Lexington County lies in the Midlands region of South Carolina. Both the county and its seat were named after the Revolutionary War’s first battle, the battle of Lexington. This name is fitting seeing as a number of Revolutionary War battles were fought in the county.
First known as the Saxe Gotha township in 1733, the area acquired its current name in 1785. However, from 1791 to 1804 the county was added to Orangeburg District before becoming its own county again. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the county became smaller as lands belonging to this county were used to create Aiken and Calhoun counties.
The British were the first Europeans to settle in the area. This group created a trading post, later known as Granby, on the Congaree River. In the 18th century, a large number of Swiss, German, and Scotch-Irish immigrants came to the area and began small farms. Many of these small farms became submerged when Lake Murray was made from the Saluda River. However, the economy’s reliance on agriculture created by these small farms continues today. Various types of manufacturing as well as steel processing have also become popular means of income in the county.
Home. Accessed June 09, 2016. http://www.lex-co.sc.gov/Pages/default.aspx
Industry Data. Accessed June 09, 2016. http://www.lexingtoncountyusa.com/workforce/workforce_data/industry_data/
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Joanna Angle discusses the history and architectural styles of the Corley House, a Victorian era house constructed in 1895, by Charles Edward Corley, for his family. Today, the house serves as the...
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The Peachtree Rock Preserve is a 300 acre track, which features diverse ecosystems. The park is named for a balanced rock, which resembles a pruned peach tree. This park contains rare plants...
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Lexington, originally called “Saxe Gotha” by German settlers, the town was later renamed “Lexington” in 1785, in honor of the first battle of the American Revolution. One of Lexington’s most prominent...
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Lexington County is home to the Lake Murray Dam, a 50,000 acre impound. When it was completed in 1930, it was the largest earthen dam in the world. The lake features numerous recreational...
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The document includes transcripts for John Derrick's audio.
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The Godfrey Harmon House, built in Lexington around 1870 by the founder of the Lexington "Dispatch," burned in 1894. The square columns are an interesting adaptation of a vernacular Greek Revival...
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The Main Street of Lexington, sometime before a devastating fire in 1916 burned many of the business district buildings seen here. The county seat of Lexington County, the area was first settled by...