PARK AND CEMETERY, 
2 47 
THE CLAY MONUMENT, LEXINGTON, KY. 
The halo of historic glory surrounding the tomb 
of Henry Clay easily overshadows the tall monu- 
ment that rises above it, yet it is unfortunate that 
the latter is not artistically what it should be. Nev- 
ertheless, it is impressive, and gains much dignity 
by the wise treatment of its site. 
The section, 300 by 150 feet at its longest 
and widest part, that the monument occupies alone, 
is broadly rounded at one end and terminates in a 
slender point at the other, and the main avenue 
passing in front of it is depressed so that the ground 
rises in a sharply rounded slope to the base about 
fifty feet back from and 
thirteen feet above the 
driveway. 
Looking along the 
principal vistas leading to 
it the monument is seen 
against the background 
already fine and con- 
stantly improving as the 
splendid trees of which it 
is composed increase in 
size. The two trees in 
the foreground of the ac- 
companying illustration 
are, on the right, a de- 
ciduous or bald, South- 
ern Cypress, on the left, 
a White Pine. 
* * * 
The monument 
throughout is of the 
cream-colored Kentucky 
magnesian limestone that 
is said to greatly resem- 
ble the famed Caen stone 
of Normandy. 
In form it is a Cor- 
inthian column, consist- 
ing of stereobate, pedes- 
tal, base, shaft and capital, and is surmounted by 
a statue twelve feet high of the great statesman. 
The sub-base is about twenty feet high and 
forty feet square. In the middle of the south side 
is the entrance to the chamber, 12 by 14 by 16 feet 
in size, and lined with polished Kentucky marble, 
in the center of which stands the stone sarcophagus 
inclosing Clay’s body, and at the foot against the 
wall, another containing that of his wife. 
The remaining space within the sub-base has 
never been finished, and is closed off from the com- 
pleted chamber, but in it is stored a block of Mis- 
souri marble, suitably inscribed, that was donated 
by the State of Missouri for use in the monument, 
This block, some four feet long, two feet wide and 
eighteen inches thick, could not be used in the 
monument proper because of being a different ma- 
terial, but it will probably shortly be placed as a 
flagstone, or step, before the doorway of the tombs, 
and it seems good to know that Missouri’s hand- 
some memorial will have a fitting position. 
* * * 
The opening into the occupied chamber is seen 
in our illustration, which is from a recent and by 
far the best photograph of the monument. This 
doorway is closed by a heavy bronze screen that is 
kept locked, but through the courtesy of the super- 
intendent I was permit- 
ted to enter and examine 
the interior in detail. 
The sarcophagus pre- 
sented by Struthers of 
Philadelphia, who, I be- 
lieve, also made the one 
inclosing the body of 
Washington, has on the 
lid the name Henry Clay, 
surmounted by a wreath 
of Ivy and Laurel, and 
around the lid is a border 
of the same leaves. On 
the side facing the door 
is cut the extract from 
Clay’s farewell address 
to the Senate, beginning: 
“I can with unshaken 
confidence, ” etc., and 
ending, “I believe to be 
the true interests of my 
country,” and on the 
opposite side: “I had 
rather be right than be 
President,” and “Truth 
is mighty and public 
justice certain,” and on 
the foot a shield with 
THE HENRY CLAY MONUMENT, LEXINGTON CEMETERY, 
LEXINGTON, KY. 
thirteen stars. 
The statue of Clay that surmounts the column is 
not the one that should stand there. 
In i860 the Kentucky legislature appropriated 
ten thousand dollars for the completion of the Clay 
monument by surmounting it with a statue of Mr. 
Clay to be executed by his fellow-townsman, Joel 
Hart, the sculptor, who was just returned from 
Italy. History says that “unfortunately the monu- 
ment association found it necessary to use a large 
part of this sum in liquidating previous expenses, 
and for that reason a stranger was employed to 
make the statue.” 
A clay model made from life by Hart as the pre- 
