White Hall Historical Collection, 1787-2011 | Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives

By Susie Rickert

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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

Clay, Cassius Marcellus, 1810-1903.
Clay, Green, 1757-1828.
Slavery - Kentucky

Administrative Information

Repository: Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives

Acquisition Source: Hood, Jesse

Related Materials:

Cassius M. Clay Collection

Green Clay Collection

Box and Folder Listing

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]

Box 4

Folder 1: White Hall Stereoscope Card

Item 1: White Hall Stereoscope Card: PK00744634. The front of White Hall with people standing in the lawn.

Folder 2: Religious Stereoscope Cards, 1925

Item 1: Jesus Before the Doctors, 1925
Item 2: Jesus Taken From the Cross, 1925
Item 3: The Crucifixion, 1925
Item 4: Jesus Falls the Second Time, 1925
Item 5: Jesus Borne to the Tomb, 1925
Item 6: Judas Betraying Christ, 1925
Item 7: Jesus Condemned to Death, 1925
Item 8: The Adoration of the Wise Men, 1925
Item 9: St. Veronica Wipes Face of Jesus, 1925
Item 10: The Nativity, The Shepherd's Adoration, 1925
Item 11: The Wedding at Cana, 1925
Item 12: The Sermon on the Mount, 1925
Item 13: Jesus Meets His Mother, 1925
Item 14: Jesus Stripped of His Clothing, 1925
Item 15: Jesus Entering Jerusalem, 1925
Item 16: Simon Shares the Burden of the Cross, 1925
Item 17: Jesus Falls the Third Time, 1925
Item 18: Jesus Consoles the Women of Jerusalem, 1925
Item 19: The Ascension, 1925
Item 20: Jesus Bearing the Cross, 1925
Item 21: The Resurrection, 1925
Item 22: Church of St. Anne and Mosque of Omar, Jerusalem, 1925

Folder 3: Keystone View Company Stereoscope Cards, 1897-1914

Item 1: Frisons After Washing, 1914: Silk Industry (Spun Silk), Manchester, Connecticut, U.S.A.
Item 2: Bleaching Vats for Cloth in the Piece, 1914: Silk Industry (Spun Silk), Manchester, Connecticut, U.S.A.
Item 3: Designing Room for Cloth to be Woven on Jacquard Looms, 1914: Silk Industry, Manchester, Connecticut, U.S.A.
Item 4: Quilling, 1914: Silk Industry, Manchester, Connecticut, U.S.A.
Item 5: Opening Bales of Raw Silk, 1914: Arrives form China, Japan, and Italy. Silk Industry (Reeled Silk), Manchester, Connecticut, U.S.A.
Item 6: The Pierced Cocoons as they Arrive in Bales, 1914: Silk Industry (Spun Silk), Manchester, Connecticut, U.S.A.
Item 7: Inspecting Combed Silk, 1914: Silk Industry (Spun Silk), Manchester, Connecticut, U.S.A.
Item 8: Beaming, 1914: Winding warp from large reel on to loom beam. Silk Industry, Manchester, Connecticut, U.S.A.
Item 9: Culebra Cut, Looking North, 1906: Deepest excavations along the Panama Canal.
Item 10: The "Angle" of the Canal Route at Empire, 1909: Looking toward the Atlantic, Panama Canal Zone.
Item 11: Putting the Rough Linen Fabric Through the Cropping Machine, 1903: Linen Industry, Canada.
Item 12: The Sunken Gardens, 1898: Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
Item 13: The Pompeian Room: In the Winter Palace, Leningrad, Russia.
Item 14: Manila Hemp Industry, 1906: Extracting the fiber, Philippines.
Item 15: Salt Well: St. Clair, Michigan.
Item 16: Butchering Salmon, 1904: Interior of a canning establishment, Astoria, Oregon, U.S.A.
Item 17: Sawing Marble, 1903: Ten ton block directly from the quarry, Proctor, Vermont, U.S.A.
Item 18: Running Iron into Moulds, 1905: Blast furnace, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
Item 19: On the Aqueduct, 1900: Guadalupe, Mexico.
Item 20: Finished Product in the Storehouse, 1908: Ready for shipment.
Item 21: Fish Wheels, 1904: Columbia River, Oregon, U.S.A.
Item 22: In the Coffee and Banana Hacienda, 1900: Orizaba, Mexico.
Item 23: President's Office in White House, 1903: Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
Item 24: The Moskva River, the Kremlin, and the Spires: Moscow, Russia.
Item 25: Cutting the Sugar Cane, 1900: Rio Pedro, Puerto Rico.
Item 26: Its Fleecy Whiteness Tinged with Emerald Green, 1897: Nevada Falls, Yosemite Valle, California, U.S.A.

Folder 4: Landscape Stereoscope Cards, 1925

Item 1: The Upper Yosemite Falls, 1925: Yosemite Valley, California.
Item 2: Wawona, 1925: The Giant Redwood. Mariposa Grove, California.
Item 3: The Falls from Prospect Point, 1925: Niagara Falls.
Item 4: Mt. Vishnu, 1925: Grand Canyon of the Colorado.
Item 5: A Few of the Remaining American Bison, 1925: Yellowstone National Park.
Item 6: Balancing Rock, 1925: Garden of the Gods, Colorado.
Item 7: Mission Park, 1925: San Diego, California.
Item 8: Tree House, 1925: Pine Hills, Cuyamaca Mountains, California.
Item 9: Portraro Trail, 1925: Rocky Mountains.
Item 10: Mt. Alcajohn, 1925: Vulcan Mountains, Southern California.
Item 11: Entrance to Imperial Valley, 1925: Scene of "Winning of Barbara Worth," California.
Item 12: Eucalyptus Grove, 1925: California.
Item 13: Erosion Columns, 1925: Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Item 14: Garden of the Gods, 1925: Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Item 15: View from Ridge Road, 1925: Showing Sentinel Rock in the background, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Item 16: Airplane View of Manitou Canyon and Entrance to Cave of the Winds, 1925: Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Item 17: Pike's Peak, 1925: View from Palmer Park, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Item 18: Gateway to Garden of the Gods, 1925: Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Folder 5: Stereoscope Cards of People, 1925

Item 1: Oh! You Lemon Cream Pie, 1925: A man holding a lemon cream pie.
Item 2: A Long Reach, 1925: A man reaching out with a boxing glove.
Item 3: All Dressed Up and No Place to Go, 1925: A dog wearing frilly clothing around its neck.
Item 4: Come Hither, 1925: A ballerina leaning backwards.
Item 5: The Sheik's Advice, 1925: Two men sitting near a camel.
Item 6: Look Out!, 1925: A man in a white wig pointing a sword.
Item 7: Hitting the Bull's Eye, 1925: A man pointing a gun.
Item 8: A Sacrifice Hit, 1925: A man hitting a baseball with a bat.
Item 9: Nothing for his Trouble, 1925: A man leaning out of a metal door holding a gun.
Item 10: Talk About Looking into a Barrel, 1925: A man wearing a top hat and a mask pointing a gun.
Item 11: A Modern Mermaid, 1925: A woman in a swim cap and swimsuit.
Item 12: That Pesky Garter, 1925: A man and woman dancing while another woman sits in a chair behind them.
Item 13: Near Beer, 1925: A clown holding a mug of beer.
Item 14: Stolen Sweets, 1925: A man and woman on a chaise with a child stealing chocolates behind them.
Item 15: The Bribers, 1925: A man and woman sitting in a chair and offering something to a child.

Folder 6: Places and Things Stereoscope Cards, 1902-1925

Item 1: Greatest Rosin Market in the World, 1925: Savannah, Georgia.
Item 2: Nelson Monument and Market, 1925: Montreal, Canada.
Item 3: Post Office, 1925: Montreal, Canada.
Item 4: Independence Hall, 1925: Where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Item 5: One of the Large Railroad Depots of America, 1925: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Item 6: Luna Park, 1925: Coney Island, New York.
Item 7: Brooklyn Suspension Bridge, 1925: New York City.
Item 8: United States Capitol, 1925: Washington, D.C.
Item 9: White House, 1925: Washington, D.C.
Item 10: Hotel Ponce de Leon, 1925: St. Augustine, Florida.
Item 11: Municipal Building and City Hall, 1925: New York City.
Item 12: Traffic at Intersection of 5th Avenue and 42nd Street, 1925: New York City.
Item 13: New York City Public Library, 1925: New York City.
Item 14: The City of Moscow., 1925: Moscow, Russia.
Item 15: Lunch Counter at Alexander Rinka Market, 1902: St. Petersburg, Russia.

Folder 7: Books Belonging to Laura Clay, 1832-1875

Item 1: Hymnal Book, 1875: Belonged to Laura Clay.
Item 2: French Book, 1865: Belonged to Laura Clay.
Item 3: 200 Receipts for French Cookery, 1832: Written by Miss Leslie, belonged to Laura Clay.

Folder 8: The American Review: A Whig Journal, 1849

Item 1: The American Review: A Whig Journal, 1849: Vol. 4, No. 3.

Folder 9: Books, 1813-1875

Item 1: Acts of 1813, 1813: PK00744641. Acts passed at the first session of the 22nd General Assembly for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Item 2: Acts of 1814, 1814: PK00744642. Acts passed at the first session of the 23rd General Assembly for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Item 3: Writings of Cassius M. Clay, 1848: PK00744639. Writings, speeches, and addresses given by Cassius M. Clay. Belonged to B.J. Clay.
Item 4: Biography of Henry Clay, 1831: PK00744640.

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]