Crowder's Mountain

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Crowders Mountain

Crowder's Mountain is one of two main peaks within Crowder's Mountain State Park, the other peak being King's Pinnacle. The park is located in the western Piedmont of North Carolina between the cities of King's Mountain and Gastonia or about 25 miles west of Charlotte. Crowder's Mountain abruptly rises nearly 800 feet above the surrounding terrain, and has an elevation of 1,625 feet (495 meters) above sea level.

The mountain was named after Ulrich Crowder, a German merchant and farmer who in 1789 purchased the mountain and surrounding land before moving west. Crowder's Mountain and nearby King's Pinnacle once served as markers to separate the hunting grounds of the Catawba and Cherokee Indians.

In the early 1970's plans were made to develop and excavate the mountain for kyanite, a mineral used to make porcelain. This led the city council of Gastonia, North Carolina and other concerned citizens to purchase the mountain from developers and give it to the state government.

In 1974 the State of North Carolina created Crowders Mountain State Park. The mountain presents sheer rock cliffs which are 100 - 150 feet in height, and which are popular among rock climbers. Several hiking trails lead to the mountain's summit, from which it is possible to view the skyscrapers of nearby Charlotte, North Carolina on a clear day.

[edit] Communications center

One of the first FM radio stations in North Carolina, Gastonia's WGNC-FM, erected a transmission tower on Crowder's Mountain in the late 1940s. Today three radio towers are located on the mountain. The transmitters are located within a 13,000-square-foot plot of land on the summit that remains privately owned. In addition to commercial radio, the towers relay signals for wireless phone companies, railroads and local emergency services.

On June 19, 2007, the Gastonia City Council denied a request to add 107 feet to a 143-foot communications tower on Crowder's Mountain. Crown Castle International had requested the change to allow the signal of a Spanish-language radio station in Gaffney, South Carolina, to reach Charlotte.

The council cited concerns that the taller tower would damage views of the mountain and that construction equipment would harm the mountain's environment.

The tallest tower on the mountain is owned by CBS Communications and rises 268 feet.