1914 Map of Gastonia

About this map

Gastonia and the surrounding textile and milling districts of North Carolina are caught here during a period of significant industrial expansion. The Southern and Seaboard Air Line railroads anchor the regional economy, connecting the larger hubs to smaller industrial outposts like High Shoals, Hardins Sta., and Lowell. Evidence of the area's earlier iron-working history is preserved in the label for Rehoboth Furnace near the Reinhardt Bridge. The landscape is a network of rural life and early manufacturing, punctuated by numerous community anchors such as Belmont Abbey, Philadelphia Church, and several schools like Zion School and Pinegrove School. From the South Fork River to the banks of the Catawba River, this survey provides a fine-grained view of early twentieth-century Gaston and Lincoln counties, including institutional landmarks like the County House and County Home.