YOU ARE HERE -> c1820-1852 Ashland’s history is unique in the world of historic house museums in that there was an early and uncommon practice of displaying artifacts for a public audience …inside the Ashland mansion, while it was still a private dwelling. Henry Clay himself initiated a particular manner of presenting the past in … More An American History Museum …in Henry Clay’s House
YOU ARE HERE -> c1820s-1852 Henry Clay rose in an era when appearing to be a “commoner” was advantageous for one’s political image. Andrew Jackson, the “common man,” benefited from this perception. Henry Clay himself was known as the “Great Commoner,” but for Clay this was no act; in his words and behaviors, he personified … More We Were Soon Perfectly At Home, As Everyone Must Be With Mr. Clay
YOU ARE HERE -> 1805-1815 Early in 1805 Henry Clay contracted with Lexington builder John Fisher for the construction of a mansion at Clay’s Ashland property. Architectural historians Patrick Snadon and Michael Fazio in The Domestic Architecture of Benjamin Henry Latrobe theorize that Latrobe may well have designed this initial structure for Clay. When the two-story Federal … More Henry Clay’s House
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 -> c1810s-1852 The extroverted and politically ambitious Henry Clay did not jealously guard his space or his privacy as other public figures did, but willingly shared them as one who fully understood his status. Even at Ashland where he sought peace and refuge, he remained accessible to those who came to his … More Henry Clay at Ashland: Public and Private
YOU ARE HERE -> 1805-1815 Early in 1805 Henry Clay contracted with Lexington builder John Fisher for the construction of a mansion at Clay’s Ashland property. Architectural historians Patrick Snadon and Michael Fazio in The Domestic Architecture of Benjamin Henry Latrobe theorize that Latrobe may well have designed this initial structure for Clay. When the two-story Federal … More Henry Clay’s House
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
YOU ARE HERE -> c1820s-1852 Henry Clay lived in an era when appearing to be a “commoner” was advantageous for one’s political image. Andrew Jackson benefited from this perception. But it seems that Henry Clay was naturally unpretentious and—especially when home at Ashland—markedly informal. Clay’s grandson-in-law Major McDowell said that Henry Clay was a “believer … More We Were Soon Perfectly At Home, As Everyone Must Be With Mr. Clay
YOU ARE HERE -> c1810s-1852 The extroverted and politically ambitious Henry Clay did not jealously guard his space or his privacy as other public figures did, but willingly shared them as one who fully understood his status. Even at Ashland where he sought peace and refuge, he remained accessible to those who came to his … More Henry Clay at Ashland: Public and Private
History of a House Museum 