Lexington Attractions and Sites
Lexington Area Convention and Visitors
Bureau
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Davidson County Historical Museum is located in the Old Courthouse
(see below). Founded in 1976, its mission is to preserve and present
the history of Davidson County and its people through exhibits, programs,
and other resources. The Museum maintains a collection of approximately
10,000 artifacts and documents, a portion of which are on display in exhibits
on various aspects of county and regional history. The museum is
open to the public 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. Tuesday through Saturday, and
2:00 to 4:00 P.M. Sunday. Individual and group tours, special programs,
and workshops are offered by staff and volunteers. Admission is free.
Please call 336/242-2035 for more information and a list of current activities.
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The Old Courthouse, ca. 1858. This Greek Revival/Italianate
Revival structure replaced the simpler original Davidson County Courthouse,
ca. 1824, about which very little is known. The Old Courthouse, located
on the town square in Lexington, is built of brick and covered with stucco.
Built at a cost of $25,000, the building was hailed by newspapers in the
state as a monument to the progressiveness of local citizens because of
its grand scale and classic design. The foundation is of granite
quarried in Conrad Hill, one of Davidson County's 17 townships. After
the Civil War, during the occupation of Lexington by Union troops in 1865,
the interior was damaged by a fire of undetermined origin. It was
nearly three years before the war-impoverished county was able to repair
the building by borrowing $10,000 from several private citizens.
In 1971 the Old Courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic
Places. Today the building is regarded as one of the foremost
examples of temple form architecture in the southeastern U.S. For
tours of the building, which is maintained by the Davidson County Historical
Museum, call 336/242-2035.
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Dr. W. R. Holt Homestead -The two-story Greek Revival style Homestead
was built in 1834 on South Main Street. Dr. Holt originally settled in
Lexington in 1820. The Homestead housed Union General Judson Kilpatrick
and his staff at the end of the Civil War. Kilpatrick was attached
to General Sherman's army. Dr. Holt was a physician and a founder
of the North Carolina Agricultural Society, organized 1852.
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Lexington is home to the nationally known realist artist and home furnishing
designer, Bob Timberlake. His new art gallery is located near I-85 on East
Center Street.
