January 2018 – History of a House Museum

The Origins of Kentucky University and The Kentucky A&M …and How They Came to Ashland

January 22, 2018

Founder and Regent of Kentucky University, John Bryan Bowman (1824-1891) held a lofty vision for higher education in Kentucky and was devoted to the ideal of egalitarian education, proclaiming, “I want to build up a People’s Institution, a great university eventually accessible to the poorest boy in all the land…”[1] Bowman was a man of … More The Origins of Kentucky University and The Kentucky A&M …and How They Came to Ashland

Ashland Makes a Fine Backdrop

January 12, 2018

Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate, is a popular scenic backdrop for many a photo opportunity: from history-themed gatherings, to prom pictures, to family photos, to weddings. Here, a smattering of images taken with Ashland as a fine backdrop:

Living in the Museum

January 2, 2018

YOU ARE HERE -> 1950s Many 1950s visitors to Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate, the newly opened historic house museum in Lexington, Kentucky, would never have realized that the mansion continued to be a private home. This reality was downplayed—if not hidden—from public view for nine years. Museum Director Lorraine Seay’s public hospitality was complicated … More Living in the Museum