Lexington Residential Historic District
Why it's listed
Lexington's residential historic district covers about 264 acres northwest of downtown and includes the town's oldest neighborhoods, the platted subdivisions of Park Place, Robbins Heights, Courtenay, Rosemary Park, Hillcrest, Oak Crest and Westover Heights, and Lexington City Cemetery, whose oldest section dates to around 1740. Most of the 751 primary buildings were built between about 1900 and 1956. They include Queen Anne cottages, bungalows, Colonial, Tudor and Mediterranean Revival houses, and later Minimal Traditional and Ranch homes. Apartment buildings, a few modest factories and shops, First Baptist Church, the 1954 armory and the 1930 Grimes School stand among the houses. The Courtenay and Hillcrest streets were laid out by landscape architect Earle Sumner Draper. Much of the housing reflects the 1910s and 1920s, Lexington's period of greatest growth. Although some buildings have modern windows or siding, the district keeps a high degree of integrity, and about 89 percent of its primary resources contribute to its character.
Significance in brief: The district is described as an intact, cohesive collection of domestic, religious, commercial, industrial and educational buildings from the early to mid twentieth century. Most of the housing dates to the 1910s and 1920s, when Lexington's growth peaked. It shows a wide range of popular national styles, and about 89 percent of its 751 primary resources are contributing. The form calls it locally significant.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 07000350, listed April 19, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by State St., W. Fifth St., Martin St., Westside Dr., Southbound St., and W. Ninth Ave., Lexington |
|---|---|
| County | Davidson County |
| Listed | April 19, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07000350 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Earle Sumner Draper (landscape architect, Courtenay and Hillcrest streets); Joseph T. Levesque (architect, Wall House, Williams Circle) |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne, Bungalow/Craftsman, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Mediterranean Revival, Modern Movement (Minimal Traditional, Ranch) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development, Art |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Mostly single-family residential use with some multi-family housing; some houses on West Center Street have been converted to offices. Retains a high degree of integrity. |
| Acreage | 264 |
| Coordinates | 35.82449, -80.26050 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 07000350.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18353676
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.