Photo finish

Iron horse heads support a balcony at the Sheridan Livery Inn, an inn and restaurant in a former livery stable (built in 1887) on Main St.

A more recent past

The neon sign for the Southern Inn on Main St.

Much of Lexington brings to mind past eras: the Colonial, Antebellum, Civil War and post war periods in particular. This well-known sign in the center of town is a relic from a more recent past. The Southern Inn restaurant is celebrating 75 years in business this year. That would date it to 1934, and the sign looks to be of that vintage, as well. You can tell how proud the business is of it by how prominently it is featured on their website.

Lexington's sign ordinance would not allow this sign to be installed today, which I think on the whole is a good thing. One such in a town this size is enough. But it does make an interesting contrast to the 18th and 19th century history that dominates here.

Independent coffee

If you want to sit down with a cup of coffee (plain or fancy) and read, browse the web, or chat with your neighbors, you don't have to settle for your generic Starbucks. In fact, we are lucky to have no Starbucks in Lexington; only unique local places run by dedicated local people.

Blue Sky Bakery (at Nelson and Lee), A Joyful Spirit and The Patisserie (both on Main), and the Lexington Coffee Shop on Washington St. (above), are all one-of-a-kind. Even the one not-totally-independent coffee spot in town - it was part of a small regional chain called the Daily Grind, which recently expanded nationwide - just went solo to stay personal, and has renamed itself "Java 23." At the Lexington Coffee Shop, you can sip your double espresso in the company of paintings by Rockbridge area artists, and listen to local musicians play on Wednesday mornings.

(Lexington even has its own coffee roaster, just north of town!)

The one drawback: It's very hard to remain anonymous.