York-Chester Historic District

South of downtown Gastonia lies a neighborhood of roughly 193 acres made up mostly of single-family houses, with some apartments, two churches, a synagogue, a former Boy Scouts headquarters, Oakwood Cemetery and Gastonia High School. Of its 747 resources, 87 percent contribute to its character. Most date from the late nineteenth century to 1955, and the 1920s were the busiest decade of construction. Houses range from Queen Anne and Colonial Revival dwellings to bungalows, Period Cottages, Tudor Revival and Mediterranean Revival homes, Cape Cods, Minimal Traditional houses and Ranches. Regionally prominent architect Hugh White designed a number of buildings here. Mature trees, stone retaining walls and deep lawns on South York and South Chester streets shape the streetscapes. The district records the growth of Gastonia during its peak as a textile center and keeps a high degree of integrity, even with some replacement windows, synthetic siding and newer buildings.