A new 55+ community is going up outside Charlotte, North Carolina, and the developer promises it will be a place “Where Patriotism Lives.”
“Our vision is to combine the elements of American patriotism, homeownership as the American dream, and the founding ideals of our country,” developer Brock Fankhauser told WSOC. “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Called “1776 Gastonia,” the 43 plots in Gaston County will be sold only to people who agree to fly the American flag from the front of their new homes, the Daily Mail reports.
(Video: YouTube)
According to Fankhauser, residents will need to agree to “1776 Standards” — a “pledge that residents cherish the country and embrace the Constitution as the founding document,” WSOC states.
Pledge aside, Fankhauser stressed that people from all backgrounds and political affiliations are welcome.
“It’s very important to us that this not be presented as a political movement, because it’s not,” he said. “We are not beholden to any political figures and any political parties.”
The website touts the community’s “shared values.”
“[O]ur shared values include American Patriotism and a deep love and appreciation of this great nation,” the developer states. “We value the great history of America and embrace the Founding Fathers vision of a more perfect union. At 1776®, we strive to contribute to a more perfect union while promoting liberty and freedom, living life to the fullest and doing so in a constant pursuit of happiness.”
It’s not just “a low-maintenance housing community,” the site says, 1776 Gastonia is “part of a movement that celebrates American Patriotism.”
“Neighbors of all walks of life coming together to celebrate our rich history and to plant the seeds of liberty so that future generations can continue to enjoy the American Spirit,” is “the essence of The 1776® Community.”
Street names in the development reflect its spirit, according to the Daily Mail: “Betsy Ross Drive,” “Paul Revere Drive,” and “Constitution Lane.”
Prices start at $450,000, with land parcels ranging from $17,500 to $75,000, and patriotic residents — all apprised of the HOA requirements — are expected to start moving in next year, WSOC reports.
“E pluribus unum, out of many, one” Fankhauser said. “My hope is years from now, people who live in these communities, that is their mantra, e pluribus unum.”
Fankhauser plans to build similar communities around the country, and in each development, one home will be gifted to an injured veteran, mortgage-free and at no cost through the nonprofit Building Homes for Heroes, according to The Guardian.
In North Carolina, the word of potential buyers is their bond.
“There is no screening process that’s different than how one would buy a home in any other neighborhood,” Fankhauser told The Guardian. “We’re only as strong as the pledges that individual homeowners make to one another.”
Naturally, many on the left are already attempting to paint the planned community as a haven for White Supremacists.
Fankhauser’s brand, American studies professor Ben Railton explained to The Guardian, is an example of “mythic patriotism,” which “creates and celebrates a mythologized, white supremacist vision of American history and identity.”
It is this kind of thinking, he said, that led to the January 6 “insurrection.”
Online, while many liberal heads are exploding over 1776 Gastonia, the idea of a community of like-minded people is receiving a lot of support from conservatives.
“I SAY HELL YEAH!” exclaimed one Twitter user.
GASTONIA, N.C. — A new community in Gastonia, North Carolina, set to welcome new residents by early 2024, is causing quite a stir online.
The 43-home neighborhood called 1776 Gastonia has just completed its infrastructure. The made-to-order homes will be available for purchase… pic.twitter.com/9nPoCO6Q4p
— ❤️UltraMagaUsArmyVet❤️ (@td92518) July 8, 2023
“I absolutely ♥️ this!” said another.
“This is America!” the user stated. “Flying the flag and showing Patriotism! God Bless America!”
I absolutely ♥️ this! Even the name of the community is called “1776 Gastonia”. This is America! Flying the flag and showing Patriotism!
God Bless America! pic.twitter.com/q7JyubTYPN— ᴊᴀᴄᴋ ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀ (@AmericazOutlaw) July 8, 2023
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Melissa Fine is the former executive editor of Casino Player, Strictly Slots, and Poker
Digest magazines. She is a UCLA graduate, news junkie, and dedicated Stargate SG-
1 fan. Melissa currently lives with her dog and two cats in a tiny town in the Sierra
Nevada foothills.
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