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By Susie Rickert
Collection Overview
Title: White Hall Historical Collection, 1787-2011
Predominant Dates:1787-1925
Primary Creator: Clay, Cassius Marcellus (1810-1903)
Other Creators: Clay, Green (1871-1962), Clay, Green (1757-1828)
Extent: 3.5 Cubic Feet
Date Acquired: 08/22/2023
Subjects: Clay, Cassius Marcellus, 1810-1903., Clay, Green, 1757-1828., Slavery - Kentucky
Languages: English, Russian
Scope and Contents of the Materials
This collection holds a wide range of history relating to the Clay family and White Hall. Both original letters and copies of Clay family correspondence can be found here. The bulk of the correspondence is from Cassius M. Clay or written to Mary Jane Clay, but there are also letters from Laura Clay, Brutus J. Clay, and others. Contracts, deeds, and wills of the Clay family can be found as well, most of which are from Green Clay in Madison County. In addition to this, books belonging to members of the Clay family are included in this collection. Photographs are a significant part of the collection, both of the Clay family and White Hall. Photographs of Cassius M. Clay, Mary Jane Warfield Clay, Laura Clay, Launey Clay, and other Clay family descendants are included, as well as photographs of White Hall before and after its restoration. Events post restoration, such as a Victorian Christmas at White Hall and weddings, have been photographed as well. Plans for White Hall are also significant to this collection, as there are many technical drawings of everything from HVAC plans to landscaping plans. Newspapers and newspaper clippings are prominent throughout, as clippings can be found in Green Clay’s scrapbooks and original copies of newspapers with articles featuring Cassius Clay and The True American are included. Along with this, there is a wide range of stereoscope cards with images relating to religion, landscapes, and famous places.
Collection Historical Note
White Hall’s beginnings stem from Green Clay, who moved from Virginia to Madison County in the 1780s and built Clermont in 1799. Green Clay served in the Kentucky legislature and as a military officer in the War of 1812. Green Clay married Sally Lewis and had several children, including Cassius M. Clay and Brutus J. Clay. Cassius M. Clay was a prominent anti-slavery figure and served as a military officer in the Mexican American War. He also served as the United States ambassador to Russia from 1863-1869. After the death of his father in 1828, Cassius added the White Hall addition to Clermont, the construction of which was overseen by his wife, Mary Jane Warfield Clay, daughter of Dr. Elisha and Maria Warfield. Cassius and Mary Jane had several children, including Laura Clay and Mary Barr Clay, both of whom were prominent in the Women’s Suffrage Movement. Cassius also had an adopted son, Launey Clay. After divorcing Mary Jane in 1878, Cassius went on to marry Dora Richardson, who was far younger than him, but they were later divorced as well. Cassius died at White Hall at the age of 92 in 1903.
Biographical Note
Cassius Marcellus Clay was born in Madison County, Kentucky, on 19 October 1810. He was the son of Green Clay, a Kentucky soldier of the War of 1812 and a cousin of Henry Clay. He was educated at Centre College, Danville, KY and at Yale, where he graduated in 1832. Influenced to some extent by William Lloyd Garrison, he became an advocate of emancipation and advocated a system of gradual emancipation. In 1835, 1837 and 1840 he was elected as a Whig to the Kentucky legislature, where he helped secure the establishment of a public school system and a much-needed reform in the jury system. In 1841 he was defeated on account of his anti-slavery views. In 1845 he established, at Lexington, KY an anti-slavery publication known as The True American, but in the same year his office and press were wrecked by a mob, and he removed the publication office to Cincinnati, OH. In the Mexican War he served as a captain of a Kentucky company of militia.
He left the Whig party in 1850, and as an anti-slavery candidate for governor of Kentucky polled 5000 votes. In 1856 he joined the Republican party, and wielded considerable influence as a Southern representative in its councils. In 1861 he was sent by President Abraham Lincoln as minister to Russia; in 1862 he returned to America to accept a commission as major-general of volunteers, but in March 1863 was reappointed to his former post at St. Petersburg, where he remained until 1869. Disapproving of the Republican policy of reconstruction, he left the party, and in 1872 was one of the organizers of the Liberal - Republican revolt, and was largely instrumental in securing the nomination of Horace Greeley for the presidency. In the political campaigns of 1876 and 1880 he supported the Democratic candidate, but rejoined the Republican party in the campaign of 1884. He died at his estate, Whitehall, in Madison County, KY on 22 July 1903.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Box:
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Box 1],
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Box 2],
[Box 3],
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Box 4],
[
Box 5],
[
Box 6],
[
Box 7],
[
Folder OS 1: White Hall Plans, 1967-2011],
[
Folder OS 2: White Hall Plans],
[
Folder OS 3: White Hall Plans],
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All]
- Box 3
- Folder 1: Pre-Restoration and Work on White Hall, 1930-1999
- Item 1: White Hall Exterior
- Seventeen photographs of the exterior of White Hall and other structures on White Hall property in bad condition. Photos include broken windows, weathering, plants growing through the concrete, chips and cracks, etc.
- Item 2: White Hall Exterior Work
- Sixteen photographs of machinery being used to dig outside of White Hall and ditches created as a result.
- Item 3: White Hall Interior
- Nineteen photographs of the interior of White Hall in bad shape. Photographs show cracks in the walls, discolored and molding walls, chips in detailing, debris covered floors, vandalism, etc.
- Item 4: Wallpaper
- Three photographs of significant cracks in the wallpaper at White Hall.
- Item 5: White Hall Interior
- Four photographs of damage in the interior of White Hall. Includes damaged bath tub, fireplace, and glass.
- Item 6: White Hall Interior Work, 1999-01-15
- Six photographs of work being done to the interior of White Hall. Includes photos of a wrapped chandelier, rolling supports for people to stand on, a man working on staircase railings, ladders, etc.
- Item 7: White Hall Damage
- Eight photographs showing damage to the foundation and bricks of White Hall.
- Item 8: White Hall Repair
- Eight copies of negatives of men working on White Hall. Includes men working on the roof and columns.
- Item 9: White Hall Exterior, 1930 ca.
- One photograph of the outside of White Hall.
- Item 10: White Hall Damage
- One photograph showing cracks in the interior of White Hall.
- Item 11: Sheep at White Hall
- One photograph taken outside of White Hall. The grass is very tall and sheep stand in it. A man stands near the house.
- Item 12: Young Boy in Front of White Hall
- Two photographs of a young boy standing in front of White Hall. One is of the young boy standing on the original front steps of Clermont and one is of the young boy on the back porch. In both photos, window panes are broken and bricks of the building are crumbling.
- Item 13: White Hall Exterior
- Three copies of photographs of White Hall. One photograph is of the back porch, one is of the front porch, and one is of the original front porch of Clermont with a view of the well house.
- Item 14: White Hall Exterior
- One photograph of the exterior of White Hall with vines growing on the brick.
- Item 15: White Hall Exterior
- Four photographs of the exterior of White Hall. Photographs show missing windows, overgrown landscaping, etc.
- Item 16: White Hall Interior
- Eight photographs of the interior of White Hall showing damaged wallpaper, debris-covered floors, cracking walls, crumbing bricks, mold, etc.
- Item 17: Work on White Hall, 1970-05-07
- A contact sheet with eight photographs of people working on White Hall. Shows men on ladders, working on the roof, working on columns, and working with machinery.
- Item 18: White Hall Staircase
- One photograph of stairs leading to two more levels viewed from the doorway of the printing room.
- Item 19: Wooden Door
- One photograph of a door with wooden hinges to a jail cell in the basement where some slaves were kept.
- Item 20: Arch
- One photograph of a circular arch around a doorway on the top floor.
- Item 21: Ballroom
- One photograph of the ceiling and columns of the ballroom.
- Item 22: Bedroom
- One photograph of the bedroom Cassius M. Clay was born in. Possibly his bedroom also.
- Item 23: Printing Room
- One photograph of the room where printing was done.
- Item 24: Fireplace
- Two photographs of a fireplace in the room where Cassius M. Clay died.
- Item 25: Ballroom
- One photograph of the columns and fancy beadwork on the ceilings of the ballroom.
- Item 26: Library
- One photograph of a fireplace and a book case in the library.
- Item 27: Bedroom
- One photograph of the bedroom where Cassius M. Clay died. A door on the right of the photograph leads to a small room in the back of the circular stairs where Clay supposedly locked up his young bride.
- Item 28: Lion of White Hall Sign
- One photograph of a sign labeled "Lion of White Hall" that gives information on Cassius M. Clay.
- Item 29: White Hall and the Mill, 1930 ca.
- Seventeen photographs of White Hall and other small structures, including the mill, on White Hall property from the 1930s.
- Item 30: White Hall Exterior
- Seven photographs of the outside of White Hall from different angles and locations.
- Item 31: Children at White Hall
- One photograph of four children on the steps of White Hall.
- Item 32: White Hall Exterior, 1959
- One photograph of the exterior of White Hall from a distance.
- Item 33: Desk and Chair, 1959
- One photograph of a decorated desk with a chair. Another chair and an ottoman are on either side of the desk.
- Item 34: Portrait, 1959
- One photograph of a portrait hanging on the wall.
- Item 35: Arch, 1959
- One photograph of an arch over a doorway in the third floor hall.
- Item 36: White Hall Exterior
- Four photographs of the exterior of White Hall and a small stone building near White Hall. One photo has three women sitting on the steps of White Hall.
- Item 37: Stone Building
- Two photographs of a small stone building near White Hall.
- Item 38: Paths, 1959-05
- One photograph of two paths leading to White Hall.
- Folder 2: White Hall Post-Renovation
- Item 1: White Hall Post-Renovation
- Eighteen 5x7 photographs of the interior and exterior of White Hall after its renovations. Photographs show various rooms in very good condition and people visiting the house.
- Folder 3: Tintype Photographs
- Item 1: Mary Barr Clay
- A tintype photograph of Mary Barr Clay.
- Item 2: Unknown Men
- A tintype photograph of two unknown men.
- Folder 4: Green Clay Scrapbook, 1920s ca.
- Item 1: Green Clay Scrapbook
- A scrapbook of newspaper clippings of articles written by Green Clay.
- Folder 5: Green Clay Scrapbook, 1970s ca.
- Item 1: Green Clay Scrapbook
- A scrapbook of newspaper clippings of articles written by Green Clay.
- Folder 6: Henry Clay Obituary Addresses
- Item 1: Obituary Addresses on the Occasion of the Death of the Hon. Henry Clay, 1864-02-08
- A book of obituary addresses for Henry Clay delivered in the Senate and the House of Representatives of Kentucky.
Browse by Box:
[
Box 1],
[
Box 2],
[Box 3],
[
Box 4],
[
Box 5],
[
Box 6],
[
Box 7],
[
Folder OS 1: White Hall Plans, 1967-2011],
[
Folder OS 2: White Hall Plans],
[
Folder OS 3: White Hall Plans],
[
All]
