In the 1960s, Massachusetts legislation created Councils on Aging for the cities and towns in the Commonwealth. The first senior center in Lexington was located in the Lexington Visitors Center and later moved to the site of the former Muzzey School. In 1972, a bequest from a Lexington resident specified that half of the proceeds from the sale of her home would be given to the Town to be spent for a new senior center. To receive this gift, the Friends of the Lexington Council on Aging was established as a 501(C)(3) charity. The money from this bequest is now invested in an endowment which is managed financially by the Lexington Trustees of the Public Trust.
The FCOA mission statement is included in its by-laws: The purpose of this [corporation] shall be to raise money through contributions and fundraising activities, which monies shall be disbursed to cover FCOA organizational costs, to support programs, and to purchase equipment and/or services for the senior citizens of Lexington Massachusetts, in coordination with the Lexington Council on Aging.