Union Square

Union Square was listed in the Green Book as “Union Sq.” in the “Hotels” section in Gastonia from 1938-1941 and as “Union Square” in the “Hotels” section in Gastonia from 1947-1949. No street address was listed.¹

Union Square was listed in the Green Book for over a decade but little information has been uncovered about this hotel. A building by the same name, the Union Square Building, was located at 401-415 North York Street during this time period. The only African American-owned hotel found in this area during this time period thus far is the Plaza Hotel. Newspaper articles in the late 1940s sometimes made reference to the “old colored hotel,” though a street address for this hotel is never given.²

Union Square was an African American commercial district in Gastonia also known as “The Square” and the “lower section.” This district contained most of Gastonia’s Black-owned businesses and was an extremely busy area; travelers looking for resources could find them there. The Union Square complex of buildings was located in this district.³

Essay by Brandie K. Ragghianti, 2022

Notes

1. Victor Green, 1938 Green Book, 14; Victor Green, 1939 Green Book, 32; Green, 1940 Green Book, 35; Green, 1941 Green Book, 35; Victor Green, 1947 Green Book, 64; Green, 1948 Green Book, 62; Green, 1949 Green Book, 56.

2.  Hill’s 1936 Gastonia City Directory, 321, 441; Hill’s 1938 Gastonia City Directory, 354 (alphabetical listing); Hill’s 1942 Gastonia City Directory, 442 (classified listing), 528 (classified listing); Hill’s 1947 Gastonia City Directory, 732 (classified listing), 818 (street listing). For some examples of articles mentioning the “old colored hotel,” see: “Negro Woman Shot; Chester Negro Held,” The Gastonia Gazette (Gastonia, NC), October 18, 1948, digital p. 10, accessed from www.newspapers.com; multiple references were made in area newspapers during the 1940s. 

3. Emily Ramsey and Lara Ramsey, Consultants, “Planning Phase Report and Multiple Property Documentation Form for the Survey of African American Resources in Gaston County,” November 9, 2000, accessed from https://files.nc.gov/ncdcr/historic-preservation-office/survey-and-nati…. If you have additional information about this business please contact the NC African American Heritage Commission.

Did you know?

•  This entry was listed in the various Green Book editions without an address.