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 parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Perry County, Ohio Perry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,408. Its county seat is New Lexington. It was established on March 1, 1818, from parts of Fairfield, Washington and Muskingum countie ...

, United States, southwest of

Zanesville Zanesville is a city in Muskingum County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Located at the confluence of the Licking and Muskingum rivers, the city is approximately east of Columbus and had a population of 24,765 as of the 2020 cen ...

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, the capital city of the U.S. state of Ohio * Columbus, Georgia, a city i ...

. The population was 4,435 at the 2020 census.

History

Early history

The area around New Lexington and Perry County had been home to various indigenous groups for centuries prior to European settlement. Archeologists have found

mounds A mound is an artificial heap or pile, especially of earth, rocks, or sand. Mound and Mounds may also refer to: Places * Mound, Louisiana, United States * Mound, Minnesota, United States * Mound, Texas, United States * Mound, West Virginia * Moun ...

and relics from groups such as the Adena and Hopewell cultures in areas near present-day New Lexington, most notably the Glenford Fort mound. The

Shawnee The Shawnee ( ) are a Native American people of the Northeastern Woodlands. Their language, Shawnee, is an Algonquian language. Their precontact homeland was likely centered in southern Ohio. In the 17th century, they dispersed through Ohi ...

tribe lived across wide areas of Ohio including Perry County prior to the 1800s. After

Tecumseh Tecumseh ( ; (March 9, 1768October 5, 1813) was a Shawnee chief and warrior who promoted resistance to the Territorial evolution of the United States, expansion of the United States onto Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

's defeat at the

Battle of Thames The Battle of the Thames , also known as the Battle of Moraviantown, was an American victory in the War of 1812 against Tecumseh's Confederacy and their British allies. It took place on October 5, 1813, in Upper Canada, near Chatham. The British ...

in 1813, many Shawnee were forced to relocate to present-day Oklahoma.

Settlement

New Lexington was first formally settled in 1817 by James Comly, though he was not conscious of it at the time. Comly had lived with his family near Circleville, and contracted

malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...

. He spent a long period of time bedridden by the disease, and when he eventually recovered he was surprised to find that he had apparently sold his home in Pickaway County and signed a deed for property in Perry County. The negotiations had been overseen by his mother and wife during his sickness, and despite his obliviousness to the property transfers Comly decided he was content with the sales. Old courthouse at New Lexington

The village was named after

Lexington, Massachusetts Lexington is a suburban town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located 10 miles (16 km) from Downtown Boston. The population was 34,454 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The area was originally inhabited by ...

, and originally consisted of 64 lots, which Comly sold for prices ranging from $25 to $50 apiece. After the sale, the village began to grow and residents built houses and businesses including a

tannery Tanning, or hide tanning, is the process of treating skins and hides of animals to produce leather. A tannery is the place where the skins are processed. Historically, vegetable based tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound derived fr ...

, hat shop, and

tavern A tavern is a type of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food such as different types of roast meats and cheese, and (mostly historically) where travelers would receive lodging. An inn is a tavern that ...

. A post office was first established in 1829. For over two decades after the New Lexington's formation, it stayed close to the same size as when it was founded. After a bitter and hotly contested contest against the communities of

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

and Rehoboth, New Lexington became the seat of Perry County in 1857. Beginning in the 1840s plots were added onto the village, and by the end of the century the village had more than quadrupled in population. New Lexington and its surrounding area became home to multiple industries, three newspapers, and two railroads. Many residents of Perry County were passionate supporters of the Union cause, and large numbers of people from New Lexington fought for the United States during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. General Philip Sheridan's horse Rienzi was from New Lexington. New Lexington was severely damaged by a fire in February 1874, which originated in a drug store around midnight. The flames quickly spread to the second floor of the drug store, and then inflamed several more buildings, before igniting an entire block of structures. Townspeople hurried to tear down a one-story building by a wide alleyway, preventing the flames from catching a further row of houses and stopping the spread. After that point, the damage was more limited and no more buildings were lost. In the end, total damages from the fire were estimated at $50,000. In 1887 the Perry County Courthouse was erected to replace the smaller building used previously. After completion, it stood vacant for a few years before offices were opened inside.

Industry

New Lexington and its surrounding regions are within the Clay Belt of Ohio, and it was once home to numerous ceramic industries.

Ludowici Roof Tile Ludowici Roof Tile, LLC., based in New Lexington, Ohio, is an American manufacturer of clay roof tiles, floor tiles, and wall cladding. The company was established in 1888 with the formation of the Celadon Terra Cotta Company in Alfred (village) ...

has operated a factory in New Lexington since 1902, and has produced tile at this location for projects including

Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort is an destination resort, entertainment resort complex located about southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of the Wa ...

Ellis Island Ellis Island is an island in New York Harbor, within the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York (state), New York. Owned by the U.S. government, Ellis Island was once the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United State ...

, and

the White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800 whe ...

. Star Manufacturing was founded in New Lexington in 1871 as a small

foundry A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...

for making feed

grinder Grinder may refer to: Machinery *Various types of grinding machine, used in a machining operation to refine the surface of materials *Food grinders **Blade grinder, includes food processors, blenders, electric coffee and spice grinders, etc. **Co ...

stove A stove or range is a device that generates heat inside or on top of the device, for - local heating or cooking. Stoves can be powered with many fuels, such as natural gas, electricity, gasoline, wood, and coal. Due to concerns about air pollu ...

plow A plough or (Differences between American and British spellings, US) plow (both pronounced ) is a farm tool for loosening or turning the soil before sowing seed or planting. Ploughs were traditionally drawn by oxen and horses but modern ploughs ...

s, and other items. Starting in the 1880s they branched into production of

mine car A minecart, mine cart, or mine car (or more rarely mine trolley or mine hutch), is a type of rolling stock found on a mine railway, used for transporting ore and materials procured in the process of traditional mining. Minecarts are seldo ...

s for the area's

coal industry Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...

. Over time the company grew to focus on grinders, engines, and mining equipment. In 1941 the company and its factory were bought and turned into STAR Engineering, which designs and builds equipment for ceramic manufacturers. As of 2025, this company continues to work as a manufacturer of custom machines for the ceramic industry.

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 village has a total area of , all land.

Climate

Demographics

2010 census

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 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 (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

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 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 ...

, 0.5%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

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

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.1% from other races, and 1.1% 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 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 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, 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 population density was . There were 1,976 housing units at an average density of . 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 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 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

As of 2024, the mayor of New Lexington is Trent Thompson. The Village Administrator is Eric Emmert. Janie DePinto serves as the council president.

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.

Notable people

* William A. Calderhead,

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

James M. Comly James Munroe Stuart Comly (March 6, 1832 – July 26, 1887) was an American soldier, diplomat, and newspaper editor. Before and after his service as Colonel in the Union Army during the American Civil War, he was a journalist, attorney, newspap ...

, brigadier general in Union Army, journalist, attorney 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 ...

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 ...

Januarius MacGahan Januarius Aloysius MacGahan ( ; June 12, 1844 – June 9, 1878) was an American journalist and war correspondent working for the ''New York Herald'' and the London ''The Daily News (UK), Daily News''. His articles describing the Batak massacre, ...

, journalist and national hero of

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

Jerry McGee Jerry McGee (July 21, 1943 – March 31, 2021) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. Early life and amateur career McGee was born in New Lexington, Ohio. He attended Ohio State University an ...

- professional golfer *

John A. McShane John Albert McShane (August 25, 1850 – November 10, 1923) was an American Democratic Party politician. He was the first Democrat to be elected to the United States House of Representatives from Nebraska, serving one term from 1887 to 1889. ...

, first Democrat elected to

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

* Albert Francis Zahm - specialist in aerodynamics; early aircraft experimenter *

John Augustine Zahm John Augustine Zahm (pseudonym H. J. Mozans), CSC (June 14, 1851 – November 10, 1921) was a Holy Cross priest, author, scientist, and explorer of South America. He was born at New Lexington, Ohio, and died in Munich, Germany. Early life Zah ...

Holy Cross Holy Cross or Saint Cross may refer to: * the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus * Christian cross, a frequently used religious symbol of Christianity * True Cross, supposed remnants of the actual cross upon which Jesus was crucified * Feast o ...

priest and scientist * Gene Cole, Olympic medalist and sprinter

References

External links

Village of New Lexington

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