Lexington is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in Greene County, New York, United States. The population was 770 at the 2020 census.US Census Bureau, 2020 Census, Lexington town, Greene County, New York https://www.census.gov/search-results.html?searchType=web&cssp=SERP&q=Lexington%20town,%20Greene%20County,%20New%20York The town is in the southwestern part of Greene County.

History

The area was first settled ''circa'' 1788. The town of Lexington was established in 1813, as the "Town of New Goshen", from the town of Windham. Within a few months, the name was altered to "Lexington". In 1976, playwright Oakley Hall III co-founded Lexington Conservatory Theatre at historic Lexington House. The company performed there for five years before moving to Albany, NY to become Capital Repertory Theatre. Lexington House was later used as a summer retreat by Ensemble Studio Theatre. The location was also featured in the 2004 documentary '' The Loss of Nameless Things''. In 2024, the town of Lexington applied for funding from the New York State Restore NY program, on behalf of a group of projects designed to revitalize the Lexington hamlet and restore and re-use several nearby historic structures. The proposal includes the restoration of Lexington House and the adjacent Barn Theatre, which previously housed Lexington Conservatory and Ensemble Studio Theatre.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.04%, is water. Lexington is within the

Catskill Mountains The Catskill Mountains, also known as the Catskills, are a physiographic province and subrange of the larger Appalachian Mountains, located in southeastern New York. As a cultural and geographic region, the Catskills are generally defined a ...

; most of the town is also inside the Catskill Park Blue Line. The southern town line is the border of

Ulster County Ulster County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. It is situated along the Hudson River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 181,851. The county seat is Kingston. The county is named after the Irish province of Ulster. The count ...

. Schoharie Creek flows through the town. The

West Kill The West Kill, an tributary of Schoharie Creek, flows through the town of Lexington, New York, United States, from its source on Hunter Mountain (New York), Hunter Mountain, the second-highest peak of the Catskill Mountains. Ultimately its wate ...

, an

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

of the Schoharie, drains much of the town. The summit of West Kill Mountain, sixth-highest peak in the Catskills at approximately , is the highest point in the town. Three other Catskill High Peaks—

Rusk A rusk is a hard, dry Biscuit#Biscuits in British usage, biscuit or a twice-baked bread. It is sometimes used as a teether for babies. In some cultures, rusk is made of cake rather than bread: this is sometimes referred to as cake rusk. In the ...

, North Dome and Sherrill—are also within Lexington.

Demographics

2000

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 830 people, 375 households, and 219 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 854 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.35%

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

, 0.96% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.36% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.69% of the population. There were 375 households, out of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were

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

living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.91. In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.2% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 31.2% from 45 to 64, and 21.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $29,375, and the median income for a family was $39,583. Males had a median income of $26,250 versus $31,000 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $20,471. About 9.0% of families and 12.9% 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 15.7% of those under age 18 and 14.0% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Lexington

*Bushnellsville – A

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

at the southern town line (in Ulster County) on Route 42. * Lexington – The hamlet of Lexington is located on Route 42. *Mosquito Point – A hamlet west of Lexington village. *North Lexington – A hamlet in the northwestern part of the town. *Spruceton – An isolated hamlet in the eastern part of the town, on County Route 6. *

– A hamlet south of Lexington village on Route 42.

Hurricane Irene 2011

On August 27, 2011,

Hurricane Irene Hurricane Irene was a large and destructive tropical cyclone which affected much of the Caribbean and East Coast of the United States during late August 2011. The ninth tropical cyclone naming, named storm, first hurricane, and first major ...

(at that point, a tropical storm) inflicted damage to the town. Very heavy rainfall caused the Schoharie Creek to surge higher and cause immense widespread flooding. High wind speeds were also present. A small bridge was destroyed, and numerous houses were also washed away by the creek. Farms near the creek were flooded as well. Flash flooding also was an issue. Certain roads that run through the town were flooded and some were damaged. Many homes in Lexington lost power. The

Federal Emergency Management Agency The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...

arrived in Lexington following the storm. People volunteered for cleanup work and many donated food and clothing. Power was eventually restored to all affected areas.

References

External links

Town of Lexington official website
{{authority control Towns in Greene County, New York Towns in New York (state)