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Pattie A. Field Clay was the daughter of Christopher J. Field and Charlotte E. Martin Field. Her mother succumbed the April after Pattie's arrival due to lingering effects of chid birth. Pattie was the grand daughter to prominent mercantile Ezekiel H. Field. While Pattie was still young, her father returned to Mississippi where he owned at least two plantations. Pattie was left in the care of her maternal grandfather Martin and two maiden aunts.
In 1860, her grandfather Martin passed away and left her a substantial wealth in the form of stocks of financial and railroad companies. Pattie was then raised by her aunt Belle Field Lyman and her husband Dr. AB Lyman on West Main Street in Richmond, Kentucky.
In 1867, her father Christopher died in Mississippi. As his sole heir, Pattie received 268.75 acres of land just south of Richmond. As a youth, Pattie was described as bright and precocious as well as headstrong. She oftentimes tended to the sick as well.
Born November 22, 1848
Died December 23, 1891
Pattie Amelia Field Clay
Brutus J. Clay II was born to famous Cassius M. Clay and his wife Mary Jane Warfield Clay. He received a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Michigan then returned to Madison County as a broad-based entrepreneur of lumber mills, stone, kaolin & potters clay queries, gas & oil wells as well as other businesses. He was a lawyer and a farmer while also owning land in Illinois and Mississippi. He was active in politics as a Republican. In 1900 he was a U.S. Commissioner at the Paris Exposition. In 1904 he was a Delegate to the Republican National Convention. In 1905 he was appointed Minister to Switzerland serving until 1910.
Born February 20, 1847
Died June 2, 1932
Brutus J. Clay
II
Pattie and Brutus appear to have been acquainted from various interactions between the Clay and Field families over a lengthy period including marriages in the previous generation. Pattie's status as a wealthy heiress likely contributed to her attractiveness besides being considered a "belle". In 1870, Pattie issued a Deed of Trust to Brutus to manage her estate which consisted of both real and personal property.
On February 20, 1872 Brutus and Pattie were married.
In 1880, Pattie contracted for the construction of a substantial Queen Anne style mansion on the farm as a gift to her husband. Samuel E. des Jardins, a French Canadian architect working out of Cincinnati, OH, designed the three-story brick home with 15 rooms, nine intricate fireplaces, beautiful hardwood floors and wood work, soaring ceilings and an elevator that goes from the basement to the third floor. Bricks used in the construction of the home were made from clay found on the property and salvaged bricks from previous structures on the property.
In 1891, Pattie A. Clay passed away after a short illness due to pneumonia. In her memory Brutus purchased a house on Glyndon Avenue and donated it for use as a public infirmary. He believed Pattie may have survived her illness if one had existed while she was alive. The facility was named the Pattie A Clay Infirmary. It remained at this location until 1970 after which a newer, modern hospital was constructed and named the Pattie A. Clay Hospital. In 2012, the property was sold to Baptist Health.
Brutus moved to Cincinnati with his five children after the death of Pattie A. Clay.
Belle Lyman Clay - Born November 4, 1872
Christopher Field Clay - December 19, 1874
Orville Martin Clay - May 7, 1879
May Warfield Clay - September 26, 1882
Charlotte Elizabeth Clay - May 31, 1889
On January 15, 1895 Brutus married Lalla R. Fish Marsteller (1860-1942) with whom he had no children. Brutus died in Richmond, Kentucky, on June 2, 1932.
The Story of Pattie & Brutus
L.N. Neal - Thomas Murray Smith owned the property after Brutus J. Clay II and it remained in their family for 91 years. In December 1988, Mrs. G. Murray Smith submitted an application for the home to be added to the National Register of Historic Places for it's significance to architectural and political history. The application was approved on June 13, 1990. Over time the home has gone by three different names: Brutus & Pattie Field Clay House, Smith House and now Lynwood Estate.
In 2016, Lynwood Estate was purchased by Bryan & Melissa Tipton. Since then, the couple has been expertly restored the estate to match its 19th-century luxury. In addition to the numerous period-specific adornments woven throughout the house, Lynwood retains several original features, including heartwood pine floors, butternut wood doors, gas swing arm lights, four carved wood mantles, five cast iron mantles, and a working elevator.
The top-to-bottom renovations include slate tile roofing, a multipurpose garage addition, and an excavated original reflecting pool. All new construction was built using materials from the former Buckeye Consolidated School in Buckeye, Kentucky. The Tiptons are now focusing their attention on the restoration of the carriage house.
Recent History
Location
Hours
Phone
1615 Lexington Road
Richmond, KY 40475
Showings by appointment only
info@lynwoodestate.com
859.948.3331