THE SQUARE IN LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA

 

History of the Square – Originally called “Washington Square,” The Square in Lexington has been home to two of Davidson County’s three courthouses. In 1823 preparations were begun to provide space for a courthouse after Davidson County was created in 1822 by the General Assembly.   Lots were sold by investors with the intent of raising money to build a courthouse and jail without taxing the public.  William Nichols was engaged to build it and it is assumed that construction began in 1824, which is also considered to be the birth date of the Square itself.  The building was completed by the spring of 1825.  Although very little is known of its appearance, based on other Nichols buildings it is assumed the conservative red brick building was two stories with a simple portico and about half the size of the later 1858 building.  If still standing, the first courthouse would be in the center of the Square! Although located in the center of Lexington’s central business district, the Square remains county property.  

 

The first courthouse was torn down to make way for the second one, completed in 1858.  The grandest of the state’s antebellum county courthouses, it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and is regarded by architectural historians as one of the foremost examples of temple-form Greek Revival architecture in the southeastern United States.  After 100 years of service a new courthouse was built on in 1958, and from that point on the Courthouse on the Square has been known simply as the “Old Courthouse.”  In 1976 the Davidson County Historical Museum was established in the abandoned courtroom, and today utilizes the entire building.  The history of the Square and its significant role in Lexington’s community life is celebrated in permanent exhibits as the Historical Museum, which commissioned a scale model of the building in 1999.

 

Early Uses: The Square is arranged in four quadrants around the intersection of the City’s two main streets, known since at least 1885 as Main and Center Streets. The grassy areas of the Square have enabled its use as a multi-purpose space.  Public meetings at the courthouse spilled out onto the Square, which saw increased traffic during busy court schedules. A public well and troughs for watering horses and mules were present through the early part of the 20th century.  A belfry was located for a number of years on the Square and some accounts say that farmers with fresh meat to sell would alert townspeople by ringing the bell. By 1900 farmers who came to town in wagons to conduct business and replenish supplies used the Square as a camping lot. Barbecue made its debut in Lexington during the 1920s to take advantage of the lively court crowds.  Many groups of local servicemen had their picture made in the Square beside the Courthouse before shipping out.

 

20th Century: In 1905, the local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy erected a Confederate Soldier Monument in the center of the intersection of Main Street and Center Street to commemorate Davidson County’s war dead during the Civil War.  This monument was moved to the southwest quadrant of the square in 1950 to facilitate traffic flow and prevent accidents.  In 1992 the Davidson County Historical Association awarded a $2,500 grant to the Davidson County Historical Museum to facilitate the restoration of the Confederate Soldier, which was heavily discolored and weakened from various falls from its pedestal prior to 1950. Following months of national and local protests, as well as litigations between the City of Lexington, Davidson County, and the United Daughters of the Confederacy, on October 15, 2020, the city moved the monument to a temporary storage location to await the United Daughters of the Confederacy’s relocation of the monument outside of city limits.

 

Later Uses & Improvements:  For many years groups who wanted to use the Square for events like luminaries, prayer services, etc. contacted the Museum for scheduling information.  Over the years numerous groups publicizing events also used the Square, and it became more difficult to get the signs removed after the events they advertised had transpired.  Because of this and the sudden proliferation of very large signs (4’ x 8’) on the Square, the Historical Museum and Lexington’s Appearance Commission joined in 1993 to ask the Commissioners to ban further advertising in this area.  In a special show of support, the United Way agreed to discontinue its fund-raising “thermometer” on the Square, clearing the last obstacle in eliminating advertising and fund-raising signage.   Groups asking to erect signs after that point were advised of this policy and have been extremely supportive of the restriction because of the improved appearance of the Square. 

During the 1990s several KKK rallies occurred on the steps of the Old Courthouse, and beginning in 1998 permits from the county manager’s office have been required for groups who want to hold events on the Square or the Old Courthouse steps.  If public safety is involved, the Lexington Police Department is also notified.

During the Streetscape Project administered by Uptown Lexington, Inc., the County Commissioners helped improve the appearance of the Uptown area by sharing costs with the city and all Uptown property owners.  The county paid for most of the improvements on the Square itself, as well as the assessment for the Old Post Office property they own on South Main Street.  A substantial amount of private money went into this project as well. This private/public partnership, together with the earlier efforts to prevent clutter and misuse of the Squares have had good results for the Square and surrounding area.  Through the years The Davidson County Maintenance Department has mowed and trimmed the Squares and continues to tend this area.

One of the most prominent contemporary uses has been the Lexington Barbecue Festival, now in its 24th year.  Other uses have included Uptown events such as the annual Holiday Open House held just before Thanksgiving, Music on the Square, and the Cruise-Ins each summer, as well as military reenactments sponsored by the Davidson County Historical Museum.  Community groups use the Square for luminary displays, prayer services, and other events throughout the year. Of course, memorial events sponsored by local veterans’ organizations are held in May and November.

 

Monuments on the Square:

William Lee Davidson was honored in 1822 and became our county’s namesake.  A hero of the Revolution, Davidson moved to present-day Iredell County from Pennsylvania.  He was killed in action in 1781 at Cowan’s Ford on the Catawba River while attempting to stop a British army commanded by Lord Cornwallis from crossing the river.  

 

The town square in the center of Lexington was originally called Washington Square in honor of our first president.

 

Northeast Quadrant - Several monuments were placed on the Square by local veterans’ organizations to honor Davidson County men who gave their lives in military service.

  • World War I - First known as “The Great War,” the monument to the 39 men from Davidson County who were killed was erected sometime in the 1920s.  This marker was moved in the late 1940s or early 1950s to accommodate the World War II monument.

  • World War II - This monument lists the names of 178 local men who were lost. 

  • Korean Conflict - A brass plaque was added to the WWII monument sometime after the mid-1970s as a memorial to the veterans of the Korean Conflict, in which 12 Davidson County men were killed. 

  • Vietnam War - The marker dedicated to the 14 men who lost their lives in Vietnam was added to the square in the late 1970s. 

  • Flagpole - The Floyd Lee Berrier Post #3074, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, erected the large flag pole in 1972, dedicating it in honor of all veterans who have served honorably in the service of our country.

 

Southeast Quadrant –

  • Civil War Monument - In 1905 the United Daughters of the Confederacy erected a monument to the Confederacy in the center of the Square.  As traffic increased on Main Street, then called NC Highway 10, “The Man on the Monument”   was moved to the southeast quadrant, across from the old courthouse, in 1950. In 2021, the monument was relocated to Valor Memorial Park in Denton. Around the turn of the last century many communities erected similar Civil War memorials, and the same foundry that cast Lexington’s “Man” also produced statues for Northern towns honoring their Union Army ancestors. 

 

Northwest Quadrant -

  • A white marble marker honors the 100th anniversary of Davidson County in 1928.  This marker was originally placed where the Confederate Monument is today. 

  • Benjamin Merrell, a local militia officer and leader of the Regulators during the 1770-1771 War of the Regulation, is honored by a marker.  In a revolt again the Colonial government of North Carolina, Merrell fought to halt the advancement of North Carolina’s militia forces at Pott’s Creek, east of the Trading Ford, prior to the Battle of the Alamance.  Merrell was one of six Regulators hanged after being found guilty of treason.  

  • In 1919 by the North Carolina Historical Commission and the Davidson County Board of Commissioners joined to honor two notable 18th-century figures that while not born here, certainly made a lasting impact on our national history -- Daniel Boone and General Nathanial Greene. 

    • Daniel Boone moved to the Yadkin Valley with his family from Pennsylvania when he was only a teenager.  Another Boone marker is located at Boone’s Cave Park in western Davidson County.   

    • During the American Revolution, General Nathaniel Greene and the American Army passed through Davidson County following their strategic crossing of the Yadkin at the Trading Ford in 1781.  He was able to delay British General Cornwallis’ pursuit, thereby denying Cornwallis time to organize his forces for the Battle of Guilford Courthouse.  Although Greene lost the battle, it was a greater cost to the British, forcing them to abandon their occupation of piedmont North Carolina.

 

 

This information is taken from an article prepared by the staff of the Davidson County Historical Museum for FOCUS Magazine, Summer 2007.