In Rutherfordton, North Carolina, the site of Gilbert Town preserves the remains of an important Revolutionary War-era settlement. From 1776 to 1783, Gilbert Town was a trading center and a focal point of regional wartime activity, serving as a camp for both Patriot and Loyalist forces in the divided backcountry. The community included the William Gilbert House and buildings essential to frontier life and commerce, such as a store, tavern, mill, and blacksmith shop. From 1781 to 1783, it also served briefly as the Rutherford County Courthouse. Along Rock Road on the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, the site offers evidence of frontier trade, local government, and wartime life in western North Carolina.