Lexington was founded in June, 1775, in what was then Fincastle County, Virginia, 17 years before Kentucky became a state. Upon hearing of the colonists’ victory in the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, they named their campsite Lexington after the Massachusetts town.
Lexington is home to numerous museums and historical structures. One of the most famous is Ashland: The Henry Clay Estate along Richmond Road east of downtown. This two-story museum is a National Historic Landmark and was the former home of statesman Henry Clay.