YOU ARE HERE -> 1814-today A fragile and precious artifact periodically makes its appearance at Ashland today: Henry Clay’s ceremonial jacket that he wore at the signing of the Treaty of Ghent. Clay had been part of the American delegation sent to Belgium to negotiate a peace treaty with the British in 1814, which effectively … More A Treasured Artifact: Clay’s Ghent Jacket
You are here –> 1960s-1970s It was a distinctly different time at Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate, the historic house museum… One highlight of visiting Ashland in the 1960s and ’70s was Gypsy the calico cat. She came to Ashland as a stray in 1962 when Director Lorraine Seay took her in. Gypsy lived for … More The Cat Who Lived in the Museum
It is the picturesque little building that you first encounter: The Keeper’s – or Gardener’s – Cottage. Adjacent to today’s modern parking lot, this Henry Clay-era original structure is a charmer. The Cottage was designed in 1846 by Thomas Lewinski, the Lexington architect who had helped Clay with some mansion remodeling, had designed homes for … More The Story of the 1846 Cottage At Ashland
YOU ARE HERE -> 1950s-today From the time Ashland opened as a museum in 1950 the grounds and outbuildings surrounding the mansion have been just as essential to visitor experience as touring the house. Ashland featured seventeen acres open daily to the public. Although the mansion remained the primary focus, from the beginning the Henry … More Historical Authenticity of Ashland’s Grounds and Formal Garden
YOU ARE HERE -> 1950s-1970s Unlike many historic house museums, the public display of Ashland’s collection began during the domestic life of the founder’s—Henry Clay’s—home some 150 years before. The coexistence of home and museum actually has a long history at Ashland; exhibiting and interpreting artifacts for the public has been occurring for almost two … More Interpreting Henry Clay in a Charming Home Environment
YOU ARE HERE -> 1880s-1940s When Henry Clay’s son James and his wife Susan left Ashland during the Civil War, they placed their precious Clay heirlooms safely in family hands. Their family line would retain a large portion of Henry Clay artifacts, many of which eventually found their way back to Ashland after 1950. But … More Giving the Impression that Henry Clay “may return at any moment”
YOU ARE HERE -> today **Ashland is a good place to get outdoors while social distancing. There is plenty of room to walk, admire the trees, historic buildings, and the carpet of flowers, all while keeping everyone safe.** Springtime at Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate is especially glorious with the carpet of tiny white blossoms … More Spring Beauty at Ashland
YOU ARE HERE -> 1920s Ashland endangered The people of America…make no mistake in paying homage to the memory of Henry Clay; but our debt of gratitude, my friends, will not be liquidated until the historic home of Henry Clay, his dearly beloved ‘Ashland,’ is rescued from the menace of encroachment by advancing civic development … More Ashland in the Path of the Bulldozer
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
History of a House Museum 