The Home Builders Association of Gaston County was officially chartered in August 1966, with a membership of just 37.  In the last forty plus years, the GCHBA has grown significantly, at times, boasting over 350 members, and significantly contributed to the community and the Gaston County economy. 

Major milestones in the GCHBA’s history:

In the1960s…

• Abundant labor and low tax rates created a housing boom.

• GCHBA membership started to really grow in 1969 when membership contests were introduced.

In the 1970s…

• The GCHBA made its presence known in the community by voicing concerns to the Gastonia City Council about ending free water and sewer line extensions.

• The GCHBA continued in this vein when it advocated for private contractors; the home builders insisted that the City of Gastonia also collect bids from private contractors for local government building projects, per the law. The GCHBA threatened to sue the City of Gastonia for taking work away from private contractors by violating the law on the bidding process for the auditorium addition at the Schiele Museum (President Sam Pierce earned a second presidential term for his advocacy on this important subject).

• Major downtown renewal began; streets were improved, and older stores were given a facelift.

• The GCHBA took great pride in member Robert Heavner earning recognition from the North Carolina Home Builders Association in 1976, for designing and building an energy efficient home, which won the NCHBA's  “Best Designed Home Award."

• In 1978, President John Brison spearheaded a massive growth initiative, and membership jumped 67 percent to include 180 members.

In the1980s…

• The 1980s were greeted by housing shortages and high interest rates, but the GCHBA continued to grow and act as a positive force in the community.

• Member J. Watts Roberson was elected President of the North Carolina Home Builders Association in 1982.

• The GCHBA, along with Duke Energy, sponsored a One-Day Weatherization Program for the elderly in 1983. Volunteers caulked openings in exterior walls, weather-stripped doors and windows, and insulated electrical outlets free of charge.

• In that same year, GCHBA member Luby Wood built a solar home (a new way of heating and cooling homes).
 
• In 1985, membership increased to 197, and by 1986, membership jumped to 268.  Such growth helped the GCHBA become recognized as an authority on the building industry in Gaston County.

• For the first time, membership broke the 300 mark with 305 members in 1989.
 
• The GCHBA also purchased land at 1418 South York Road in 1989.  The organization paid $80,000 for the land, which would be used to build new offices.

In the1990s…

• The GCHBA, with 319 members, welcomed its first female president, Barbara Robinson, in 1990.

• The GCHBA celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1991, and also hosted its first Parade of Homes in September of that year.

• By 1992, the GCHBA recognized the importance of publicity and began emphasizing its public relations more by creating a Sales & Marketing Committee.

• A Builder/Realtor Coalition was formed in 1993 to enhance the working relationship between these two professional groups.

• The GCHBA achieved a monumental success in 1995 when its highly successful home show and Parade of Homes event made it possible to pay off the office building (just six years after the land was purchased).

• In 1995, the GCHBA hosted its First Community Service Golf Tournament, which raised $5,000 for the Gaston County Cancer Society.

• That same year, the GCHBA teamed up with Chamber of Commerce to host the Parade of Playhouses and raised over $7,000 for Dollars for Scholars.