Lexington, South Carolina

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Lexington, South Carolina
settlement_type = Town
nickname =
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mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location of Lexington, South Carolina


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = South Carolina
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Lexington

government_footnotes =
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leader_title =
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unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =

area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 15.0
area_land_km2 = 14.7
area_water_km2 = 0.2
area_total_sq_mi = 5.8
area_land_sq_mi = 5.7
area_water_sq_mi = 0.1

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 9793
population_density_km2 = 665.8
population_density_sq_mi = 1724.4

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 120
elevation_ft = 394
latd = 33 |latm = 58 |lats = 52 |latNS = N
longd = 81 |longm = 13 |longs = 51 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP codes
postal_code = 29071-29073
area_code = 803
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 45-41335GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1246349GR|3
website =
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Lexington is a town in and the county seat of Lexington County, South Carolina, United States.GR|6 The population was 9,793 at the 2000 census. A special 2005 census showed that the town had a population of 14,329, an increase of 46% since the 2000 census, making it the second-largest municipality in the Columbia, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Lexington is located at coor dms|33|58|52|N|81|13|51|W|city (33.980975, -81.230839)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.8 square miles (14.9 km²), of which, 5.7 square miles (14.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (1.73%) is water.

History

The historic town of Lexington, South Carolina is a direct descendent of the old Royal township of Saxe Gotha. This township was one of eleven established in 1735 by the Colonial government of King George II to encourage settlement of backcountry South Carolina and serve as a protective buffer between powerful Indian tribes to the west and the older settled plantations of the low country. The name Saxe Gotha was in honor of the marriage of the British Prince of Wales to Princess Augusta of the German State of Saxe Gotha. The territory of colonial Saxe Gotha covered most of present day Lexington County and was traversed by two important early Indian trails, the Cherokee Path which followed roughly modern U.S. Highway #378 and the Occaneechi Path, today U.S. Highway #1. These ancient trading paths and the highways that later developed from them have had an enormous impact on the historical development of the area. Most of the early settlers came from various cantons, principalities and city-states of Germany and Switzerland. Others came down from Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Despite the disruptive Cherokee Indian War of 1760 and the "Regulator" unrest that followed, the township flourished as a largely self-sufficient area of small scale farming operations. Major crops in the 18th Century included corn, wheat, tobacco, hemp, flax, beeswax and livestock. During the American Revolution several skirmishes occurred in the area. The Battle of Tarrar Springs was fought just one mile east of Lexington on November 16, 1781. In 1785 Lexington County was established, changing the name from Saxe Gotha to Lexington in honor of the Massachusetts Revolutionary War battle. The county's first courthouse was built at Granby, located just south of present day Cayce. With the clearing of upriver lands for the spreading cotton culture, Granby became plagued with floods. The county seat was moved in 1820 when the present town of Lexington was laid out on a high, healthy sand ridge near Twelve Mile Creek. The town was known as Lexington Courthouse throughout the 19th Century since in the first few years of its existence there was only the courthouse with few residences. By 1861, when it was incorporated as a town, Lexington boasted a diverse population of lawyers, physicians, tradespeople, artisans and farmers. There were then 2 churches, several schools, a carriage factory, a saw and gristmill, a tannery, livestock yard, tin and blacksmiths, and a weekly newspaper. The major crops of the surrounding countryside were mainly cotton, corn sweet potatoes and lumber. Lexington was not a marketing center for these staples, but did serve as a retail market for manufactured goods purchased wholesale by merchants in nearby Columbia. In 1865 the town was virtually destroyed by occupying Union Army forces guarding General Sherman's western flank. The courthouse, county jail and St. Stephen's Lutheran Church were put to the torch as were most businesses and homes. The small farms with their varied crops and the lumber industry stabilized somewhat the economy of the area after Reconstruction years. The completion of the Columbia to Augusta Railroad just after the Civil War and the construction of the Lexington Textile Mill in 1890 contributed greatly to the growth of the town itself. Disastrous fires in 1894 and 1916 on Main Street resulted in the construction of brick buildings, many of which are standing today. The Town of Lexington has continued to be the political center of Lexington County, one of the fastest growing areas of the nation. With new major highways passing nearby, the town continues to experience phenomenal growth. The city will receive the Columbia Inferno ECHL franchise which will move from Columbia, South Carolina.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 9,793 people, 3,644 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/sq mi (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 th population were below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over.

Notable residents

* Lauren Caitlin Upton beauty pageant contestant and internet sensation for her response during the televised 2007 Miss Teen USA contest.
* Lacie Lybrand, Miss South Carolina USA 2006
* Nikki Haley, the first Indian American Republican elected to a state legislature
* Bob Peeler, Former Lieutenant Governor (1995-2003), Clemson University Board of Trustees

References

External links

* [http://www.justlexington.com/neighborhoods.htm Lexington SC : Directory of Neighborhoods]
* [http://www.lexingtonsouthcarolina.com/ Lexington SC : Photo Guide of Lexington]
* [http://www.lexsc.com/ Lexington SC : Town of Lexington Government Site]
* [http://www.lexington-explorer.com/ Lexington SC : business directory and community guide]