New Lexington is a village in and 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 ...

Perry County Perry County may refer to: United States * Perry County, Alabama * Perry County, Arkansas *Perry County, Illinois * Perry County, Indiana * Perry County, Kentucky * Perry County, Mississippi * Perry County, Missouri *Perry County, Ohio *Perr ...

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

, United States, southwest of

Zanesville Zanesville is a city in and the county seat of Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. It is located east of Columbus and had a population of 24,765 as of the 2020 census, down from 25,487 as of the 2010 census. Historically the state capi ...

and miles southeast of

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

. The population was 4,731 at the 2010 census. In 2020, New Lexington’s historical Main Street underwent a massive renovation project that delivered new brick sidewalks, trash cans, benches, trees, and decorative street lighting. The project cost $2.1 million and was made possible through the Streetscape Grant. In 1900, 1,701 people lived in New Lexington, Ohio; in 1910, 2,559 lived here.

History

New Lexington was laid out in 1817. The village was 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 ...

. A post office called New Lexington has been in operation since 1829. The Perry County Courthouse that stands at the corner of Main Street and West Brown Street was erected in 1887 and was dedicated one year later.

Geography

New Lexington is located at (39.715913, -82.210452). According to the

United States 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 th ...

, the village has a total area of , all land.

Climate

Demographics

2010 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 2010, there were 4,731 people, 1,838 households, and 1,164 families living in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 2,000 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 97.9%

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 ...

, 0.5%

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 ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.1%

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 ...

, 0.1% from other races, and 1.1% 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 0.6% of the population. There were 1,838 households, of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.9% 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, 17.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.7% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.12. The median age in the village was 33.8 years. 28.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.3% were from 25 to 44; 23.3% were from 45 to 64; and 13.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 47.3% male and 52.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 4,689 people, 1,836 households, and 1,233 families living in the village. The

was 2,017.1 people per square mile (780.4/km²). There were 1,976 housing units at an average density of 850.0 per square mile (328.9/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.76%

, 0.17%

, 0.23% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.04%

, 0.13% from other races, and 0.53% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.38% of the population. There were 1,836 households, out of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were

living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.07. In the village, the population was spread out, with 28.1% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males. The median income for a household in the village was $28,406, and the median income for a family was $33,514. Males had a median income of $28,155 versus $21,039 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the village was $14,127. About 16.4% of families and 17.6% 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 27.0% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government

In 2022, the mayor of New Lexington is Trent Thompson.

Education

New Lexington City School District operates New Lexington Elementary, Junction City Elementary, New Lexington Middle School, and New Lexington High School. New Lexington has a public library, a branch of the Perry County District Library.

In popular culture

Part of the film '' Brubaker'' was filmed in New Lexington.

Notable people

* William A. Calderhead, U.S. Representative from

Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...

. * James M. Comly, brigadier general in

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

, journalist, attorney, newspaper editor and owner, historian and diplomat. * Dan Dodd, member of the

Ohio House of Representatives The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate. The House of Representatives first met in Ch ...

. *

Stephen Benton Elkins Stephen Benton Elkins (September 26, 1841January 4, 1911) was an American industrialist and politician. He served as the Secretary of War between 1891 and 1893. He served in the United States Congress as a Delegate from the Territory of New Mexi ...

, industrialist and politician. * William C. Grimes, acting Governor of

Oklahoma Territory The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as t ...

. * Januarius MacGahan, journalist and national hero of

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

. *

Jerry McGee Jerry McGee (July 21, 1943 – March 29, 2021) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. McGee was born in New Lexington, Ohio. He attended Ohio State University and was a member of the golf team. H ...

- professional golfer. * John A. McShane, first Democrat elected to

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

. *

Albert Francis Zahm Albert Francis Zahm (1862–1954) was an early aeronautical experimenter, a professor of physics, and a chief of the Aeronautical Division of the U.S. Library of Congress. He testified as an aeronautical expert in the 1910–14 lawsuits between th ...

- specialist in aerodynamics; early aircraft experimenter * John Augustine Zahm - Holy Cross priest and scientist.

References

External links

Village of New Lexington

New Lexington City Schools
{{authority control County seats in Ohio Villages in Perry County, Ohio Villages in Ohio 1817 establishments in Ohio Populated places established in 1817