History of White Hall, A: House of Clay

In 1799, Revolutionary War veteran General Green Clay finished construction on a stately Georgian mansion he named Clermont. The home became a statewide symbol of prosperity, housing the farm of one of the largest landowners in the Commonwealth. Renamed White Hall by Cassius Marcellus Clay and renovated by his wife, Mary Jane Warfield Clay, it remained in the family for generations. Here Cassius Clay became known as the Lion of White Hall, penning his fiery speeches against slavery and laun...