Gaston County Museum
Located at 131 W Main St, Dallas, NC 28034. The Gaston County Museum is a public museum that displays the history, arts, and culture of the Gaston County region. The museum is located in a historical building that was built in 1852. Aside from the main building, the museum also has a research facility and a storage facility. The museum also works with local schools, allowing students to learn about history. The museum has special performances and tours of historic places in Dallas.
Gaston County has a rich history in manufacturing. In the early twentieth century, the county was growing, especially in the textile industry. The county’s agriculture was diverse, producing corn, wheat, and oats. In addition to manufacturing, the county had twenty-four distilleries by 1865. There were also two forts built at the Catawba and South Fork rivers, causing tension in the area.
African Americans began to settle in the county in the early twentieth century. Most black communities consisted of a church, a general store, and a school. The largest community was the Highland community, located on the northern edge of Gastonia. This community had a business district, as well as a thriving high school. The community was also the location of the county’s only black hospital. This community served as a model for other black communities in Gaston County.
African American architecture reflected the economic success of the communities. They built established building types, as well as conservative architectural trends. The community’s architecture was impressive, and it helped to give the black community pride. The county was also home to some of the most beautiful and impressive African American architecture in the state.
The building has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building’s original construction features included wood framing, brick foundation piers, and double-hung windows. The building was built in a Greek Revival style. It has period-style rooms, as well as a carriage house.
In addition to its permanent exhibits, the Great Carolinas Museum also hosts special exhibits that change on a regular basis. One of the highlights of the museum is Carolina’s Textile Exhibit. This exhibit features an original 1884 Edison dynamo, as well as a collection of Smithsonian patent models. It also shows the lives of cotton mills and the people living around them. Learn more.
The museum also has an extensive collection of antiques and artifacts. It also has a gift shop that sells unique items. The Gaston County Museum is a public museum, and it welcomes volunteers to work in its administrative offices or to take part in public programs. Volunteers can also take part in the museum’s many other projects. They also get a discount in the museum shop. They enjoy the museum’s location and meeting new people. The staff is courteous and knowledgeable.
The museum is working to increase its space, which will allow more visitors to see its extensive collection of artifacts. The new space will also have a volunteer space, a public research room, and a larger artifact storage facility. In addition, over 20,000 items will be moved to the new space. Next article.