Lowell is a small city in
Gaston County, North Carolina
Gaston County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 227,943. The county seat is Gastonia. Dallas served as the original county seat from 1846 until 1911.
Gaston County is included in the C ...
, United States, located east of
Gastonia. The population was 3,526 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Lowell is located at (35.267346, -81.101210).
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of , of which , or 0.21%, is water.
The
South Fork Catawba River
The South Fork Catawba River (better known as the South Fork River) begins south of Hickory, North Carolina just northwest of the intersection of US Highway 321 and North Carolina Highway 10, at the confluence of the Henry Fork and Jacob Fork. ...
borders Lowell on the north, and the city is part of the Cramerton Watershed.
History
Lowell was incorporated in 1879. It was named after
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell () is a city in Massachusetts, in the United States. Alongside Cambridge, It is one of two traditional seats of Middlesex County. With an estimated population of 115,554 in 2020, it was the fifth most populous city in Massachusetts as of ...
, in hopes the city would become a similar textile center. The settlement dates back to 1848, when the Woodlawn Mill was built on the South Fork Catawba River. When grading was done for the
Atlanta and Richmond Air-Line Railway
Organized in 1870, the Atlanta and Richmond Air–Line Railway combined the Georgia Air Line Railroad and the Air Line Railroad in South Carolina under president Algernon S. Buford. The line was complete by 1873 but went broke the next year when ...
in 1870 and a small depot was built in the community, it was given the name "Wright's Station", because the nearest resident was William Wright.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 3,654 people, 1,305 households, and 855 families residing in the city.
2000 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 2,662 people, 1,085 households, and 748 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,011.8 people per square mile (390.8/km). There were 1,137 housing units at an average density of 432.2 per square mile (166.9/km). The racial makeup of the city was 91.40%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 6.46%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.23%
Native American, 0.64%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.19% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.09% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 1.31% of the population.
There were 1,085 households, out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 23.0% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,586, and the median income for a family was $39,143. Males had a median income of $30,750 versus $24,063 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $15,809. About 10.1% of families and 11.0% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 15.4% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Lowell is governed by a mayor and a five-member city council. It is run by a full-time City Manager. Lowell operates its own Police Department. Fire protection is provided by the Lowell Volunteer Fire Department (Station 17).
Lowell is in
South Point Township.
Education
Public education in Lowell is administered by the
Gaston County Schools
Gaston County Schools is a public school district located in Gaston County, North Carolina. With 30,046 students enrolled in 56 schools as of the 2021–22 academic year, it is the tenth largest public school district in North Carolina.
Scho ...
public school system. The public schools in Lowell are Lowell Elementary School, Kindergarten through Grade 5, and Holbrook Middle School, Grades 6–8.
Most of Lowell is in the attendance district for Lowell Elementary School. Southeastern parts of the city are in the attendance district for McAdenville Elementary School in
McAdenville, and a small area in southwestern Lowell is in the attendance distinct for Gardner Park Elementary School in
Gastonia. All of the city is in the attendance district for Holbrook Middle School.
High school-age students attend
Ashbrook High School in Gastonia.
New middle school and high school facilities are currently under construction at the Lowell campus. In the meantime, the school has been renting facilities for the middle school and high school programs at the former campus of Sacred Heart College in Belmont since 1994.
The Lowell Branch of the Gaston County Public Library serves this community.
Transportation
The primary east–west highway passing through Lowell is
Interstate 85
Interstate 85 (I-85) is a major Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with I-65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus is an interchange with I-95 in Petersburg, Virginia, n ...
. Other important highways include
U.S. Route 29
U.S. Route 29 (US 29) is a north–south United States highway that runs for from Pensacola, Florida to the western suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland in the Southern United States, connecting the Florida Panhandle to the Baltimore-Washington me ...
/
U.S. Route 74
U.S. Route 74 (US 74) is an east–west United States highway that runs for from Chattanooga, Tennessee to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Primarily in North Carolina, it serves as an important highway from the mountains to the ...
(Wilkinson Blvd./Franklin Blvd.) and
North Carolina Highway 7
North Carolina Highway 7 (NC 7) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Entirely within Gaston County, it connects the towns of Lowell, McAdenville, and Belmont with the city of Gastonia.
Route description Gast ...
(McAdenville Rd./3rd St./Main St./1st St./Lowell Rd.).
Freight rail service is provided by the
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31 ...
. While
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
's passenger train also follows the Norfolk Southern main line, the nearest station is in Gastonia.
Points of interest
* George Poston Park is located northwest of Lowell on Lowell-Spencer Mountain Road. This Gaston County-operated park includes a playground, four lighted softball/little league fields, four lighted soccer fields, and a mountain bike trail. Next to the park is an abandoned chemical plant that produced dyes and pigments. The facility was turned into a superfund site after many leaks with the on site wastewater treatment plant. The plant was last owned by Yorkshire Americas Inc and was sold to Lowell Investments LLC when Yorkshire Americas went out of business. The site was built in the late fifties and lays abandoned.
* The Lowell Teacherage at 503 W. First St. in Lowell is a Designated Gaston County Historic Property. It was built in 1924 to house teachers when the local school was in session.
Notable people
*
Wilbur Howard
Wilbur Leon Howard (January 8, 1949 – December 17, 2022) was an American outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Milwaukee Brewers (1973) and the Houston Astros (1974–1978).
Howard was selected in the 19th round of the 1969 ...
(born 1949),
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
player for
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
and
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
*
Whitey Lockman
Carroll Walter "Whitey" Lockman (July 25, 1926 – March 17, 2009) was a left-handed hitting first baseman and outfielder, coach, manager and front office executive in Major League Baseball.
Playing career
Born in Lowell, North Carolina, Lockman ...
(1926-2009),
MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
player, primarily with the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
;
1954 World Series
The 1954 World Series matched the National League champion New York Giants against the American League champion Cleveland Indians. The Giants swept the Series in four games to win their first championship since , defeating the heavily favored Ind ...
champion; managed
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Cities in North Carolina
Cities in Gaston County, North Carolina
Populated places established in 1850
1850 establishments in North Carolina