Calling all Kentucky history lovers a central Kentucky site dating back to the 1700s, is reopening its doors to visitors under new ownership.

Our Emily Prince Learn more about the Madison County property, which was home to one of the most influential Kentucky families.

The City of Richmond celebrated its new ownership of Whitehall State Historic Site here on Wednesday.

The mansion was home to the Clay family Museum, curator Matthew Parrish said.

Green Clay and his son, Cassius Clay, were some of the most influential but nearly forgotten Kentuckians and Americans.

Parrish said with the city's new ownership, he hopes more visitors can appreciate the deep history here at Whitehall.

He's kind of, this pretty important person in Kentucky history that nobody really knows.

Green Clay, that is, was the originator of the present day Whitehall site.

Green was a frontiersman and politician.

He even ratified the U.S.

Constitution as a Kentucky representative.

He was one of the biggest landowners in the state's history.

Clay County, Kentucky is actually named after green because he basically, he owned most of it, as far as I understand.

Green Clay was also the biggest slave owner in the state.

During his time.

Green Clay built the oldest stages of the White Horse property in the late 1700s.

As time went on, the family expanded the mansion to its current size with about 40 rooms.

Parrish said many people are more familiar with Green Clay's youngest son, Cassius.

Despite growing up in a slave owning family, Cassius Clay becomes an anti-slavery politician.

Cassius started an abolitionist newspaper and was appointed by Abraham Lincoln to serve as a U.S.

ambassador to Russia.

He was an ambassador, so he was known on the world scene.

Even though he was a well-known abolitionist and had close ties to President Lincoln.

Cassius history is still complex.

And that's a big thing that we talk about here at White Hall.

Despite Cash's being an anti-slavery activist, he still owned slaves.

It shows people that there weren't just slave owners and abolitionists.

There were people in between.

Richmond Mayor Robert Bligh said he doesn't like to ignore or sugarcoat history, but to recognize what really took place at sites like this one.

As I like to say, history is what it is.

That's why the mayor wanted the city of Richmond to take ownership of the historical site, which was previously possessed by Eastern Kentucky University.

And Madison County.

There are some of the world's best kept secrets.

Unintentionally, this place could not be allowed to go into any further disrepair.

Visitors who come to Whitehall will experience what it was like to live on the property and see a nod to America's 250th birthday.

There's a brand new exhibit here at Whitehall called The Veterans of Richmond, and it's sort of like America 250 theme exhibit that talks about, veterans from Richmond who were in conflicts from American Revolution up through World War two.

The new city ownership is special to people like Commissioner Jim Newby, who has strong family ties to the site.

My father was the, the park ranger, my mother was the head tour guide and my sister ran the gift shop.

That family history and the desire for increased tourism is why knew they strongly supported the city's ownership.

When we took it off, I was ecstatic.

I was like, yes, I was a definite yes.

Mayor Blythe said he wants to ramp up the tourism efforts at multiple historic sites in Richmond, and bring in the next generation to recognize the history here.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Emily Prince.

Thank you so much, Emily.

Whitehall State Historic Site is open for self-guided tours every week, Wednesday through Sunday.