Cassius Clay’s Mansion A Gallery of the Historic White Hall

Next month, I will publish an article about Kentucky’s emancipationist and politician Cassius Clay. Appalachia Bare recently toured his mansion White Hall located in the rolling hills of this beautiful region. I consider it one of the best historical tours I’ve taken in a long time. (Thank you to curator Matthew Parrish.) An hour’s walkthrough doesn’t do it justice. At almost 10,000 square feet, the house brims with memorabilia and history.

The home was originally owned by General Green Clay, a veteran who served honorably in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Built in 1799,¹⁾Some sources record Clermont as being built in 1798. Clay dubbed the home Clermont. He was quite a brilliant businessman who made his money from liquor, ferries, and land. After his death, Clermont and a healthy parcel of land was passed to his youngest son, Cassius Marcellus Clay. But, more about him next month . . .

After Cassius married Mary Jane Warfield in 1833, she dove into remodeling and updating the mansion, changing the style from the classic Georgian to a more decorative Italian. The mansion was renamed White Hall and had state-of-the-art-everything, from indoor plumbing to central heating.

After Cassius died, the home fell into ruin. At one time, the mansion was even used as a barn. In 1968, it was donated to the state. Kentucky’s former first lady Beula C. Nunn²⁾Beula was the wife of former governor Louie B. Nunn. worked with the Parks Department and various philanthropic and historical establishments to restore the mansion for the public. The historic home is now maintained by the City of Richmond, Kentucky.

I wanted to share this experience with you, our treasured readers, as a sort of visual peek for the forthcoming article. After the gallery, I have provided links not only to sources, but to the museum itself. I highly recommend the tour. Truly, a 10 out of 10 experience.

White Hall Mansion Gallery

(Some images have been human-altered or cropped for better viewing.)

Kentucky state sign

Cassius Clay sits in the center.

The parlor area. The vase in the middle is from Russia. Cassius was Minister to Russia back in the day.

A look at the ornate restoration.

Crystal chandelier--showing the restored ornate Italian architecture.

A Steinway piano in the corner of the parlor.

A restored room with furniture donated from the Warfield-Clay family.

Image of the home in disrepair.

Clock sculpture

General Green Clay, father of Cassius Clay

Painting of Cassius Clay.

Sally Lewis Clay, mother of Cassius Clay

A bedroom with a brief explanation of the Clay family's thoughts about religion. The papers contain the words of Green Clay's will and testament.

A close look at the crystal embellishments.

Dining area room. Image brightened for better viewing. Some signs in the photograph are hidden in order to draw focus on the room itself.

Crystal and jewels

Tabletop with china and condiment stand (?).

Mary Jane Warfield Clay, first wife of Cassius Clay.

Dr. Elisha Warfield, father of Mary Warfield Clay

Mary Barr Warfield, mother of Mary Warfield Clay.

Cassius Marcellus Clay

Copy of the slave records for the Clays, among other owners.

Cigar molds

A child's room and play area with period furniture, crib, and toys

Baby buggy

Crib

The other side of the child's room with period bed, furniture, and toys.

Porch/sunroom

Library

Corner of Library with period secretary/desk.

These photographs show William Lloyd Garrison who greatly influenced Cassius Clay. The photo portion on the left shows an inspection of the mansion's neglect.

Cassius Clay.

Document indicating the emancipation of some of Clay's slaves on January 15, 1845, almost two decades before Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation of 1863.

Image of Clay's gifted copy of Uncle Tom's Cabin.

An emancipationist newspaper owned and edited by Cassius Clay.

What a bedroom might have looked like in the Clay home ca 1860s.

Steps to the bed and a chamber pot. Period furniture is in the background.

Another image of a bedroom.

The Lincolns, Clays, and Todds were very close. Reportedly, Mary Todd Lincoln's sister was Mary Warfield Clay's bridesmaid.

Bust of Abraham Lincoln with an interesting shadow.

Henry Clay, relative of Cassius Clay, was a former house speaker, secretary of state, and a founder of the National Republican Party. He was nicknamed "The Great Compromiser" for his diplomatic skills.

A shadow box of Abraham Lincoln and surrounding images of White Hall in various states.

Another view of what a mourning room looked like.

A room in the house was dedicated to mourning. This image reveals what a woman would have worn when she was in a period of mourning during this era. She was to wear black and abstain from entertainment for three years.

A brass cannon owned by Cassius Clay

Images and a brief writeup about Cassius Clay's military service/experience.

Cassius Clay

Clay had to constantly be on guard, given his stance about slavery. These are believed to have been the blood-stained pants worn by a man during an altercation with Clay (The man later died.).

Cassius Clay.

A wider look at what appears to be set up as a male guest's bedroom. Note the bedwarmer standing at the edge of the bed.

A chair in the "male guest bedroom" with what I believe to be an 1860 Top Hat.

Male guest's bedroom, perhaps.

An autographed image of Cassius Clay.

Dora Richardson Clay, second wife of Cassius Clay. A facsimile of the marriage certificate rests atop the table.

Cassius Clay near the end of his life.

Water closet/bathroom

Indoor plumbing--practically nonexistent in the U.S. during the 1860s.

Another view of the toilet. I admit, I was quite fascinated.

Baths. One sheet metal, the other a more modern tub. The photograph in the center showcases a shower, thanks to Mary Warfield Clay. An indoor shower was fairly unheard of then.

The path to the outdoor kitchen, where slaves cooked the meals. To the right is an underground ice house.

A cauldron, probably used for, among other things, fats and soapmaking.

Closer look of the outdoor kitchen.

Next month, we’ll journey through the life of Cassius Marcellus Clay.

Sources:

• “What is Georgian Architecture?” by Natalie Gale, Traditional Building. https://www.traditionalbuilding.com/what-is-georgian-architecture
• “Italianate Style 1850s – 1880s” by the National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/articles/italianate-style-architecture.htm
• “White Hall State Historic Site,” Visit Richmond Kentucky. https://visitrichmondky.com/listing/white-hall-state-historic-house/
• “White Hall Historic Site” Kentucky State Parks/Kentucky 27. https://www.stateparks.com/white_hall_historic_site_in_kentucky.html