Lexington, KY - Living across the street from Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate, on Fincaste Road, Christina Bell, who also serves as the National Historic Landmark's director of development, always thought the 17-acre grounds would be an ideal location for a live Christmas tree. She even had scouted a potential candidate - a 100-year-old, 100-foot-tall Norway spruce.
In January of 2010, she set out to make her Christmas wish a reality, which wouldn't be realized until almost two years later.
Bell tapped Kentucky Utilities Company Director Nelson Maynard, who provided electrical engineering for the unique project, as well as manpower through Wright Tree Service.
Arborist Dave Leonard, who cares for the historic trees at Ashland, made sure the tree could handle the light installation and groomed the Norway spruce, removing dead limbs and vines, as well as digging a special trench for the electrical system so the roots wouldn't be damaged.
For the actual lights, Bell turned to Ron Turner, with Amteck Kentucky, whose home lighting display on Chinoe Road, as well as the Signature Club, are immensely popular local holiday attractions. Even with all of the lighting projects Amteck had designed and installed around the world, the opportunity to light a 100-foot tree intrigued Turner; he purchased 3,000 feet worth of LED lights, totaling nearly 36,000 individual lights, for the project.
Beazick Electrical Services also was on board, designing a special collar to be placed 75 feet up the tree which would anchor dozens of heavy light strands, and installing new electrical lines which would power the lights.
With all the players in place on a foggy morning on Nov. 21, two 75-foot bucket trucks from Wright Tree Services were slowly planked to the tree, so the grounds wouldn't be damaged with tire ruts. Leonard took the bucket up as far as it would go to secure the collar, then shimmied up the remainder of the tree to string lights to the top. On the ground, unanticipated problems were resolved, and, of course, lights were checked, and double checked.
After three days of work from more than a dozen professionals pulling together, Ashland's new Christmas tree was ready to glow. Once lit, according to Bell's Internet searches, the Ashland tree will be the second largest living decorated Christmas tree in the country, the largest being a 160-foot tree in Eugene, Ore. The public is urged not to miss the momentous occasion when the tree will be officially lit on Dec. 4.