HISTORIC DOWNTOWNÂ "RAIL" THEME
The Historic Downtown district has the inspiration theme of "Rail." Below is more information about the district.
In 1870, the Richmond & Danville Railroad, a predecessor of Southern Railway, organized the Atlanta and Richmond Air-line for the purpose of building a line from Charlotte to Atlanta. In 1871, John Garibaldi, a Mecklenberg County ironworker, built a wooden water tank near this spot as a water stop, also with a wood yard to fire the locomotives. In Sept 1873, the rail line was completed. The addition of this significant infrastructure opened up this otherwise insulated peninsula and spurred growth at this rail stop, which became known as Garibaldi Station, or as the locals affectionately called it... “Baldy.“ Garibaldi station was renamed Belmont (meaning Bell of the Mountains or Beautiful Mountain) in 1886.
Trains have long been a feature inherent in Belmont’s culture. And although no longer with active fueling or passenger stations, current day Belmont still has its share of trains and train watchers.
CHRONICLE DISTRICT "INNOVATION" THEME
The Chronicle district has the inspiration theme of "Innovation." Below is more information about the district.
The Chronicle Mill, named in honor of Major William Chronicle - a revolutionary war hero whose family home once stood on the Chronicle mill property, was organized in 1901 and was a result of investment and vision by entrepreneurs in the textile industry. In 1906, the first air-conditioning system in the South was installed at Chronicle Cotton Mills. The Chronicle Mill saw the beginning of the town's rise as one of the premiere cotton manufacturing centers. The near future saw the organization of numerous mills in Belmont, changing it from a rural community to an urbanized manufacturing town. In 1900, Belmont had a population of 145 people. By 1930, Belmont had grown to a town with twenty mills and a population of 3,793. At the peak of the textile boom, 60% of the town's workers were employed by the mills and lived in the community surrounding the mill.
Today, this district is home to TechWorks of Gaston County, a technology-driven innovation center. TechWorks of Gaston County offers in-house coding classes and other training in coordination with area colleges and universities in order to foster a local workforce that meets the challenges of our ever growing digital economy.
RIVER DISTRICT "WATER" THEME
The Chronicle District has the inspiration theme of "Water." Below is more information about the district.
The City of Belmont is located at the northern end of a large peninsula of land surrounded by the Catawba River to the east, Lake Wylie to the south, and the South Fork of the Catawba River to the west. Today our residents enjoy the abundance of outdoor, active lifestyle options this location provides with a marina, a public launch, a rowing center, and a riverside park. Many residences are newly renovated mill homes or converted mill lofts. It also contains a converted mill with over 60,000 square feet of antique shopping from over 300 vendors.