The Thumb's first town, now a resort village

Lexington is the oldest community in Sanilac County — its township was organized back in 1837, the year Michigan became a state, and for a while Lexington was the county seat and the area’s main port on Lake Huron. It lost the county seat to Sandusky in 1880, and the great storm of 1913 wrecked its lakefront docks, but the town never faded. It just became something else: one of the Thumb’s favorite little resort towns.

These days Lexington fills up in summer. People come for the beach and the harbor, the shops and restaurants along the old main street, the village theater, the nearby golf and wineries, and the general feel of a historic lake town that’s kept its charm. A lot of the 19th-century buildings are still standing, and the village wears its long history comfortably. If you’re buying here, expect a quiet town most of the year and a lively, busy one in the warm months.