Historic Walking Tour
This walking tour takes you to 23 historically significant locations in downtown Gibsonville, including historic homes, downtown buildings and other important sites.
“City of Roses”
Welcome to our town, we hope you enjoy your walk back through time. (See route map below).
Littleberry “Berry” Davidson (1831-1915) pictured
Berry Davidson was Gibsonville’s leading citizen as well as the major industrialist who built the two mills in
town and transformed this agricultural shipping station into a small industrial town. He served as Mayor from 1907 to
1911, and lost to his son DM Davidson in 1913.
Map shown is of downtown in 1918 before Main Street was extended west from the Greens.
When NC 100 was paved in 1922, Main Street was extended west and the underpass was excavated by mule teams
for the NCRR tracks on Whitset Street.
(Note: Red Caboose now sits where the old depot was located.
GIBSONVILLE HISTORY
Gibsonville did not exist before Joseph Gibson, a local farmer, provided grading services in 1851 for the newly formed NCRR Company. The first train arrived on October 9, 1855 and the depot was named Gibsonville in his honor. On February 18, 1871 the town was issued a charter by the legislature.
In 1886 Berry Davidson built the Minneola textile mill on Railroad Avenue. He then built the Hiawatha textile mill on Eugene St in 1893. These mills transformed Gibsonville from an agricultural shipping station into a small town with an industrial base.
On May 19, 1920 the Gibsonville Development Company was founded by leading citizens A. B. Owens, J.W. Burke, and D. M. Davidson (son of Berry Davidson), plus PL Kivette later. These men were responsible for creating the town’s telephone exchange, Bank, Drug Store ( Reno’s now), and the Gibsonville Hosiery Mill on Apple St, plus several houses. They also sold coal and milk.
The town’s population grew slowly from 111 people in 1890 to 8900 in 2022. Most of the rapid growth occurred after 1970 when there were only 2024 residents.
When the mills closed in the 1980’s the town slowly transformed itself into a commuter residential community for the Burlington and Greensboro metro area.
Gibsonville has been know as the “City of Roses” since at least 1920 when train passengers could see the large number of rose bushes along the railroad tracks at the Minneola Mill.
The population is now over 8900 friendly people who live in a small town with a calm pace of life.
Be sure to visit our Gibsonville Museum & Historical Society web site at www.gmhsi.org for more information.
View the Historic Walking Tour Brochure
9 x 12 Walking Tour.pdf