The Gaston County Museum of Art & History opened its doors to the public on July 4, 1976, during a wave of patriotism in the United States.
This year, as the nation celebrates 250 years of independence, the museum is also celebrating 50 years of preserving the elements of the county’s history that bond residents together and putting them on display to help visitors understand the community, according to Ali Pizza, museum director.
Around the time of the American Bicentennial, Pizza said there was a renewed sense of patriotism that swept the country…