one of only two sites in the state) where magnolia vine (Schisandra glabra) has been found.[32]

Points of interest

The Hoyle Historic Homestead, with notable German-American construction features, is the oldest extant structure in Gaston County. Located on the Dallas-Stanley Highway above the South Fork Catawba River, it was built around 1760 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden covers 110 acres (0.45 km2) in the South Point area of Gaston County, on South New Hope Road.

The Gaston County Museum is located in the town of Dallas, North Carolina.

The Schiele Museum of Natural History is a noteworthy science museum and planetarium located in Gastonia that features both permanent and touring exhibits.

Crowder's Mountain State Park is noted for its resident raptors and sheer vertical cliffs which drop 150 feet (46 m). From Crowders Mountain, the highest point in Gaston County, views stretch for more than 20 miles (32 km).

The U.S. National Whitewater Center is a world-class recreation and training facility. Set among 300 acres (1.2 km2) wooded along the scenic Catawba River, the multiuse facility has a climbing center, mountain-biking trails and running trails.

Christmas Town USA - McAdenville, North Carolina - Each December, hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights turn this small mill town into a spectacular holiday display. Visitors stroll down Main Street surrounded by the sights and sounds of Christmas.

Spencer Mountain, which is located in central Gaston County, is the site of the old WBTV television transmitter. It was from this site that the first commercial television signal in North Carolina was broadcast, when WBTV signed on the air in 1949. The tower remains on the mountain today, but is no longer in use as WBTV's primary transmitter. It is used by NWS for its NOAA Weather Radio transmission signal.

Communities
Map of Gaston County, North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels

Cities

Towns

Townships

Unincorporated communities

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved October 19, 2013.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/gastoncountynorthcarolina,unioncountynorthcarolina,yorkcountysouthcarolina,mecklenburgcountynorthcarolina,US/PST045218
  4. List of counties in North Carolina
  5. http://www.gastongov.com/explore/about_gaston/index.php
  6. "About Gaston County". www.gastongov.com. Retrieved 2019-09-06.
  7. Piper Peters Aheron. Images of America: Gastonia and Gaston County North Carolina. Arcadia Publishing, 2001 (ISBN 0738506737)
  8. County Profile - "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-02-29. Retrieved 2008-07-05.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link). Gaston County government official website. Retrieved on 2008-07-02.
  9. Robert F. Cope and Hanley Wade Wellman, The County of Gaston: Two Centuries of a North Carolina Region (Gaston County Historical Society, 1961), 13, cited in Peter Hoyle House National Register Application
  10. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 135.
  11. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on January 12, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  12. Gaston County Watersheds Archived September 11, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  13. Piedmont North Carolina Trip Reports (GCounty High Pointers Assn., 2010), cited in
  14. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Census.gov. Archived from the original on October 19, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  15. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  16. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  17. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  18. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  19. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  20. "Elected Officials: Board of Commissioners". County of Gaston. Archived from the original on 18 March 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
  21. "Polling Places". Board of Elections. County of Gaston. Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
  22. "About Centralina COG". CCOG. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
  23. https://cms3.revize.com/revize/gastoncounty/Documents/elections/PublicOfficials2020.pdf
  24. "Welcome to Gaston County - District 27A". Nccourts.org. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  25. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  26. "About the Board". Gaston County Schools. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
  27. "Gaston County". Office of Charter Schools. NC Dept. of Public Instruction. Archived from the original on 26 October 2008. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
  28. "System Maps, Directories & Schedules". Norfolk Southern. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
  29. "CSX.com - CSX System Map". www.csx.com. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
  30. "Airport Master Record, Gastonia Municipal Airport, Federal Aviation Administration" (PDF). WayBack Machine. 2012-10-09. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-09. Retrieved 2018-03-15.
  31. "Gaston County: 2003 Environmental Report Card". Ces.ncsu.edu. Archived from the original (DOC) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  32. "The Natural Heritage of Gaston County" (PDF). WayBack Machine. 2006-05-25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-05-25. Retrieved 2018-03-15.

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