James B. Clay House

Forest Avenue, Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky
Built 1845

Source: Old Houses of Lexington, C. Frank Dunn, typescript, n.d., copy located in the Kentucky Room, Lexington (Kentucky) Public Library.

Henry Clay in 1845 had Major Thos. Lewinski out to breakfast at "Ashland" and instructed the famous Lexington architect to draw plans for homes respectively for his sons, James B. and Thomas Clay.

The venerable statesman selected this site for James B. Clay's house, and the "Mansfield" tract, east of "Ashland" on the Richmond Road, for the Thomas Clay home. Both houses are preserved today--this one so encroached upon by more modern houses that it has been faced toward Forest Avenue, while the other still enjoys the expansive bluegrass meadows that originally surrounded it and the "Henry Clay Spring" near it.

This house, which was made to face in four directions, had its entrance fronting "Richmond Turnpike" (now East Main Street) and its nearest neighboring domicile was that of "Henry Bell, Esqr." Major Lewinski, who worked approximately 18 hours a day according to his diary, drew plans for and built the Bell Home while superintending the erection of the two Clay houses.

Major Lewinski often conferred with Mr. Clay "at breakfast" while building his sons' houses and devoted extra care to the James B. Clay home. His diary shows he drew plans for lamps, tables, chairs and other ornate furniture, and the mantels, as may be seen today, were of unique design and workmanship.

James B. Clay and wife, Susan M., of "St. Louis County, Missouri," sold the home and 5-acre lot July, 1851, to Harvey Miller, who owned an adjoining tract on the west in partnership with Richard Pindell. Miller and Pindell divided their holdings in 1854, Miller taking about seven acres between his Clay property and the C. & O. R.R., and Pindell taking the property next west on Main Street, which he at once sold to the railroad company for right-of-way--it extended back about 1/3 mile.

In 1855, Harvey Miller conveyed the property to Edward P. Johnson, the stage-coach proprietor, and Robert W. Adams "of the City of New Orleans, La.," as trustees for his wife, Bettie A. Miller. The conveyance included "all that house and lot...containing 12 acres adjoining the residence of Henry Bell...and now constituting the residence of Harvey Miller," also all the furniture and plate in the house, "the carriage and horses" and seven slaves.

Miller and his wife sold the home and 12 acres to Gen. David S. Goodloe in January 1856.

James B. Clay in the meantime--following the death of Henry Clay in 1852--took over "Ashland."

Transcribed by pb June 2004

Updated December 13, 2025.