Lexington is an independent city in the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of Rockbridge County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Lexington (along with nearby

Buena Vista Buena Vista, meaning "good view" in Spanish, may refer to: Places Canada *Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, with the name being originally derived from “Buena Vista” *Buena Vista, Saskatchewan * Buena Vista, Saskatoon, a neighborhood in ...

) with Rockbridge County for statistical purposes. Lexington is about east of the

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...

border and is about north of Roanoke, Virginia. It was first settled in 1778. Lexington is the location of the

Virginia Military Institute la, Consilio et Animis (on seal) , mottoeng = "In peace a glorious asset, In war a tower of strength""By courage and wisdom" (on seal) , established = , type = Public senior military college , accreditation = SACS , endowment = $696.8 mill ...

(VMI) and of

Washington and Lee University , mottoeng = "Not Unmindful of the Future" , established = , type = Private liberal arts university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.092 billion (2021) , president = William C. Dudley , provost = Lena Hill , city = Lexington ...

(W&L).

City Council

History

Lexington was named in 1778. It was the first of what would be many American places named after

Lexington, Massachusetts Lexington is a suburban town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is 10 miles (16 km) from Downtown Boston. The population was 34,454 as of the 2020 census. The area was originally inhabited by Native Americans, and was fir ...

, known for being the place at which the first shot was fired in the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

. The Union General

David Hunter David Hunter (July 21, 1802 – February 2, 1886) was an American military officer. He served as a Union general during the American Civil War. He achieved notability for his unauthorized 1862 order (immediately rescinded) emancipating slaves ...

led a raid on Virginia Military Institute during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, towards the end of which he was appointed the overall commander of the Confederate States Army. He led the Army of Nor ...

and

Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, considered one of the best-known Confederate commanders, after Robert E. Lee. He played a prominent role in nea ...

are buried in the city. It is the site of the only house Jackson ever owned, now open to the public as a museum. Cyrus McCormick invented the horse-drawn mechanical reaper at his family's farm in Rockbridge County, and a statue of McCormick is located on the

campus. McCormick Farm is now owned by

Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also has educational facilities in six re ...

and is a satellite agricultural research center.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , virtually all of which is land. The Maury River, a tributary of the

James River The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesap ...

, forms the city's northeastern boundary.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

system, Lexington has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

, similar to

Northern Italy Northern Italy ( it, Italia settentrionale, it, Nord Italia, label=none, it, Alta Italia, label=none or just it, Nord, label=none) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. It consists of eight administrative region ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. Average monthly temperatures range from 34.9 °F in January to 75.2 °F in July. The hardiness zone is 7a.

Demographics

2020 census

''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''

2000 Census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 6,867 people, 2,232 households, and 1,080 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,753.8 per square mile (,064.8/km²). The racial makeup was 86.01%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 10.38%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.26% Native American, 1.92% Asian, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

and 0.48% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 4.1% of the population. There were 2,232 households, of which 18.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.6% were non-families. 41.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.76. In the city, the population was spread out, with 11.0% under the age of 18, 41.4% from 18 to 24, 14.5% from 25 to 44, 16.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females, there were 123.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 127.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,982, and the median income for a family was $58,529. Males had a median income of $35,288 versus $26,094 for females. The per capita income was $16,497. About 8.4% of families and 21.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 12.9% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Today, Lexington's primary economic activities stem from

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after compl ...

and tourism. With its various connections to the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

, Lexington attracts visitors from around the country. Places of interest in Lexington include the

Stonewall Jackson House The Stonewall Jackson House, located at 8 East Washington Street in the Historic District of Lexington, Virginia, was the residence of Confederate general Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson from 1858 to 1861. Architecture The house is a two-story, fo ...

University Chapel University Chapel (formerly Lee Chapel) of Washington and Lee University is a National Historic Landmark in Lexington, Virginia. It was constructed during 1867–68 at the request of Robert E. Lee, who was president of the school (then known as Wa ...

, the George C. Marshall Museum, Virginia Military Institute Museum, Museum of Military Memorabilia, and the downtown historic district.

Hull's Drive In Hull's Drive In is a 319-space drive-in theatre in Lexington, Virginia, one of the seven drive-in theatres still currently operating in Virginia. It is one of only two non-profit drive-in theaters in the United States, the other being Warner's ...

theater attracts visitors to the area and was the first community-owned, non-profit drive-in in the U.S. Lexington also contains a host of small retail businesses, bed and breakfast inns, and restaurants catering to a unique mixture of local, tourist, and collegiate clientele. The historic R. E. Lee Hotel, built in the 1920s, underwent extensive renovation and re-opened its doors late 2014.

Media

''Th
News-Gazette
' is the weekly community paper; it also produces a free shopper known as ''The Weekender''. The now-defunct ''The Rockbridge Weekly'', noted for printing police and other local crime reports, was bought by ''The News-Gazette'' in June 2012. ''The Rockbridge Advocate'' is a monthly news magazine with the motto "Independent as a hog on ice". '' The Ring-tum Phi'', student newspaper of W&L, has been published since 1897 (with a suspension for World War II). Lexington is the city of license for radio stations WIQR (88.7 FM), WMRL (89.9 FM), and WLUR (91.5 FM) on W&L campus.

Transportation

Lexington is located at the intersection of historic U.S. Route 11 and U.S. Route 60 and more modern highways, Interstate 64 and Interstate 81. RADAR Transit operates the Maury Express, which provides local bus service to Lexington and Buena Vista. The Virginia Breeze provides intercity bus service between Blacksburg and Washington, D.C., with a stop in Lexington.

Motion pictures

The 1938 movie, ''

Brother Rat ''Brother Rat'' is a 1938 American comedy drama film about cadets at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia, directed by William Keighley, and starring Ronald Reagan, Priscilla Lane, Eddie Albert (in his film debut), Jane Wyman, ...

'', which starred

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

, was shot in Lexington. After the release, Reagan was made an honorary VMI cadet. The 1958 '' Mardi Gras'' starred

Pat Boone Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer and actor. He was a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He sold more than 45 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and appeared in mo ...

as a VMI cadet appearing with actress Christine Carère. '' Sommersby'' from 1993 starred Richard Gere, Bill Pullman,

James Earl Jones James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor. He has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances in film, television, and theater, and "one of the greatest actors in America ...

, and Jodie Foster. '' Foreign Student'', released in 1994, was based on a novel of college life by former W&L student Phillipe Labro with related scenes made in town. In Fall 2004, the director

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Sp ...

and

Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Go ...

filmed scenes for '' War of the Worlds'' here, with Dakota Fanning and

Tim Robbins Timothy Francis Robbins (born October 16, 1958) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for portraying Andy Dufresne in the film '' The Shawshank Redemption ''(1994), and has won an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards for his rol ...

. In June 2013, filming took place for a movie titled '' Field of Lost Shoes'' about the Battle of New Market starring Luke Benward and Lauren Holly. Filming for parts of several Civil War films also took place in Lexington, including the documentary '' Lee Beyond the Battles'' and '' Gods and Generals''.

Controversies

Flag controversy

In 2011, the city erupted in controversy after the City Council passed an ordinance to ban the flying of flags other than the United States flag, the Virginia Flag, and an as-yet-undesigned city flag on city light poles. Various flags of the Confederacy had previously been flown on city light poles to commemorate the Virginia holiday, Lee–Jackson Day, which is observed on the Friday before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. About 300 Confederate flag supporters, including members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, rallied before the City Council meeting, and after the vote the Sons of Confederate Veterans vowed to challenge the new local ordinance in court. Previously, flags such as the Washington and Lee University and Virginia Military Institute flags had also been flown on city light poles, but the practice is now discontinued due to the city's ordinance. In 2014, a large Confederate battle flag and a number of related state flags were removed from Lee Chapel at

. The flags were moved to a rotating display at the Lee Chapel Museum.

Red Hen restaurant controversy

The Red Hen restaurant was the site of the June 22, 2018, precipitating event for the Red Hen restaurant controversy in which a restaurant co-owner asked White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders to leave the restaurant by citing Huckabee Sanders' role in the

Trump administration Donald Trump's tenure as the List of presidents of the United States, 45th president of the United States began with Inauguration of Donald Trump, his inauguration on January 20, 2017, and ended on January 20, 2021. Trump, a Republican Party ...

. The incident sparked national controversy.

Points of interest

* George C. Marshall Foundation *

grave site, found in Lee Chapel on the W&L campus. *

Traveller Traveler(s), traveller(s), The Traveler(s), or The Traveller(s) may refer to: People Generic terms *One engaged in travel * Explorer, one who searches for the purpose of discovery of information or resources * Nomad, a member of a community wit ...

(Lee's horse) grave site, found along a walkway just outside Lee Chapel. *

grave site, found at Oak Grove Cemetery *

, residence of Confederate general

Sam Houston Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played an important role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two i ...

place of birth (nearby) * Cyrus McCormick Farm, birthplace and museum (nearby) *

Kappa Alpha Order Kappa Alpha Order (), commonly known as Kappa Alpha or simply KA, is a social Fraternities and sororities, fraternity and a fraternal order founded in 1865 at Washington and Lee University, Washington College (now Washington and Lee University) i ...

international headquarters * Omicron Delta Kappa national headquarters *

Sigma Nu Sigma Nu () is an undergraduate college fraternity founded at the Virginia Military Institute on January 1, 1869. The fraternity was founded by James Frank Hopkins, Greenfield Quarles and James McIlvaine Riley shortly after Hopkins witnessed w ...

international headquarters * Chessie Nature Trail follows the former C&O railway bed along the Maury River * Natural Bridge (nearby) *

, the first non-profit drive-in theater in the U.S. (nearby)
Lee Hi Travel Plaza/Berky's Restaurant
featured on Travel Channel's ''Truckstop Paradise'' (nearby) * Gems of the Rockbridge geocaching trail * Located near Lexington are a number of properties listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

, including:

Anderson Hollow Archaeological District The Anderson Hollow Archaeological District is a complex of historical sites in rural Rockbridge County, Virginia. The area consists of at least seven known prehistoric and historic sites, including some American pioneer settlement sites from t ...

, Cedar Hill Church and Cemeteries,

Chapel Hill Chapel Hill or Chapelhill may refer to: Places Antarctica * Chapel Hill (Antarctica) Australia *Chapel Hill, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane *Chapel Hill, South Australia, in the Mount Barker council area Canada *Chapel Hill, Ottawa, a neighbou ...

, Church Hill,

Clifton Clifton may refer to: People * Clifton (surname) * Clifton (given name) Places Australia *Clifton, Queensland, a town ** Shire of Clifton *Clifton, New South Wales, a suburb of Wollongong * Clifton, Western Australia Canada * Clifton, Nova Sc ...

, Hamilton Schoolhouse, Liberty Hall Site, Lylburn Downing School, Maple Hall, John Moore House, Mountain View Farm, Margaret E. Poague House, Springdale, Stone House, Sunnyside,

Tankersley Tavern Tankersley Tavern, also known as Old Bridge, is a historic building located near Lexington, Rockbridge County, Virginia. It was built in three sections with the oldest dated to about 1835. It is a two-story, nine-bay, single pile, frame buildin ...

, Thorn Hill,

Timber Ridge Presbyterian Church Timber Ridge Presbyterian Church is a historic Presbyterian church located near Lexington, Rockbridge County, Virginia. It was built in 1756, altered in 1871, and completely remodeled in 1899–1900. It is a one-story, rectangular gray limeston ...

, and

Willson House Willson House, also known as Tuckaway and Wee Dornoch, is a historic home located near Lexington, Rockbridge County, Virginia. It was built in 1812, and is a two-story, five-bay, Georgian / Federal style brick dwelling, with a one-story kitche ...

. * Lexington Carriage Company

Notable people

* William H. Armstrong, children's author and educator best known for his 1969 novel ''Sounder'', which won the Newbery Medal. * Baroness (band), American heavy metal band whose members grew up together in Lexington. * Lena Northern Buckner, social worker *

Howard Drew Howard Porter Drew (June 28, 1890 – February 19, 1957) was an American track and field athlete who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics. An inspirational African-American athlete, Drew was once considered the "world’s fastest man", known a ...

, competitor in the

1912 Summer Olympics The 1912 Summer Olympics ( sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1912), officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad ( sv, Den V olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Stockholm 1912, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, b ...

. *

Kelly Evans Kelly Evans (born July 17, 1985) is an American journalist and co-anchor of '' Power Lunch'' on the CNBC business news channel. She was previously based in CNBC Europe's London, England, headquarters from May 2012 to May 2013 and is now based in ...

, journalist and co-presenter for

CNBC CNBC (formerly Consumer News and Business Channel) is an American basic cable business news channel. It provides business news programming on weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time, while broadcasting talk s ...

. * Hilary Hahn, classical violinist. *

Larry Keel Larry Dwayne Keel (born November 25, 1968) is an American Bluegrass music, bluegrass musician from Southwest Virginia who has been performing since 1976. He was a founding member of Magraw Gap in 1990. He also performs with his wife, bassist Jenn ...

, bandleader and musician. * John Letcher, 34th Governor of Virginia. * William Lindsay, U.S. Senator from Kentucky. * William A. MacCorkle, ninth Governor of West Virginia. * Sally Mann, photographer. * Gary W. Martini, posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Vietnam War. * William G. McDowell, Episcopal prelate who served as the fifth

Bishop of Alabama The Episcopal Diocese of Alabama is located in Province IV of the Episcopal Church and serves the state of Alabama with the exception of the extreme southern region, including Mobile, which forms part of the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast ...

. * Robert Paxton, political scientist and historian. * William N. Pendleton, Confederate general, longtime chief artilleryman for

. *

John Thomas Lewis Preston John Thomas Lewis Preston (April 25, 1811 – July 15, 1890) was an American educator and military officer from Virginia. He was a primary founder and organizer of the Virginia Military Institute, and was one of its first two faculty members. ...

, founder of

. * Pat Robertson, founder and chairman of Christian Broadcasting Network. *

Cy Twombly Edwin Parker "Cy" Twombly Jr. (; April 25, 1928July 5, 2011) was an American painter, sculptor and photographer. He belonged to the generation of Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns. Twombly is said to have influenced younger artists such as ...

, artist. * Reginald H. Ridgely Jr.,

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through c ...

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on th ...

; born in Lexington.

References

External links

*
City of Lexington - Government Site

Chamber Of Commerce

Lexington During the Civil War in ''Encyclopedia Virginia''

Rockbridge Historical Society

George C. Marshall Museum
{{authority control Cities in Virginia County seats in Virginia Rockbridge County, Virginia Flag controversies in the United States