Lexington County Museum

The Lexington County Museum, located in downtown Lexington, offers a rare and unforgettable experience – the chance to see and touch a way of life gone forever. The Museum interprets and exhibits historic structures and artifacts that tell the story of everyday life for Lexington County citizens in the colonial and antebellum period and contains many everyday items people used in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Museum features over 30 historic structures on seven acres. Some of these include the Leaphart/Harman house, built around 1790; the Corley Cabin, the oldest documented building in Lexington; the Ernest Hazelius House, where the traditional song "Give Me That Old Time Religion" was composed, and the two story-John Fox House, built in 1832. Originally built by Jesse Bates, John Fox, a wealthy planter and politician, bought the house in 1843. Currently, it is furnished with period pieces from Lexington County that show how an upper class home would have been decorated around the mid-nineteenth century. The Museum serves as an invaluable educational tool by promoting the county's history and attracting school groups. The Museum offers thirteen hands-on tours to school groups for free.