Lexington, South Carolina

History

In 1735, the colonial government of King George II established eleven townships in backcountry South Carolina, to encourage settlement, and to provide a buffer between Native American tribes to the West and colonial plantations in the Lowcountry. The townships included one named Saxe Gotha, which flourished with major crops of corn, wheat, tobacco, hemp, and flax, as well as beeswax and livestock.

The Battle of Tarrar Springs was fought nearby on November 16, 1781. In 1785, Saxe Gotha was replaced with Lexington County, in commemoration of the Battles of Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. The county's first courthouse was built in Granby, but chronic flooding forced the courthouse to move in 1820 to its present location, establishing the community of Lexington Courthouse. The community was incorporated as the Town of Lexington in 1861.

In 1865 Union Army forces destroyed the courthouse and many buildings in the town. But local farms and the lumber industry helped stabilize the economy after Reconstruction. The town grew due to the Columbia to Augusta Railroad and the Lexington Textile Mill, constructed in 1890.

Many current brick buildings were built in the aftermath of severe fires in 1894 and 1916.

The Move Over Law, a law that requires drivers to change lanes when there is a stopped emergency vehicle on the side of the road, originated in Lexington, SC, after a South Carolina Paramedic, James D. Garcia, was struck and injured at an accident scene on Jan. 28, 1994. Garcia was listed at fault, leading to his work to create this law. SC's version (SC 56-5-1538) passed in 1996, and was revised in 2002.

A Murphy Express gas station on Augusta Highway in Lexington, SC sold a $400 million winning Powerball ticket on September 18, 2013. This ticket was the fifth largest winning ticket of any United States lottery.

On November 5, 2013, incumbent Lexington mayor Randy Halfacre lost a reelection bid to Councilman Steve MacDougall by only 18 votes. A recount was initiated but the results remained the same.

Buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. include:

Geography

Lexington is located at 33°58′52″N 81°13′51″W (33.980975, -81.230839).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 8.8 square miles (23 km²), of which 8.7 square miles (23 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) (1.73%) is water.

Lexington is 12 mi (19 km) away from South Carolina's state capital and largest city, Columbia.

Climate

The lowest recorded temperature in Lexington was −2 °F (−19 °C) in February 1899. The warmest recorded temperature was 111 °F (44 °C) in June 2012. July averages the most yearly precipitation. Lexington averages 48 in (1.2 m) of rain per year; Lexington averages 4 in (10 cm) of snow per year.

Top employers

According to the Town's 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Transportation

The CMRTA no longer runs any stops within town limits. There are no public transportation options, but taxi services are available.

Interstates

U.S. Routes

S.C. Highways

Sights

Slightly north of the relatively affluent town of Lexington rests one of South Carolina's major lakes, Lake Murray. The lake is held by a 1.7 mile long dam which people are free to drive, bike, run, or walk across. The Saluda Dam, or Lake Murray Dam, provides electricity for the surrounding area and is a beacon for the Midlands of South Carolina. There is also a public swimming area that is open during the summer months on the Lexington side of the dam.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 17,870 people, 8,101 households, and 2,558 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,724.4 people per square mile (665.7/km²). There were 4,025 housing units at an average density of 708.7 per square mile (273.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 83.88% White, 12.48% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 2.05% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.91% of the population.

There were 3,644 households out of which 40.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.8% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the town, the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 39.6% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 7.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $53,865, and the median income for a family was $65,694. Males had a median income of $44,883 versus $29,020 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,416. About 5.2% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over.

Schools

Listed below are public schools that have an address labeled in Lexington, South Carolina.

Elementary Schools:

Middle Schools:

High Schools:

Neighboring Towns and Cities

This is a list of municipalities within 15 miles of the town center of Lexington, SC:

Traffic

Since Lexington continues to grow at a rapid pace, the roads are unequipped to handle the heavy amounts of traffic. The Lexington Town Council approved the Unified Traffic Improvement Plan in April 2005, which is supported by $14.5 million through state and federal funding.

Notable people