November 1st 2010
Lexington SC History
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Lexington, SC located in the midlands was established in 1735 by the Colonial government of King George II to encourage settlement in the back country in South Carolina and to offer a buffer between the Indian Tribes and settled coastal areas known as the low country. The area was named Saxe Gotha in honor of the marriage of the King's son, Frederick Louis Prince of Wales, to Princess Augusta of the German Duchy of Saxe-Gotha.
Colonial Saxe Gotha was located over most of present day Lexington County This area was traversed by two early Indian trails. The Cherokee Path is very close to what is now U.S. Highway 378 and the Occaneechi Path, today U.S. Highway #1. These indian trading paths had a great impact on the development of the area. Many early settlers came from Germany and Switzerland while others came from Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Although the Cherokee Indian War of 1760 and the "Regulator" unrest was a great disturbance, the township grew into a self-sufficient area of farming operations. The majority of the crops produced in this area were corn, wheat, tobacco, hemp, flax, beeswax and livestock.
At the time of the American Revolution several battles occurred in this area. The Battle of Tarrar Springs was fought just one mile east of Lexington on November 16, 1781.
It was in 1785 Lexington County was established and changed its name from Saxe Gotha to Lexington. This name change was in honor of the Massachusetts Revolutionary War battle. The county built its first courthouse at Granby, which was located south of present day Cayce.
Granby became plagued with floods due to the clearing of upriver lands. In 1820 the District Seat was moved to the present town of Lexington. The town was then known as Lexington Courthouse because in the first several years there was only the courthouse and a few residences.
In 1861 it was incorporated as a town and Lexington boasted a diverse population of farmers, lawyers, physicians, artisans and tradesmen. At this time there were then churches, schools, a carriage factory, a saw and gristmill, a tannery, livestock yard, blacksmiths, and a newspaper. Lexington did serve as a retail market for manufactured goods purchased wholesale by merchants in nearby Columbia.
In 1865 the Union Army forces nearly destroyed the town while they occupied the area to guard General Sherman's western flank. The courthouse, jail and St. Stephen's Lutheran Church were torched as well as many businesses and homes.
For years small farms and the lumber industry were the economy of the area. The completion of the Columbia to Augusta Railroad and the newly constructed Lexington Textile Mill in 1890 created growth for the town. After fires in 1894 and 1916 on Main Street resulted many built brick buildings, which are still standing today.
The Town of Lexington is one of the fastest growing areas of the nation. It has major highways passing nearby and the town continues to experience phenomenal growth.
Lexington County Demographics |
Lexington SC Homes For Sale
Lexington SC Home Sites and Land For Sale
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Lexington, SC Subdivisions |
Aberdeen, Amick Heights, Ashley Trace, Autumn Oaks, Avalon, Baneberry Place, Beechcreek Place, Belle Chase, Belfair Oaks, Belfry, Bent Creek Plantation, Berkshire, Boardwalk Villas, Bonhomme Green, Brookgreen Terrace, Cambridge Place, Cardinal Pines, Caroline Springs, Carriage Hill Plantation, Carriage Hill Lakes, Carrington Place, Charlestowne, Charter Oak, Cherokee Crossing, Cherokee Lakes, Cherokee Shores, Cherry Ridge, Chestnut Ridge, Church View Commons, Cinnamon Hilss, Clermont Lakes, Cobblestone Farms, Cobbs Hill, Colonial Oaks, Colony Lakes, Corely Woods, Courtyards At Greenside, Courtyard At Northwoods, The Courtyards At River Club, Country Woods, Coventry Lakes, Coventry Woods, Creekside Farm, Cypress Lake, Cypress Woods, Dawsons Park, East Butler Common, Edgerton Estates, Everwood, Farming Creek, The Farm, Fow Moor, Fox Trail, Garden Pond, Gates At Carrington, Gates Commons, Gibson Forest, Gibson Terrace, Gleneagle, Golden Hills, Governors Grant, Greenside, Hallmark Shores, Hampton Park, Harborside, Hawthorne, Heritage Farm, Heritage Hills, Hollingsworth Estates, Hollow Creek, Hope Ferry Estates, Hope Ferry Plantation, Hope Springs, Hounds Run, Hunters Mill, Kaminer, Kellers Pond, Kenwood, Kingston Harbour, Kleckley Colony, Lakeview Terrace, The Landings, Lands End, Land of the Lakes, Laurel Falls, Laurel Heights, Laurel Hill, Laurel Wood, Lexington Town Estates, Lexington Villas, Liberty Hill East, Longs Pond Estate, Longwood, Mahogany Run, Mallard Lakes, Mallard Hills, Mallory, Manchester Park, Maple Spring Farm, Mariners Creek, Maritime Place, Martins Grove, Middlebrook, The Mill, Millcreek Townhomes, Millpond, Millstream Crossing, Millstream Place, Muirfield, Oak Pointe, The Oaks of Lexington, Olde Saluda, Orchard Pointe, Palmetto Courtyards, Park Ridge, Parkside, Parkside Garden Homes, Persimmon Grove, Pilgram Point, Pisgah Flats, Pleasant Hills, Prescott Glen, Regency Square, The Reserves of Woodside Farms, Richmond Farms, Ridge Terrace, Ridgewood, River Oaks, Robinwood, Rose Lakes, Royal Creek, Saluda River Club, Saluda Springs, Scarborough Parish, Secret Cove, Settlers Point At Lake Murray, Shoal Creek, Shadowbrooke, Shadow Ridge, Silvercreek, Smokerise, Southberry Park, South Brook, Spence Plantation, Spence Point, Spring Knoll, Stoney Creek, Summer Knoll, Summerlake, Summerfield, Sycamore Acres, Tri Springs, Turnberry Place, Vintners Wood, Vista Springs, Windstone, Wellesley, Westbrook, Whiteford, Whiteford Lakes, Whitewater Bay, Willowbrooke, Wilmont, Windsor Courtyards, Windstone, Wise Ferry Plantation, Woodbridge Crossing, Woodcreek, Woodmill, Woodland Pond |
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