Living Here Guide 2009
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Monday, Sep. 14, 2009

Gaston and Lincoln counties offer lots of contrasts and surprises

By Joe DePriest - jdepriest@charlotteobserver.com
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    An archway of flowering bromeliads in The Orchid Conservatory at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont.

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    DePriest

  • Hot picks

    Landmarks

    Belmont Abbey College campus: Gothic spires, tree-lined sidewalks, benches where you sit in peace while watching traffic zipping along nearby Interstate 85.

    Dining

    R.O.'s Barbecue: A Gastonia institution since 1946 – serving most fare with generous helpings of the famous secret-recipe R.O.'s slaw. 1318 Gaston Ave.

    Best Bets

    The Schiele Museum of Natural History & Lynn Planetarium: Kids and adults will love learning about plants, animals, minerals and the universe at this really cool place. www.schielemuseum.org.

    Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden's Orchid Conservatory: It doesn't matter how much you know about orchids - this is like stepping into another world, tropical and enchanting. A definite must-see. www.dsbg.org.

    Crowders Mountain State Park: A place to spend a few hours or all day. The new ridgeline trail connects Crowders Park with Kings Mountain State Park and Kings Mountain National Military Park in South Carolina. www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/crmo/main.php.

    Why You'd Want to Live Here

    There's plenty to see and do, the people are friendly, and Charlotte is an easy drive away.

If you want a better handle on the region, take a jaunt across the Catawba River to Gaston and Lincoln counties.

They offer a study in contrasts – the old and the new.

Eastern Gaston, where my wife and I have lived for about 15 years, is a good place to start. The towns of Belmont and Mount Holly are transforming their central business districts into fresh, lively destinations where you can shop, stroll or find something good to eat.

In Mount Holly, down-home fare is available at the City Café, and in neighboring Belmont choices include Sammy's Deli and Old Stone Steakhouse. A new addition to downtown is expected to open soon: the String Bean Fresh Market and Deli.

While new eateries keep entering the picture, old ones like the Catawba Grill in east Belmont serve up specialties that have made them popular for generations.

Take the kids for a turn through Stowe Park, in the heart of town. And don't miss the Belmont Historical Society's learning center complex to learn about the town's textile heritage.

Within walking distance of the learning center is Belmont City Hall, a former post office building that has a striking example of New Deal art on the wall: an oil-on-canvas painting that shows local hero Maj. William Chronicle gathering troops to fight at the Revolutionary War battle of Kings Mountain.

Belmont is a small town full of surprises. But you'll find them all over Gaston County.

In the county seat of Gastonia, a former textile town of about 72,000, things are looking better for a downtown that's struggled in recent years. A new Italian restaurant – Scarabelli's — recently opened on West Main Street and Tequilas restaurant remains a local favorite nearby on Main Avenue.

In neighboring Lincoln County, downtown Lincolnton offers a variety of restaurants and shopping opportunities. I enjoy browsing the stacks of used volumes at North State Books on the Court Square.

And no trip to Lincolnton is complete without a self-guided tour of the historic cemetery at St. Luke's Episcopal Church. Civil War Gen. Stephen Dodson Ramseur is buried there and so is Lt. William Shipp, who died on July 1, 1898, while leading troops up San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War.

Legend also has it that 19th century pirate Jean Lafitte may be buried in the cemetery under the name of Lorenzo Ferrer. Lafitte mysteriously disappeared in Yucatan in 1819, but some say he changed his name and moved to Charleston. According to legend, he was recognized by an old crew member and fled inland, settling in out-of-the-way Lincolnton.

Lincolnton is also changing, but it holds on to an old South charm that will make you want to come back again and again.

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