Lexington, North Carolina
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Lexington is the county seat of Davidson County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 19,953. It is located in central North Carolina, twenty miles south of Winston-Salem, near the intersection of I-85, U.S. Highway 52 (soon to be I-285) and U.S. Highway 64.
The Lexington area was at least sparsely settled by Europeans in 1775; its settlers named their community in honor of Lexington, Massachusetts, the site of the first skirmish of the American Revolutionary War. Lexington was incorporated as a city in 1828. Until the late '90s, Lexington's economy was mainly textile-based, but with the closure of many furniture factories, the city and the rural areas surrounding it are slowly turning into into a bedroom community for nearby cities such as Winston-Salem, Greensboro, High Point, and Charlotte.
Silver Hill Mine, located a few miles south of Lexington, opened in 1838, and was the first operating silver mine in the country.
Lexington is the home of world famous artist and designer Bob Timberlake's gallery, the Richard Childress Racing Shop and Museum, as well as the Childress Winery.
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Barbeque
Lexington calls itself the "Barbeque Capital of the world"; it has hosted "The Lexington Barbecue Festival", one of the largest street festivals in North Carolina, since 1984 and as of 2004 has over twenty barbecue restaurants, an average of more than one per thousand residents.
Lexington-style BBQ is made with pork shoulder cooked slowly over a hickory fire, basted in a sauce (called "dip" locally) made with vinegar, ketchup, water, salt, and pepper.
Geography
Lexington is located in the Piedmont. It is centered at 35°49'0" North, 80°15'31" West (35.816768, -80.258643)Template:GR, in the valley of the Yadkin River. Lexington is 11 miles 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 45.6 km² (17.6 mi²). 45.6 km² (17.6 mi²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 19,953 people in the city, organized into 7,926 households and 5,072 families. The population density is 437.2/km² (1,132.6/mi²). There are 8,510 housing units at an average density of 186.5/km² (483.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 58.80% White, 29.91% African American, 2.56% Asian, 0.46% Native American, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 6.02% from other races, and 2.21% from two or more races. 10.70% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 7,926 households out of which 28.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% are married couples living together, 17.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% are non-families. 30.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.42 and the average family size is 3.00.
In the city the population is spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $26,226, and the median income for a family is $32,339. Males have a median income of $25,555 versus $20,939 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,310. 21.2% of the population and 16.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 31.7% of those under the age of 18 and 18.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links
- Official website (http://www.lexingtonnc.net/)
- Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce (http://www.lexingtonchamber.net/)
- Lexington Tourism Authority (http://www.visitlexingtonnc.org/)
- Lexington's Barbecue Festival (http://www.barbecuefestival.com/)
- Photographs of Lexington buildings (http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/S?ammem/hh:@field(SUBJ+@od1(NORTH+CAROLINA++Davidson+County++Lexington))) from the Library of Congress "Built in America" collection
- Silver Hill Mining Company Ledger (http://www.lib.unc.edu/mss/inv/s/Silver_Hill_Mining_Company) from the Library of the University of North Carolina