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The Ashland Park Historic District
was planned by the famed Olmsted Brothers firm, which included
Frederick Law Olmsted Sr. and Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.
Photograph by Eric Thomason, courtesy of the Blue Grass
Trust for Historic Preservation; Lexington, KY |
The Ashland Park Historic District is an early 20th century residential
neighborhood of primarily single-family homes. At the time of
its development the district was located at the eastern edge of
the city of Lexington. In 1904 the Clay family hired the architectural
firm of the Olmsted Brothers of Brookline, Massachusetts, the
famed family of landscape architects including Frederick Law Olmsted
Sr. and Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., to draw up plans for a residential
neighborhood on the 600-acre estate. Constructed over a 15-year
period, the development was completed around 1930. The lots sold
for approximately $2,500 each, with deed restrictions on the most
prominent lots.
View of South Hanover Street,
looking southwest
Photograph from National Register collection, courtesy of Lexington-Fayette
County Historic Commission, photo by
Bettie L. Kerr | |
The development was designed to include many trees, large areas
of green-space, and curving streets with few right angled intersections
holding true to the Olmstead trademark. A wide variety of architectural
styles can be found in Ashland Park including Colonial Revival,
Craftsman, Bungalow, Tudor Revival, Dutch Colonial Revival, Prairie,
Georgian Revival, Spanish Eclectic, French Eclectic, and Italian
Renaissance, attesting to the varied tastes and styles of the day.
Ashland Park continues to be a desirable residential neighborhood.
Visitors can either drive or walk through the neighborhood and enjoy
the beautiful green spaces and varied architectural styles.
Ashland Park Historic District is located adjacent to Ashland,
Henry Clay Estate off of East Main St. The district is roughly
bounded by Richmond Rd., South Hanover Ave., Fontaine Rd., Woodspoint
Rd., Fincastle Rd., and Sycamore Rd. The houses in the district
are private residences and are not open to the public.
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