About Us
Welcome to the beautiful York Chester Community
Our Association’s neighborhood boundaries are defined by those found in the National Historic District designation which includes all of the locally designated historic district. Roughly, we are bounded on the north by the nationally and locally designated historic downtown Gastonia, to the east by the locally designated Oakland design district, to the west by the nationally designated Loray Mill district, and to the south by the locally designated Brookwood district.
Visit our page "Historic Board" to discover more about our Association and the work of its committees!
In addition to the work of our board and committees, here are two other opportunities to get involved in York Chester!
Historic District Commission
This group falls under the Gastonia Planning department umbrella and meets on the fourth Thursday of each month at 6:30 PM in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 181 South Street, Gastonia, North Carolina. They process applications for Certificates of Appropriateness (COA) for homes in all local historic districts. Certificates are usually needed to avoid penalties when work is performed on properties in the district. Certificate applications as well as a guideline handbook is available at city hall, or online at www.cityofgastonia.com. City planning department staff liason is Cherie Jzar. Commissioners are appointed to three-year terms by city council.
York Chester Neighborhood Watch
This group falls under the citywide Gastonia Community Watch umbrella and coordinates block watch efforts and serves as a community liason with our city police. Meetings are held throughout the year at various locations. To get involved, contact the Gastonia Community Watch Association.
Our Association’s purpose and goals are
- to serve as an advocate for preserving the integrity, aesthetics, and character of the area and its historic structures;
- to protect the environment and natural features of the area;
- to encourage the preservation and enhance the character of the area as a desirable historic neighborhood;
- to foster the improvement through a comprehensive process of revitalization that seeks to protect, enhance and promote urban living and the architectural and community heritage of the neighborhood;
- to encourage persons to restore, and improve homes in the area;
- to cooperate with other historical, educational, cultural, civic and philanthropic organizations and individuals who are interested in the history and architectural heritage of the neighborhood;
and - to promote neighborliness through social and cultural activities.
