McAdenville, North Carolina

McAdenville, also known as Christmas Town USA, is a small town in Gaston County, North Carolina, United States. It is a suburb of both Charlotte and Gastonia. The population was 651 at the 2010 census.HistoryA Christmas tradition in the town for many years has been the decorating of the entire town in Christmas lights. The event is called Christmas Town USA. The Christmas Town USA contains 375 lit trees and over 200 wreaths attached to city light poles. The lights attract visitors from all over the country and is one of the biggest light shows in the US. Begun in 1956 with the assistance of Pharr Yarns, the largest employer and land owner in the town, many trees and buildings in the town are covered in Christmas lights and some form of decoration. More than 300,000 vehicles visit each year. The lights are entirely maintained by volunteers from the community, and no admission is charged. Pharr Yarns picks up the electric bill for the event.McAdenville was incorporated in 1881. It was named after Rufus Yancey McAden, president of McAden Mills, the town's textile mill. McAden had served in the North Carolina House of Commons from 1862 to 1867, and was Speaker of the House in 1866. He came to Charlotte in 1867 to become president of the two-year-old First National Bank.The McAdenville Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.