YOU ARE HERE -> 1855-1856 Henry Clay’s son James and his wife Susan rebuilt the Ashland mansion in the 1850s with an Italianate flair. Yet Henry Clay’s Federal-style floor plan remained at the heart of the structure, and the rooms were assigned for uses corresponding to those in Clay’s original house. But now the interiors … More Lavishly Furnishing the New Ashland
Henry Clay personally delighted in the historic artifacts he displayed at Ashland. But he stressed that such objects were intended to reach the public – that vast public that always found its way to his doorstep. Memorializing George Washington was the special focus for Clay and his visitors at Ashland. While Clay proudly exhibited such … More George Washington at Ashland
YOU ARE HERE -> up to 1852 Ashland’s history is unique in the world of historic house museums in that there was a very early and unusual practice of displaying artifacts for a public audience …within Ashland, while it was still a private dwelling. Henry Clay himself initiated a particular manner of presenting the past … More An American History Museum …In Henry Clay’s House
Henry Clay had never been a practicing religious man, but, as the Heidlers put it in Henry Clay, The Essential American, he “had never been irreligious.” Even though his father had been a preacher and his wife Lucretia a devout lifelong Episcopalian, Clay had never joined a church. But with all the political disappointments and … More Henry Clay Baptized at Ashland
YOU ARE HERE -> 1880s-1890s The McDowells performed a dramatic “inside job” at Ashland when they arrived in the early 1880s. Keeping the exterior and floorplan of the mansion largely intact, they set about updating Ashland’s interior design. The McDowells were the first occupants to photograph the interiors of the mansion. The modern idea of … More Straddling the Victorian and the Avant-garde
YOU ARE HERE -> 1857 After Henry Clay’s death, his national historic-themed display at Ashland evolved into son James’s Henry Clay tribute display. James and Susan continued the practice of displaying artifacts within the mansion for public viewing, but now the collection centered on those related to Clay’s life. They honored Henry Clay’s collection by … More Paying Tribute to Henry Clay at Ashland
YOU ARE HERE -> 1950s – today Among Ashland’s most prized artifacts for decades were two pair of fancy draperies, which were on display for Ashland’s 1950 Opening Day. In 1953 Mrs. Seay told the Herald-Leader, “Probably the items on display in the house that most capture the fancy of visitors are the gold brocaded … More The Curious Case of The Golden Draperies
