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At Gaston County Museum, there's always something old and a lot
that's new! You can also plan your next special
event or wedding
at our historic building — call Jeff
Pruett for details (704.922.7681 Ext. 105). Click for our rental brochure for the museum.
FREE New Exhibit – Opens November 8th – Standing on a Box
Standing on a Box, a free new exhibit, opens at the Gaston County Museum of Art & History on November 8, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. The free public exhibition will be on view during regular Museum hours through February 21, 2009.
This exhibit is one component of Standing on a Box: Lewis Hine’s National Child Labor Committee Photography, Gaston County, 1908, a multi-part community project exploring Greater Gaston’s early twentieth-century textile history and its influence on Gaston County’s present and future. The Standing on a Box showcases the 1908 Gaston County photographs of Lewis Wickes Hine, staff photographer of the National Child Labor Committee
Between November 1908 and February 1909, Lewis Hine photographed children in and around nineteen cotton mills in North and South Carolina as part of National Child Labor Committee efforts to document child labor in regional textile mills. Many of those photographs were made in Gaston County, North Carolina.
These images of young Gaston County textile workers were displayed around the country to bring attention to the issue of child labor. Those poignant photographs have been credited as being instrumental to the success of the child labor reform movement to pass state and federal legislation against child labor. Combined with artifacts from the Museum’s collection, the exhibit examines a rarely-mentioned but critical part of our local cultural heritage.
 Carolinas Textile Exhibit
Discover how cotton textile manufacturing transformed the
Carolinas. Sights and sounds of the past combine with original
objects, such as the world's longest running, original Edison
generator (1884), the Loray Mill whistle, a ball gown and
baseball uniform, to bring the history of the Carolinas to life.
 Daniel Stowe Carriage House Imagine life before automobiles. See sleighs, drays and buggies
-- the largest collection of horse-drawn vehicles exhibited in
North Carolina!
 1852 Hoffman Hotel
Notice the details - handmade brick, heart
of pine floors, old glass set in 9-over-9s windows, and the
simple Greek revival architectural style of our main building,
constructed in 1852. Visit hotel rooms and parlors to see
authentic period furnishings.
The Museum's Collections
The
museum, accredited by the American Association of Museums, holds in trust for current
and future generations over 5,000 objects, 20,000 documents,
over 400,000 photos which span the period from the 1500s through
the 20th Century. As a federally designated
501c3 organization, the museum gratefully accepts donations
to support its exhibits, programs, research, preservation and
public interpretation.
Hours/Address/InfoLine
Gaston County Museum of Art & History is open Tuesday thru Friday from 10am - 5pm, Saturday from 12 - 3 pm and every
1st Sunday from 2 - 5 pm. The museum is wheelchair and stroller accessible and admission is free. Gaston County Museum is located at 131 West Main Street in Dallas, NC. For more information about exhibits, programs and events, call the 24-hour info-line at (704)922-7681, #2.
Check out our calendar of events.
Special Event Planner
— click
to find out about using our attractive facilities, completed with a full
kitchen, for your next business dinner, party, reception or other special
event.
Tour Planner —
Click to find out how we can help you and your
out-of-town group arrange visits: from discounted hotel rooms to
attractions to special tours to restaurant reservations.
Map/Directions
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Starts November 8, 2008 – Standing on a Box: Lewis Hine ...Gaston County 1908
Click for more information
November 13 — Special Program — History Lives: Home School Living History Day — 9:30 - 11 am
Please join us for a special interactive day for Home School Groups! Stations will include: blacksmithing, woodworking, special tours of The Ties that Bind: Carolinas Textile Exhibit & our new Lewis Hine Exhibit (this exhibit explores child labor through artifacts as well as Gaston County child textile worker images taken by Lewis Hine). Fees: $3 per child (activities are for ages 5-up – any child participating must pay). Pre-registration required by November 7. Register by calling Jeff Pruett at 704.922.7681 x105 or email to jpruett@co.gaston.nc.us
November 25 — Toddler Program – 10 - 11 am
This program is geared towards preschoolers ages 1-4. Programs will vary each month (always occurring the 4th Tuesday of each month) but will always relate back to art or history and may include a story, art project, craft, song, or tour of a part of the museum.
Some Informational Links
Charlotte Regional History
Consortium
Gaston-Lincoln Regional
Library
NC Business History
NC Dept. of Cultural
Resources
NC ECHO
NC Museums
Council
NC Office of
Archives & History
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