Alfred C. Kessell History Center

The Alfred C. Kessell History Center, housed in the renovated Loray Mill in Gastonia, North Carolina, tells the tale of the historic mill. From the construction of the largest textile mill in the South in 1900-1902, to the notorious workers strike of 1929 and the infamous workers strike in 1934 that halted over 100 textile mills in Gaston County, the dramatic start to the working mill concluded with its purchase by Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, which ran the mill and rebuilt the community for over 60 years. The museum features touch screen monitors that display Digital Loray, an online interactive exhibit created by UNC Chapel Hill’s Digital Innovation Lab. Also shown are artifacts of daily life for mill workers.

The Kessell History Center is a stewardship property of Preservation North Carolina.