Gastonia was incorporated on January 26, 1877 during the "reconstruction era" with a population of about 200. By 1900, Gastonia had six cotton mills and a population of 4,610. The majority of Gaston County voted in 1909 to move the county seat to Gastonia (mainly because the railroad lines ran through this city) and in 1911 the courts, jail, offices and records were moved there as well. By 1910, Gastonia was a thriving industrial center with eleven mills and a population of 5,759
and within the next twenty-five years became known as the "combined yarn capital" of the world. A bustling commercial district grew along the tracks of the Atlanta and Charlotte lines. The commercial district of the city was located primarily on Main Avenue, where many surviving buildings were erected in the 1890's and early 1900's. The commercial district gained added importance with construction of the Gaston County Courthouse in 1910. Two major additions to Main Avenue were the First National Bank and Third National Bank, the county's first and only skyscrapers, completed in 1917 and 1923. As the city grows, the question of how to integrate the architectural heritage of a small town into the needs of a city becomes an even greater challenge we must face. Gastonia lost a major portion of its early fabric with growth, placing an even greater significance on surviving structures. While growth is important, it need not be at the expense of our historic structures.
