Ashland Park Historic District
The Ashland Park Historic District is an early 20th century residential neighborhood of primarily single-family homes. At the time of its development the district was located at the eastern edge of the city of Lexington. In 1904 the Clay family hired the architectural firm of the Olmsted Brothers of Brookline, Massachusetts, the famed family of landscape architects including Frederick Law Olmsted Sr. and Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., to draw up plans for a residential neighborhood on the 600-acre estate. Constructed over a 15-year period, the development was completed around 1930. The lots sold for approximately $2,500 each, with deed restrictions on the most prominent lots.
The development was designed to include many trees, large areas of green-space, and curving streets with few right angled intersections holding true to the Olmstead trademark. A wide variety of architectural styles can be found in Ashland Park including Colonial Revival, Craftsman, Bungalow, Tudor Revival, Dutch Colonial Revival, Prairie, Georgian Revival, Spanish Eclectic, French Eclectic, and Italian Renaissance, attesting to the varied tastes and styles of the day. Ashland Park continues to be a desirable residential neighborhood. Visitors can either drive or walk through the neighborhood and enjoy the beautiful green spaces and varied architectural styles.
Ashland Park Historic District is located adjacent to Ashland, Henry Clay Estate off of East Main St. The district is roughly bounded by Richmond Rd., South Hanover Ave., Fontaine Rd., Woodspoint Rd., Fincastle Rd., and Sycamore Rd. The houses in the district are private residences and are not open to the public.
Information and photos courtesy of the National Register for Historic Places Lexington, KY Travel Itinerary, a subsidiary of the National Park Service.
