YOU ARE HERE -> 1950s Historic house museums often face difficult decisions regarding which period of the house’s history to interpret. This interpretive decision has proven to be a most complicated issue at Ashland. Not only is Henry Clay’s original house gone, but five generations of his family occupied the estate and much of the … More Messy Generational ‘Layers’ Complicate Museum’s Task
YOU ARE HERE -> 1950s-1980s From 1950 through the 1980s Director Lorraine Seay welcomed guests to Ashland at her desk in the front hall where registration was required. In the case of large groups, she would greet them from the front doorstep, from which they would be led through the house by tour guides. Smaller … More Come Along on A Vintage Tour of Ashland
YOU ARE HERE -> today Springtime at Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate is especially glorious with the carpet of tiny white blossoms that covers the grounds. Spring Beauty—often referred to as “Spring Beauties” —has been blooming every spring on the estate for generations. Claytonia virginica is the botanical name for this perennial, in honor of … More Spring Beauty at Ashland
Ashland for over 200 years has been a magical place for children to play. From Henry Clay’s own children and grandchildren to his son James and Susan’s ten children, to his granddaughter Anne Clay McDowell’s girls, the estate’s young occupants delighted in their surroundings. And it was not only the Clay children who grew up … More Children at Ashland
YOU ARE HERE -> 1950s-today When Ashland opened as a museum in 1950 the estate featured seventeen acres open daily to the public. Although the mansion was the primary focus, from the beginning the Henry Clay Memorial Foundation emphasized Ashland’s spacious grounds and encouraged visitors to “pause” before entering the mansion to see the grounds, … More Ashland Grounds as Public Park: The Formal Garden
It is the picturesque little building that most Ashland visitors first encounter: The Keeper’s – or Gardener’s – Cottage. Adjacent to today’s modern parking lot, this original structure from Henry Clay’s time is a charmer. The Cottage was designed in 1846 by Thomas Lewinski, the Lexington architect who had helped Clay with some mansion remodeling, … More The Cottage At Ashland
You are here –> 1960s-1970s It was a distinctly different time at Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate, historic house museum… One highlight of visiting Ashland in the 1960s and ’70s was Gypsy the cat. She came to Ashland in 1962 and lived for fourteen years in the mansion. She became quite well-known and “people…are disappointed if … More The Cat Who Lived in the Museum
