Mayo Mansion, also known as Fetter Mansion, is a historic mansion located in the Bath Avenue Historic District in downtown Ashland,
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
.
History
Following the death of her husband, John C. C. Mayo, Alice Jane Mayo moved to
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
. In 1916, she met Dr. Samuel P. Fetter of
Portsmouth, Ohio
Portsmouth is a city in and the county seat of Scioto County, Ohio, United States. Located in southern Ohio south of Chillicothe, it lies on the north bank of the Ohio River, across from Kentucky, just east of the mouth of the Scioto River. ...
, while he was recovering from an illness at
Palm Beach, Florida
Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida. Located on a barrier island in east-central Palm Beach County, the town is separated from several nearby cities including West Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach by the Intracoas ...
. They married the following year and purchased the Victorian Gartrell-Hager House in
Ashland, Kentucky
Ashland is a home rule-class city in Boyd County, Kentucky, United States. The largest city in Boyd County, Ashland is located upon a southern bank of the Ohio River at the state border with Ohio and near West Virginia. The population was 21,6 ...
, which was built in 1864. Although Mayo wanted to build a new house, she could not due to
rations
Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, services, or an artificial restriction of demand. Rationing controls the size of the ration, which is one's allowed portion of the resources being distributed on a particular ...
set in place during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. In order to avoid being arrested for building a new home, she received permission to remodel the existing house. Using the wealth amassed from the Mayo Companies, she rebuilt the entire building, transforming it into a Beaux-Arts mansion. Much of the interior, including the tile and marble was taken from her and her first husband's other home, also known as
Mayo Mansion
Mayo Mansion is a historic mansion at 405 Third Street in Paintsville, Kentucky. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 3, 1974, as John C.C. Mayo Mansion and Office. The mansion is currently occupied by Our Lady of th ...
, in
Paintsville, Kentucky
Paintsville () is a home rule-class city along Paint Creek in Johnson County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 3,459 during the 2010 U.S. Census.
History
A Paint Lick Station was referred to in ...
.
A large pool house that was attached to the mansion was demolished in the 1950s. Mayo Mansion was occupied by the
Highlands Museum and Discovery Center
The Highlands Museum and Discovery Center is a heritage center and science center located in Ashland, Kentucky, United States. The museum displays exhibits on local history and specialized science displays for children along with providing edu ...
from 1984 until 1994, when the museum moved into the former C.H. Parsons Department Store Building in the
Ashland Commercial Historic District
The Ashland Commercial Historic District is a designated historic district bounded by 13th Street, Carter Avenue, 18th Street, and Front Street in Downtown Ashland, Kentucky.A Brief History Highlands Museum and Discovery Center. Retrieved on 2014-06-14.