Ashland (LSD 48) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 9 text:

THE ASHLAND ESTATE ■ This LANDING SHIP DOCK lakes its name from ASHLAND, the Kentueisy home of Henry Clay, one of our nation ' s greatest statesmen. Besides being an historical site, ASHLAND is an architectural gem. It was designed by Benjamin H. Latrobe, a noted architect. Latrobe was appointed surveyor for the United States Government in 1 803 by President Thomas Jefferson. He rebuilt our capitol at Washington after it was burnt by the British during the War of 1 8 1 2. His works are monumental such as Statutory Hall, the Senate Chamber and the Supreme Court Building. ASHLAND is one of the grand homes he designed and named for the profusion of ash trees on the Clay Estate. Set back from the road among the trees planted by Henry Clay, the two-story mass of this great brick house is flanged by one-story wings. The main entrance projects in a form of a bay; the single doorway has a half-circle fanlight and plain molded architrave and cornice. The Paladin window above is accentuated by a small eaves pediment that relieves the straight cornice line of the roof. Beside the house is a thick grove of pine trees and the path Henry Clay liked to pace as he composed his speeches. The glory of ASHLAND is its parklike grounds, the grove of ash and locust trees, the green lawn, the carefully placed dogwood, rosebud and other flowering trees and shnibs. and the fomial garden behind the mansion. It makes the entire scene inviting to the visitor. Clay entertained the Marquis de Lafayette and virtually all prominent politicians of his time. Noted travelers from abroad were frequent guests at ASHLAND. The furnishings of the mansion as described by a visitor combined comfort and simple elegance. There were gold brocaded silk draperies, sofas and china brought from Lyon, France after Clay signed the Treaty of Ghent which ended the War of 1812. There is a huge canopied bed in which Clay slept. It was covered with a silk quilt made by the admiring Ladies of Philadelphia . Portraits of Clay by Kentucky artist Matthew Harris Jouett and G. P. A. Healy and a marble bust sculptured by Joel T. Hart are treasured items. Today, most of the furniture used by the Clays remains in the mansion. Clay stocked his farm with horses. Hereford cattle. Durham bulls and cows from England. From Malta, Spain and France he imported donkeys and sheep and made ASHLAND one of the finest farms of its day. The name ASHLAND and Clay are synonymous with determination. The creation of this magnificent estate where there was once a wilderness is an enduring monument to American enterprise and perseverance during a period when our nation was expanding westward. LSD 48, like LSD- 1 , bears a name rich and indelible in American history. Appropriately it is a proud name for an equally proud ship of our United States Navy.