Lexington, Virginia

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Lexington, Virginia
settlement_type = City
nickname =
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mapsize = 250x200px
map_caption = Location of Lexington, Virginia


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Virginia
subdivision_type2 =
subdivision_name2 =

government_footnotes =
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leader_title =
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unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 6.5
area_land_km2 = 6.5
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_total_sq_mi = 2.5
area_land_sq_mi = 2.5
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 6867
population_density_km2 = 1063.2
population_density_sq_mi = 2753.8

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 324
elevation_ft = 1063
latd = 37 |latm = 46 |lats = 59 |latNS = N
longd = 79 |longm = 26 |longs = 43 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 24450
area_code = 540
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 51-45512GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1498506GR|3
website =
footnotes =

Lexington is an independent city within the confines of Rockbridge County in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 6,867 at the 2000 census. Lexington is about 55 minutes east of the West Virginia border and is about 50 miles north of Roanoke, Virginia. It was first settled in 1777.

It is home to the Washington and Lee University (W&L) and Virginia Military Institute (VMI). It is the county seat of Rockbridge CountyGR|6. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Lexington (along with nearby Buena Vista) with Rockbridge County for statistical purposes.

Union General David Hunter led a raid on Virginia Military Institute during the American Civil War. Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson are buried here. So too was Commander Matthew Fontaine Maury until he was removed to Richmond, Virginia the following spring. It is also the site of the only house Jackson ever owned, now open to the public as a museum.

Sam Houston, 19th century statesman, politician and soldier, and, as of 2008, the only person in U.S. history to have been the governor of two different states — Tennessee and Texas — was born near here. At the Sam Houston Wayside is a 38,000 pound piece of Texas pink granite commemorating Houston's birthplace.

Economy

Today, Lexington's primary economic activity stems from higher education and tourism. Located at the intersection of historic U.S. Route 11 and U.S. Route 60 and more modern highways, Interstate 64 and Interstate 81, Lexington is first and foremost a small college town, and is host to Washington and Lee University and Virginia Military Institute. With its various connections to the Civil War, Lexington attracts visitors from around the country. Items of interest in Lexington include the Stonewall Jackson House, Lee Chapel, and the downtown historic district.

Lexington's two colleges have been the founding sites of three large national college fraternities; Sigma Nu, Alpha Tau Omega, and Kappa Alpha Order were all founded by Lexington students during Reconstruction. A monument now commemorates this so-called "Lexington Triad".

Lexington also contains a host of small businesses, catering to a unique mixture of tourist and collegiate clientèle.

Lexington has been the site for several movies. Parts of at least six motion pictures were filmed in here. The first was the 1938 movie, "Brother Rat", which starred Ronald Reagan. After the movie's release he was made an honorary VMI cadet. The second was the 1958 "Mardi Gras", which starred Pat Boone as a VMI cadet and actress Christine Carere. The third was "Sommersby", starring Richard Gere, Bill Pullman, James Earl Jones, and Jodie Foster. Filming for parts of several Civil War films also took place in Lexington, including the documentary "Lee Beyond the Battles" and "Gods and Generals". Most recently, in the fall of 2004, director Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise filmed scenes for "War of the Worlds" here, with Dakota Fanning and Tim Robbins.

The city is also home to a number of independent newspapers. " [http://www.thenews-gazette.com/ The News-Gazette] " is a weekly community paper; it also produces a free shopper known as "The Weekender". " [http://rockbridgeweekly.com/ The Rockbridge Weekly] ", another paper, is noted for printing police blotters and other crime reports. " [http://rockbridgeadvocate.com The Rockbridge Advocate] " is a newsmagazine that comes out once a month, and has the motto "Independent as a hog on ice."

Geography

Lexington is located at coor dms|37|46|58|N|79|26|42|W|city (37.782938, -79.445198)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.4 km²), all of it land. The Maury River, a tributary of the James River, forms the city's northeastern boundary.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 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 people per square mile (1,064.8/km²). There were 2,376 housing units at an average density of 952.8/sq mi (368.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 86.01% White, 10.38% African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.92% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.59% of the population.

There were 2,232 households out of which 18.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.9% were married couples 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.

The age distribution, heavily influenced by the city's two colleges, was 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 unusual sex distribution can be partially explained by the presence of VMI, which did not admit women until 1997 and remains overwhelmingly male today.

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 for the city was $16,497. About 8.4% of families and 21.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.9% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over. However, traditional poverty statistics can be misleading when applied to communities with a large proportion of students, such as Lexington.

Publications: print and web

* [http://rockbridgeadvocate.com The Rockbridge Advocate] (monthly magazine)
* [http://maisestudio.com/rock/ Rockbridge Forum] (free public web discussion by/for Rockbridge folk)
* [http://www.thenews-gazette.com/ The News-Gazette] (weekly newspaper)
* [http://rockbridgeweekly.com/ Rockbridge Weekly] (weekly newspaper)
* [http://rockbridgereport.wlu.edu The Rockbridge Report] (weekly Web site and cable broadcast by the students at Washington and Lee University)

Points of interest

* Virginia Military Institute
* The George C. Marshall Foundation
* Washington and Lee University
* Robert E. Lee grave site, found in Lee Chapel on the W&L campus.
* Stonewall Jackson grave site
* Sam Houston place of birth (Nearby)
* Cyrus McCormick place of residence (nearby)
* Sigma Nu Fraternity International Headquarters
* Boxerwood Gardens
* Natural Bridge (Virginia)
* [http://www.horsecenter.org/view.asp?id=home/ Virginia Horse Center]
* Kappa Alpha Order International Headquarters

References

External links

* [http://www.downtownlexington.com/ Downtown Lexington]
* [http://www.lexingtonvirginia.com/ Dining, Events and Attractions]
* [http://www.ci.lexington.va.us/ City of Lexington]
* [http://www.LexRockChamber.com/ Chamber Of Commerce]
* [http://www.LexVa.com/ The Community Of Lexington, VA]
* [http://www.thenews-gazette.com/ The News Gazette]
* [http://www.rockbridgeweekly.com/ Rockbridge Weekly]
* [http://www.mockconforum.com/blog W&L Mock Convention]
* [http://www.shenandoahvalleyweb.com/magazine/page58.html Shenandoah Valley Monthly Magazine] Article on Lexington
* [http://www.shenandoahvalleyweb.com/ Shenandoah Valley Web]
* [http://www.WebFeatWorks.com/ Web Feat, Inc.]
* [http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/VAmainstreet/ Virginia Main Street Communities: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary]