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Ashland, the home of the famous
U.S. Senator and politician, Henry Clay
Courtesy of the Henry Clay Memorial Foundation, Lexington,
KY |
Famed Kentucky statesman Henry Clay built his mansion home, Ashland,
in 1812, which was designated a National Historic Landmark on
December 19, 1960. Clay was a U.S. Senator from Kentucky, and
served as the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, the
Secretary of State,and also made three unsuccessful bids for the
presidency, narrowly losing in his last attempt. Just before his
death in 1852 he helped delay the Civil War and secession by the
southern states, thus gaining the title "the great compromiser."
Clay began acquiring the 600-acre Ashland Estate in 1811 and built
his mansion house the following year. A portion of the original
home was designed by famed architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe, who
is also responsible for the design of the United
States Capitol building in Washington as well as the Pope
Villa, also in Lexington.
Illustration of the Henry Clay Estate (c1850) Courtesy
of Transylvania University Special Collections, Lexington, KY |
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The front of the original home was graced by a detailed Georgian
entrance and a large Palladian window leading to a balcony on the
second floor. The home was flanked by two large wings giving the
mansion overall balance. The interior contained many architectural
features typical of the opulence of ante-bellum architecture. Following
Clay's death the house was deemed structurally unsound. Clay's son
razed the structure in 1857 and rebuilt the home on its original
foundation, replicating the original design, which has been little
altered since. This site has now been home to five generations of
the Clay family. Following an extensive renovation between 1990
and 1993, many discoveries were made and many pieces belonging to
the Clay family were returned to the home. Twenty acres of the original
estate remain, which contain the gardens and dependencies of Ashland.
Ashland,
the Henry Clay Estate, a National Historic Landmark, is located adjacent to the
Ashland Park Historic District on Sycamore Rd. off of East
Main St. (Richmond Rd.), and is now a house museum. It is open for tours Tuesdays-Saturdays
from 10:00am to 4:30pm. The tour lasts approximately one hour but visitors should
allow time to visit the Museum Store and view the formal gardens. The estate is
closed in January and on holidays. For more information, visits Ashland's website or call 859-266-8501. |