FINAL PHOTOS as demolilion began, show easl and west
wings and center portion. It may have been the last of employee
dormitories at a textile plant.
PEOPLE STOPPED TO WATCH AS ...
The Old Dorm Came Down
Tir«$ton«
SEPTEMBER • 1971
GASTONIA
NORTH CAROLINA
Cindy
AND
HER TROPHY
Textile School Plans Addition
A three-story addition to the present building is planned
for North Carolina Vocational Textile School at Belmont.
When completed, the new unit west wing and its equipment
will be valued at more than $500,000.
• • Cynthia (Cindy) Dunlevy
was named "Junior Miss Fourth
of July" in the City of Gastonia
playground and parks recreation
program during the summer.
Cindy won the preliminary
title at Firestone Playground,
taking the trophy at the Rankin
Lake finals in which seven play
ground winners competed.
Cindy is in fourth grade at
Clay Street Elementary School
this year. She is the daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Seamon Dun
levy. Her mother works in chaf
er weaving at Firestone.
In the "Little Miss" category,
Sherri Hutchins was prelimi
nary winner at Firestone Play
ground, and went on to be first
runner-up at Rankin Lake.
Sherri is the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Isaac Hutchins. Her
father works in TC twisting.
A recent state appropriation of
$270,000 confirmed the project
ed addition. The new wing, with
some 12,600 square feet of floor
space, will enable the school to
add a two-year program in the
Associate of Applied Science
Degree, in Dyeing and Finishing
Technology.
PLANS >^ior the added wing
include five laboratories and
two classrooms. Labs will be for
dye processing of yarn, woven
and knitted goods, with ap
propriate chemistry and testing
equipment; electrical controls
and instrumentation; fabric-test-
ing and evaluation; textured
yarn, and fiber identification.
It is projected that it will take
a full year of comprehensive
planning, curriculum develop
ment and equipment selection
before final plans can be com
pleted for the new program.
With at least a year for con
struction of the unit, it will be
the fall of 1973 before students
are accepted in the added pro
gram of study. NCVTS has al
ready begun teaching short
courses in the field of dyeing
and finishing.
In requesting construction
money from the state, the
school’s advisory committee and
board of trustees pledged to
match the state appropriation
by furnishing equipment for the
new facility.
Warp & Filling
Sign on door of Gastonia dis
count store: "IF YOUR THING
IS SHOPLIFTING—DON'T DO
IT HERE!
Noted in a Franklin Boule
vard cafe these hand-lettered
signs; WE HAVE CHILLY CON
CARNIE and ICE CREAM
SAND WITCHES.
One youngster, back from
summer church camp, said he
took a study course entitled
"How to Cope in the Space Age
Without Coming Unplugged."
The pigeons must have known the end was com
ing. They disappeared long ago. So departed the squir
rels in recent months. They used to romp and work in
their vast sanctuary of hickories and overhanging
willow oaks, slate roof and rugged walls.
Last to go were the vandals and vagabond-derelicts who
invited themselves in and out among the echoing walls.
It was the old Firestone Dormitory building which for
more than a half-century stood on a whole block along
Franklin Boulevard, between Firestone and Dalton.
Time took its toll. The Fire- to tumble it,” lamented another
bystander, watching as the pow
erful machines went about the
business of wrecking the once-
elegant landmark.
He, and maybe others, must
have sneaked a bit of satisfac
tion at the old building’s re
luctance to yield. (The huge
dozer broke more than one giant
cable while pulling down a
More on page 2 •
stone Foundation decided to
have it razed.
"I SAW IT RISE as a fine
structure back as the ‘Roaring
Twenties’ came in. But I never
dreamed I’d see it come down,”
said Ben Davis, retired from the
Firestone plant industrial rela
tions department.
“. . . A shame and a scandal
1
LAST TO MOVE • Watching as the old dorm was reduced to
rubble in August (from left): Harley Brockman of TC twisting;
Troy Jones, retired from shop; and Harold Freeland, spinning.
They were last tenants to move when building was closed as a
dormitory 15 years ago.
Gaston United Appeal Will Undergird 33 Services
Almost 1,000 volunteers will devote their time and
effort to the Gaston United Appeal this fall, toward
raising a record $566,819 to undergird 33 community
services during 1972. As in past years, many of the
volunteer workers will be Firestone people.
James B. Call, Firestone
Textiles Company president,
and John V. Darwin, admin
istrative assistant to the
President, are on the 46-
member board of directors of
United Community Services
of Gaston County. UCS op
erates and administers Unit
ed Appeal programs in all of
Gaston County except Bel
mont, Bessemer City and
McAdenville. These towns
have their own United Ap
peal campaigns.
THE COUNTY UA PRO
GRAM this year represents a
campaign population of 109,521,
said D. Gary L. Levinson, cam
paign president. Herbert Price
is general campaign chairman.
The Gaston United Appeal
this year will be conducted Oct.
5 through Nov. 9, with the slo
gan “If You Don’t Do It—It
Won't Get Done.”
Each year, the in-plant drive
at Firestone is in October. It is
the only general campaign of
money solicitation at this plant
during the year.
Pledges made are payable
through payroll deduction, with
the contributor choosing the
plan of payment.
Throughout the 19-year his
tory of the UA program in Gas
ton, Firestone people’s pledges
have made up a major portion of
the total goal sought in each
campaign.
This year’s largest-ever goal
is an almost $54,819 increase
over the figure last year. The
increase is called for because of
such reasons as need for im
provement of the standard,
coverage and scope of services
in 1972, and inevitable rising
costs of providing such services
through the 33 member agencies.
With the larger goal this year,
campaign workers urge more
More on page 4 •