Gaston County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Gaston County's courthouse in downtown Gastonia is a three-story Neo-Classical Revival building designed in 1909 by the Washington firm Milburn and Heister and finished in 1910 at a cost of about $60,000, including the jail. It replaced the courthouse in Dallas, the earlier county seat, after years of dispute. A county-wide election in 1909 favored Gastonia, helped by local pledges of $43,000 against $21,000 offered by Dallas supporters. Frank P. Milburn planned more than 250 major structures across the South. The building shows the firm's usual features: tan brick walls, pedimented porticoes on Ionic columns, a heavy modillion and dentil cornice, and three-sided pavilions on the side elevations. Its proportions are considered awkward, with a narrow portico that looks out of scale. A 1954 renovation by Ronald Green enlarged windows and remodeled the interior, and a rear addition detracts from the design. It sits beside City Hall.
Significance in brief: The courthouse reflects the 1909 county vote that moved the county seat from Dallas to Gastonia, and it represents the work of the prolific architectural firm Milburn and Heister. It keeps the firm's typical Neo-Classical Revival features, though the proportions are described as an awkward transition between the firm's earlier Rockingham County and later Hoke County courthouses.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 79001708, listed May 10, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | N. York and S. South Sts., Gastonia |
|---|---|
| County | Gaston County |
| Listed | May 10, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001708 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Milburn and Heister of Washington (Frank P. Milburn); 1954 renovation by Ronald Green |
| Architectural style | Neo-Classical Revival |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Renovated in 1954, with enlarged windows and a completely remodeled interior; a rear addition is described as poorly planned. Surrounding area has declined due to parking lots and poor maintenance. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Downtown Gastonia Historic District |
| Coordinates | 35.26326, -81.18428 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 79001708.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18706138
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.