History

History

Lexington had its beginning on January 24, 1820 with the purchase of 2 acres of land for the establishment of a new courthouse and jail for Lexington County. The Town was called “Lexington Courthouse” until 1900.

National Register of Historic Places

The Ballentine-Shealy House
Bank of Western Carolina
W. Q. M. Berly House
William Berly House
Lemuel Boozer House
C.E. Corley House
Fox House
Gunter-Summers House
James Harman Building
Ernest L. Hazelius House
John Solomon Hendrix House
John Jacob Hite Farm
Home National Bank,
Lexington County Courthouse
Henry Lybrand Farm
Maj. Henry A. Meetze House
Old Batesburg-Leesville High School
Charlton Rauch House
David Rawl House
Simmons-Harth House
James Stewart House
Vastine Wessinger House

TIMELINE

  • 1821 – 1st of 4 courthouses in Town, constructed of wood, was built on the northwest corner of Main Street and North Lake Drive.
  • 1822 – Village was composed of the frame courthouse, the jail, 2 stores, a tavern, a blacksmith shop and 3 dwellings.
  • 1831 – St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church was constructed as the Town’s 1st church.
  • 1838 – 2nd courthouse and jail constructed of granite covered with stucco.
  • 1853 – Town’s 1st newspapers, The Lexington Telegraph and The Lexington Flag were established. The Lexington Flag continued until burned in 1865.
  • January 28, 1861 – A Municipal Charter was issued to the Town.
  • February 15, 1865 – Town burned by Federal troops under Major General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick.
  • 1870 – The Lexington Dispatch newspaper was founded by Godfrey M. Harmon.
  • 1890 – Lexington Manufacturing Company was organized as a textile mill with W.P. Roof as president. Mr. Roof established Lexington Savings Bank, the Town’s 1st bank.
  • 1898 – Telephones arrived with the formation of the Citizens Telephone Company .
  • 1901 – Town business’ included 3 drug stores, 1 grocery, 2 hotels, 3 hardware stores, 3 dry goods stores, 3 general merchandise stores, 1 furniture store, a millinery shop, a livery stable, a bank, a State whiskey dispensary, 2 physicians, 1 dentist. A Town well stood at the intersection of Main and Church Streets. At the train depot (on Highway #6 at the railroad tracks) were 2 general stores, 2 fertilizer warehouses, a cotton warehouse and passenger/freight building.
  • 1911 – Electricity for lighting was made available.
  • 1912 – Lexington Public School (on North Lake Drive) opened.
  • 1916 – On March 28th fire destroyed all but 4 buildings in the Town’s business district.
  • 1927 – Municipal water system began operation.
  • 1928 – U.S. Highway #1 was paved through town.
  • 1930 – Lake Murray Dam reservoir project was completed.
  • 1938 – The Old Town Hall, with its fire bell and old jail, was torn down.
  • 1940 – Present courthouse dedicated after 1939 completion.
  • 1973 – The 1st female Town Council Member, Maureen Macaulay, was elected.
  • 1976 – The Council form of government was adopted under the Home Rule Act.
  • April 30, 1993 – The new Lexington Town Hall on Maiden Lane was opened.
  • September 12, 1993 – Virginia Hylton Park was dedicated.
  • August 16, 1994 – A tornado tore a path through downtown Lexington.
  • 1997 – On February 11, Richard Thompson became the first African-American elected to the Town Council.
  • April 6, 2003 – The new Police Headquarters on Maiden Lane opened.
  • October 17, 2004 – The new Lexington Municipal Complex at 111 Maiden Lane was dedicated.
  • July 22, 2007 – Gibson Pond Park was officially opened.
  • May 15, 2008 – The restored Palmetto Collegiate Institute and the Leonard L. Price Gardens surrounding it were officially opened.
  • June 14, 2009 – Willie B. Caractor Park was officially opened.
  • September 2012 – Lexington Square at the corner of East Main Street and South Lake Drive opened.
  • April 13, 2014 – Lexington Paw Park was officially opened.
  • September 30, 2014 – The 14 Mile Creek Trail was officially opened.
  • October 2015 – The Town was devastated by historic floods which destroyed the dams at the Old Mill Pond and Gibson Pond Park.
  • 2043 – On January 15, the 50 year old time capsule placed in the Town Hall at 111 Maiden Lane will be opened.

HERE Lexington

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