Nothing describes the grounds of Ashland during Henry
Clay's lifetime better than the following quotes from the era:
"Clay has ... paid great attention to ornamenting his lands with beautiful shade trees,
shrubs, flowers, and fruit orchards.  From the road which passes his place on the northwest
side, a carriage course leads up to the house, lined with locust, cypress, cedar, and
other rare trees, and the rose jasmine and ivy were clustered about them... Mr. Clay's
mansion is nearly hidden from the road by the trees surrounding it, and is as quiet and
secluded, save to the throng of pilgrims continually pouring up there to greet its more
than royal possessor, as though it were in the wilderness." - Nile's National Register,
1845
"Leave Frankfort, and come through a district of fine
land, very well watered, to Lexington... Had the good fortune to meet Mr. Clay, who
carried us to his house, about a mile in the country. It is a beautiful residence,
situated near the centre of a very fine farm, which is cleared and is coming into
excellent cultivation."
- From a journal made during a tour of the Western country by Thomas Hulme in 1828
Descriptions of the carriage  road leading to the main house all have a similar theme:
"serpentine" or a "curving avenue of tall pines and broad leafed Catalpas
" or "snaking its way to the mansion through a grove of cypress, locust, and
cedar trees."
Lord Morpeth, Earl of Carlisle, one of Ashland's most distinguished visitors
gave Clay's efforts
high marks, claiming that the woodland park at Ashland was "the nearest approach to
an English park of any in this country." And from The Country Magazine "From
the front lawn (was) commanded a fine and extended view of the surrounding country, the
domes and spires of the city standing out prominently against the sky."
In this photograph taken from the circle drive looking  across the drive toward
downtown Lexington one can see the extensive pasture to the west. You can also see the continuation
of the drive to the barn.
The Service Area
During the 19th century Ashland was a working farm and the
activities of the service area had to do with storing, preserving and preparing food. The old
farm road is still clearly visible by looking eastward along the garden wall and through a
line of  trees. You can
see the road bed where the horse and wagons brought in the crops. The two children shown
in the photo are between the cottage and smokehouse. The wooden shed (possibly the chicken
house) is in line with the smokehouse. The farm slave quarters were probably located
out this road, and the domestic slave quarters were located down the road which is now the
driveway and across Fincastle Road. In addition to the present  buildings, there would
have been cheese, butter and chicken houses. There once was a large barn in this area.
In this photo (date unknown) the wooden platform is in line
with the old farm road. The smokehouse is on the left.
According to an 1850 Census of Agriculture, Ashland had 39
horses, 19 asses, 33 cows, 2 oxen, 23 other cattle, and 130 swine. The livestock was
valued at $20,000; produce - 700 bushels of wheat, 500 bushels of rye, 6,000 bushels of
Indian corn, 1,000 bushels of oats, 3 bushels of peas, 20 bushels of potatoes, 200 pounds
of butter.
Locust Walk and Henry Clay Walk
There are references to Henry Clay walking the tan-bark
paths while meditating the problems of our country and composing his famous speeches. The Henry Clay Walk consists of
two large loops that encompass the rear lawn of the main house and the north lawn along
Richmond Road. The Locust Walk is a section of the north lawn walkway near the house. The
walk was described as serpentine with many large canopy trees with their delicate foliage
interlacing overhead. Also adding to the color and beauty along the walk would have been
smaller flowering trees such as the redbud and dogwood. The combination of Norway spruce
and sugar  maple
along the walk is the most intact group of trees on the grounds that date from Henry
Clay's life time. This 1850 photograph of James B. Clay and his son shows them standing on
the Locust Walk. Large black locusts (no longer in existence) and towering Norway
spruce lined the walk. The house is clearly visible in the background.
Richmond Road, once owned by Henry Clay, was a turnpike
with a toll house that provided some income for the family. It was later renamed
McDowell's Speedway in honor of Major Henry Clay McDowell.
Savannah Pasture and Rear Lawn
The savanna plant community was one of the unusual  features that early
settlers found in central Kentucky. Savannas were ideally suited for pasture, but grazing
livestock prevented the trees from regenerating. Only small remnants still exist in the
Lexington area. The Clays cleared underbrush from their savanna pasture to improve the
grazing quality and called the pasture a park. The two old blue ashes along Woodspoint
Road are remnants of Clay's park.
 This drawing, "The Park," illustrates the open woodland character
of the savanna pastures at Ashland. The tree in the foreground is probably a blue ash.
The rear lawn was known as the social area. In fact, when
Henry Clay rented his home in the 1820s while he was Secretary of State, he stipulated
that animals were not to graze in the "Pleasure Area." This was the area for  lawn tennis,
barbecues and parties. At one time there was even a pool here. Nannette McDowell's marriage
to Dr. Thomas Bullock in 1892 was celebrated in a large temporary banquet hall in this
area. The first electric lights were at Ashland for this much celebrated wedding reception
of Henry Clay's great-granddaughter.
The view across the rear lawn once looked into a savanna pasture that
visitors described as a large area of parkland. During the time that the McDowells lived
at Ashland (1883-1917) this view of the landscape persisted and can be seen in the
photograph of the family on the lawn tennis court. Significant landscape features in this
view include the plank fence at the east end of the lawn and the view into the savanna
pasture beyond.
Information on Renting the Grounds of the Ashland Estate
A designated outdoor area, near the circa 1846 Keeper’s Cottage, is available for rental events at Ashland. Clean and modern indoor restroom facilities are available at no extra cost. There is ample parking.
Maximum group size is 100.
Maximum Tent Size: 40’ x 60’
Fees: 0 – 50 people; Grounds Rental: $ 550
51-100 people; Grounds Rental: $ 900
To reserve the event date, a contract must be signed and 50% payment of the rental fee is due upon contract signing.
The balance is due five business days prior to the event along with a $500.00 damage
deposit. Barring no damage to the property and adherence to the contract terms, the
damage deposit is refunded within 5 business days of the event.
The lessee is responsible for rental of tent, tables, chairs, catering, decorations, music,
etc. The use of licensed caterers is required. No decorations may be attached to any
buildings or other structures on the site.
The Mansion may be rented for an additional $200.00. It is available during the first hour
of an event. It will be an open house format. No formal tour is given. Volunteers are
stationed throughout the house to answer questions.
The Museum is open for regular daily tours until 5:00 P.M., therefore no rental event
may begin before 5:30 P.M. Electricity is available on site.
Events must end by 9:30
The Flora of Ashland
Archeology at Ashland
The Landscape Masterplan
120
Sycamore Road
Lexington, Kentucky 40502
(859) 266-8581
Email: ahmichel@henryclay.org
©Copyright, The Henry Clay Memorial Foundation, 2001
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