The City of Gastonia has two locally zoned historic districts, York-Chester & Brookwood, designated as such for their unique architecture and character, lot layout, development pattern, and historic significance.
Within these districts, the seven-member Historic District Commission and its staff work with property owners and businesses in the districts to assure that development and renovation occurs in a manner that is consistent with the character of the neighborhood. Any changes made to the exterior of a property in a historic district requires review by the HDC or its staff. The HDC Design Standards provide guidance on the types of projects and materials that are permitted and if they require review by staff or the commission. New Gastonia Historic District Design Principles and Standards were adopted on October 28, 2021.
HDC Certificate of Appropriateness (COA)
A Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) must be obtained prior to work commencing on the exterior of a resource within a local historic district. A COA is a document issued by the Historic District Commission (HDC), that indicates the Commission has approved of the proposed work on a resource or property within a local historic district. For work that has received a COA, a yellow sign will be posted on the property with the COA information while the work is in progress. For more information on the HDC COA process, pre-submittal meetings, deadlines and to apply for a HDC COA, please see the Application for Certificate of Appropriateness page.
Need to report work done without a COA? Please emailPlanning.planningw@gastonianc.gov.
Meetings
Fourth Thursday of each month at 6pm. Please consult the meeting schedule for details.
Location
City Hall, 181 S South Street, Gastonia, NC. Meet in the Council Chambers.
Commission Staff
Jason Thompson, Planning Director
Jalen Nash, Planning Technician
704-854-6652
Historic District Commission Information
- 2023 Meeting schedule & deadlines
- Agendas & Minutes
- HDC Roster
- Newsletters
- Rules & Procedures
- HDC Design Standards (Normas de diseño de la Comisión del Distrito Histórico)
- The Design Review Process (El Proceso De Revisión Del Diseño)
- The Design Review Process: Tree Removal (El Proceso De Revisión Del Diseño: Extracción De Árboles)
- We need volunteers when vacancies on our board occur. To apply to volunteer on the Historic District Commission, please fill out this form: Citizen Committee Application
COA Applications and Checklists
- Checklist for information to include in Major Work Project Applications
- Application for Certificate of Appropriateness: Major Work - Long Form (renovation, new construction, demoliton)
- Checklist for information to include in Minor Work Project Applications
- Application for Certificate of Appropriateness: Minor Work (Section 17-96) - Short Form (tree removal, new roof, siding, painting, etc.)
Resources & Neighborhood Information
- York-Chester & Brookwood Historic District Inventory
- Gastonia’s Local Historic Districts Maps
- York Chester Property Inventory pdf (National Register & Local Survey)
- Brookwood Property Inventory pdf
- National Register Maps
- Repairing Old Windows
- Tree inventory
- Gaston County Historic Preservaton Commission
- Preservation NC
- NC State Preservation Office
For more information regarding the Historic District Commission contact:
Gastonia Historic District Commission
704-854-6652
The Planning Department is located at Garland Municipal Business Center at 150 S. York Street on the second floor.
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Contact Information:
Garland Municipal Business Center
150 S. York Street, Gastonia, NC 28052
(PO Box 1748, Gastonia, NC 28053-1748)
704.854.6605 (office)
704.869.1960 (fax)
Email
Garland Municipal Business Center
150 S. York Street, Gastonia, NC 28052
(PO Box 1748, Gastonia, NC 28053-1748)
704.854.6605 (office)
704.869.1960 (fax)
