Groundwater & Basement Water Intrusion in Gastonia, NC

In mill village layouts that is common and it reflects how the ground was laid out rather than any later neglect. The houses were placed close together on small lots with little attention to grade, so the strips between them are flat, shaded, and lower than the yards. On clay that sheds rather than absorbs, water arrives there and stays. A shallow drain along that strip, discharging to the street, usually does more than any amount of regrading around a single house.

It changes access and it raises the stakes. A low crawl gives water an easy path in and leaves very little air space to move moisture out, and it is hard to work in, which means problems get inspected less often. Framing sits closer to damp ground. A sealed ground vapor barrier matters more in a low crawl than a tall one, and getting eyes under there once a year, in winter, is worth arranging even when it is inconvenient.

Less than in Texas and it still matters for water. These clays shed rather than absorb, which is the main effect: runoff concentrates instead of soaking in. They also hold moisture against a foundation for a long time after rain. On the pier and crawl construction common in the villages, the practical consequence is prolonged dampness under the house rather than dramatic foundation movement.