Friedberg Villages

About the Area:

Lexington is the county seat of Davidson County in the Piedmont Triad, one of the mid-Atlantic's most dynamic and desirable metro areas in a business-friendly state. It is known as the Barbecue Capital of the World, but hickory-smoked pork isn't the only thing cooking here. Site Selection magazine ranked Lexington first among U.S. "micropolitan statistical areas" with outstanding access to markets, exceptional labor and job training resources, highly competitive cost factors and an appealing small town atmosphere.

The Lexington area was sparsely settled in 1775 by Europeans who named their community in honor of Lexington, MA, site of the first skirmish of the American Revolutionary War. Lexington was incorporated in 1828, and a decade later, Silver Hill Mine a few miles south was opened, the first operating silver mine in the country.

Lexington's economy was mainly textile and furniture manufacturing-based until the 1990s when both industries moved their plants overseas for economic reasons. The closure of these factories, on which the community was heavily dependent for employment, contributed to subsequent difficulties.

Since 1984, an annual Barbecue Festival has brought thousands to Lexington to feast on Lexington-style barbecue, made with pork shoulder cooked slowly over a hardwood fire, usually hickory wood. It is basted in a sauce (called "dip" locally) made with vinegar, ketchup, water, salt, pepper and other spices. A distinguishing feature of the "Lexington Barbecue Sandwich" is the red slaw (sometimes called barbecue slaw), a combination of cabbage, vinegar, ketchup and crushed/ground black pepper. Red slaw differs from coleslaw because red slaw contains no mayonnaise.

Lexington is also the home of artist and designer Bob Timberlake and the Timberlake Gallery and Childress Vineyards, owned by NASCAR team owner Richard Childress. It is also adjacent to High Rock Lake, the second largest lake in North Carolina which frequently plays host to fishing tournaments, including the Bassmasters Classic.

Pigs in the City is a public art initiative coordinated by Uptown Lexington, Inc., to revitalize the downtown area . Full size fiberglass pigs with individual themes and decorated by local artists are on display throughout the town square each summer.