Lexington, North Carolina

Lexington is a city in the state of North Carolina, United States. It is near the larger city of Winston-Salem. As of 2020, 19,632 people live in the city. History People from Europe first moved to the area in 1775. The town is named after the city of Lexington, Massachusetts, where the first battle of the American Revolutionary War happened. Lexington became a city in 1828. Until the late 1990s, Lexington's economy was based on textile and furniture manufacturing. Since then, most local manufacturers have moved their production facilities to Asia and Mexico to reduce costs. This caused most textile and furniture factories to close, creating economic difficulties in the area. The oldest remaining house in Lexington is The Homestead, built by Dr. William Rainey Holt (1798–1868), a physician born in Alamance County. Dr. Holt was the President of the North Carolina Agricultural Society and was one of the first to introduce purebred livestock to North Carolina. Local Culture Barbecue Lexington calls itself the "Barbecue Capital of the World". Starting in 1984, the city has the Lexington Barbecue Festival each year, one of the largest street festivals in North Carolina. In 2012, the US News and World Report ranked Lexington as #4 on its list of the best cities for barbecue. Lexington-style barbecue is made with pork shoulder cooked slowly over a hardwood fire, usually hickory wood. It is served with a sauce made with vinegar, ketchup, water, salt, pepper and other spices. There are many different way to make this sauce, mild, tangy, sweet or spicy. Pigs in the City Pigs in the City is a public art display managed by Uptown Lexington, Inc., a non-profit organization that has the goal of increasing the usage of the downtown area of Lexington. Pigs in the City began in 2003 and 40,000 visitors from all over the state came to see the event in the first year. Since 2006, the event has been held every year. There are usually 20 or more of these statues on display during the event. Companies pay $1,000 each to sponsor one of the pigs, which pays for the event. High Rock Lake High Rock Lake is the second largest lake in North Carolina and located near Lexington. Its water surface covers 15,180 acres (61 km2) and there are 365 miles (587 km) of shoreline. It begins where the Yadkin River and the South Yadkin River come together. High Rock Lake has long been considered one of the best fishing lakes of North Carolina. There have been a number of national fishing tournaments held at the lake, such as Bassmaster Tournaments, like the Bassmaster Classic in 1994, 1995, 1997 and 2007. The lake has large numbers of fish, including channel, blue, and flathead catfish, plus crappie and several different sunfish such as bluegill, shellcracker and others. Striper and their hybrids as well as white bass are also abundant. The lake is best known for its quantity and quality of largemouth bass. The Bob Timberlake Gallery The Bob Timberlake Gallery is in Lexington. It opened in 1997, and features original artwork, reproductions, personal memorabilia, as well as home furnishings from the artist Bob Timberlake. Geography Lexington is in the Piedmont. It is centered at 35°49'0" North, 80°15'31" West (35.816768, -80.258643), in the valley of the Yadkin River. Lexington is 11 miles (18 km) northeast of High Rock Lake, part of the Yadkin-Pee Dee chain of lakes in central North Carolina. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.2 square miles (50 km2), which is all land. It is bordered to the north and west by Interstate 85 Business, to the south and east by Interstate 85. Both interstates come together just southwest of the city. Additionally, 4 U.S. Highway Routes, U.S. Route 29, U.S. Route 64, U.S. Route 52, U.S. Route 70 and state highways NC Highway 8 and NC Highway 47 intersect the city. Climate Thunderstorms are common during the spring and summer months, including some severe storms. Being in central North Carolina, between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mid-Atlantic coast, Lexington has a humid subtropical climate, with moderate temperatures during spring and autumn and warm to hot summers. Winters are relatively mild and wet with highs typically in the 40s to 50s and overnight lows averaging just below freezing. Demographics As of the census of 2020, there were 19,632 people in the city, organized into 7,832 households. This represents a population increase of 701 persons, or 3.7%, when compared to the 2010 census. The median age is 39.2 years for all persons (37.7 for females, 40.6 for males). Of the total population, 19.2% are at least 65 years old, 22.0% are under the age of 18, with the remaining 58.8% of the population being from 18 to 64. Males comprise 47.9% and females make up 52.1% of the total population. Whites (non-Latino) make up 46.3% of the total population, African-Americans (non-Latino) make up 27.6%, Hispanics or Latinos make up 17.6%, and Asians represent 3.0% of the population. 4.3% of the population identifies itself as Two or more races, non-Latino. Other races each represent less than 1% each of the total population. Of the total 7,832 households, 4,685 are considered Family households, and 2,338 have children under 18. The average household size is 2.51 persons. There are 8,906 total housing units, of which the 7,832 are households, for an occupancy rate of 87.9%. Of these households, 45.1% are owner-occupied, while 54.9% are renters. As of 2022, the median (middle) income for a household in the city was $36,868, and the median income for a family was $41,044. The per capita income for the city was $19,595. 17.3% of families and 21.0% of the population are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 31.6% of those under the age of 18 and 11.8% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. The global outsourcing of textile and furniture manufacturing has damaged Lexington's economy. Notable people Bob Timberlake, local artist, Robert Sink, Lieutenant General for the United States Army during World World II. Sink was portrayed in the television miniseries Band of Brothers by Captain Dale Dye. Johnny Temple, 6 time All-Star and former MLB 2nd Baseman for the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles, and Houston Colt .45s Perry Tuttle, former NFL wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Falcons, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers Deems May, former NFL tight end for the San Diego Chargers and the Seattle Seahawks Mike Dillon, former NASCAR Busch Series race car driver. Spotter for RCR driver Clint Bowyer Terry McMillan, musician Rick Terry, NFL defensive tackle for the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers. Richard "The Old Man" Harrison of the famous reality TV Show Pawn Stars. Josh Williams of the band Your Name In Vain Tragic Hero Records. Images gallery References Other websites Official website Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce Lexington Tourism Authority Archived 2012-04-05 at the Wayback Machine Lexington's Annexation About Lexington's annexation Archived 2008-05-17 at the Wayback Machine Uptown Lexington, Inc. Arts United for Davidson County Archived 2008-02-08 at the Wayback Machine Lexington's Barbecue Festival Archived 2012-06-15 at the Wayback Machine Davidson Co. Tourism and Recreation Images and Feature Articles Archived 2014-05-17 at the Wayback Machine Photographs of Lexington buildings from the Library of Congress "Built in America" collection