Ashland, Henry Clay's Home (Tour)

Entries on This Tour

Though the Ashland Estate today takes up about 16 acres of land, the farm at one point covered nearly 660 acres. On this property, Henry Clay and his family grew hemp as a cash crop, raised sheep, cattle, and chickens. Clay’s farm was known especially for their hemp and wool exports and Clay himself was considered an expert on both subjects. The Clay family profited from slave labor and Henry Clay purchased at least 60 African American people who were forced to work on his farm or in his home. The operation of the farm at Ashland was entirely dependent on slave labor. Today a small enclosure on the property is dedicated to the growth of hemp which was harvested for the first time in over 130 years in August of 2016.

2. Slavery at Ashland

The wealth of Henry Clay’s family and the prosperity of his farm were built because of the family’s reliance on the labor of enslaved African American people. Records show that over 120 persons were enslaved at the Ashland Estate between Clay’s purchase of the property in 1804 and the ratification of the 13th Amendment in 1865. Of those enslaved at Ashland, Henry Clay himself purchased over 60 people. Though a few of the slaves at Ashland were freed by Clay, the vast majority were enslaved up until slavery was made illegal. The slave community at Ashland was made to work in the hemp fields, raise livestock, cook, clean, and raise the Clays' children.

3. USS Ashland Bell

Donated to the Henry Clay Estate in 1995, the bell was made for the first USS Ashland. The ship launched in 1942 and was in the Navy’s service until 1969. During World War II, the Ashland and its crew were awarded seven battle stars. The USS Ashland also served on missions in Korea from 1950-57 and for short periods in the Atlantic, Arctic, Caribbean, and the Mediterranean in the 1960s. This was the first ship to be named after the Ashland Estate, but another was launched in 1989. The bell is on display near the parking lot at the Ashland Estate and features a plaque with details of the ship’s service record.

4. Madeline M. Breckinridge Marker

Madeline McDowell Breckinridge spent 16 years living at Ashland until her marriage in 1898. Breckinridge is a descendant of Henry Clay and the powerful McDowell family. Breckinridge made a name for herself as an advocate for social change fighting for child protection laws and the rights of women. Her work built on foundations laid by her cousins Laura and Mary Barr Clay who had helped establish the women’s suffrage movement in Kentucky. Breckinridge’s 1920 funeral was held at the Ashland Estate before she was buried in the nearby Lexington Cemetery. This marker at Ashland commemorates her life and work.

5. Ashland Gardens

Since 1950, a partnership between the Garden Club of Lexington and the Henry Clay Estate has helped to create and maintain a formal garden on the grounds of Ashland. Today, club members meet weekly to perform garden upkeep. The club’s work has expanded from the formal garden to include the peony garden and a monarch waystation which both lie just outside the walls of the formal garden. In 2005, the Garden Club received a Historic Preservation Award honoring their more than 50 years of work on the estate.

6. Battle of Ashland Memorial

The Ashland Estate became a hub of activity during the Civil War for a brief period in 1862. James B. Clay, son of Henry Clay, was the owner of the estate at this time and was a known Confederate sympathizer. Union troops began to occupy the property after the Battle of Perryville but were defeated by Confederate troops led by General John Hunt Morgan. This marker stands in honor of those who died in the Battle of Ashland and gives a brief account of the battle.

7. Modern Art Sculptures by John Henry at Ashland

These three steel sculptures on the grounds of the Ashland Estate were designed by artist John Henry who is a Lexington-native. The pieces are entitled La Tour, Rocher du Diamant, and Publisher. Henry has stated in interviews that the sculptures are intended to reflect both the power and influence of Henry Clay and the deliberate and planned design of the grounds. The pieces were installed in July of 2019 and are temporary features, however, an exact date for their removal has not been determined. The Henry Clay Estate hopes that the sculptures will draw more visitors to the grounds and have revised their grounds tour to feature the pieces.

This Tour is a Virtual Museum or Site Tour.

Ashland, Henry Clay's Home

Created by Victoria Endres on March 14th 2017, 6:20:00 pm.

Get a QR Code for this tour

Description

Ashland is the historic estate of Henry Clay, one of the most influential political leaders of the early 19th century. Clay earned a reputation as both a skillful orator and a diplomatic negotiator in Congress and served as Secretary of State under John Quincy Adams. Clay is best known for his willingness to confront the most controversial issue of the early 19th century-the extension of slavery in the West. Clay was the architect of the Compromise of 1850 and several other laws that facilitated Western expansion and allowed for the creation of free states while appeasing the slaveowners of the South.

Entries on This Tour

Ashland, Henry Clay's Home

Description

Share