Belle Mont Mansion, known for its architecture, was built in 1828 for Alexander Williams Mitchell. Located in the middle of the Belmont University campusbehind Freeman Hall. You feel things passing by you. Most Americans know that George Washington owned enslaved people at his Mount Vernon home. ?????? Last edit to this listing: 1/16/2016 (2604 days ago). Built between 1828 and 1832 in the Jeffersonian style, Belle Mont was originally the home of Dr. Alexander Mitchell, who quickly sold the building to one Isaac Winston in 1833. It has a staff of three: a site director, curator, and tour guide. 1569 Cook Lane, Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674 View Map CONTACT Site Director: Ninon Parker Museum: 256- 381-5052 Email: bellemontmansion@gmail.com It's estimated that 40 percent of slave owners may have been white women. I grew up in Florence and my Great Grandmother lived near the mansion on Colbert Heights mountain. Many "ghost hunters" have been arrested because they failed to contact property owners and/or local authorities ahead of time. Visitors to the mansion have reported seeing dark shadowy figures walking the fields and have heard the sound of chains rattling near the house. The first slaves arrived to Belle Meade in 1807, and as decades rolled on, the number of slaves tripled to 136 of by 1860 based on the 1860 census record. Belle Mont Mansion is being restored and partially furnished to reflect the antebellum, or pre-Civil War, time period. Please report any inaccuracies. The site is 1/4 mile west of US 43 South on Cook Lane, three miles south of intersection US 43 and US 72. Strange are there actually any African Americans who have memories of the antebellum period, given that it ended 160 years ago? Stay safe. Even though it is now just 24 acres, many of the important elements remain. Please note: It is your responsibility to acquire appropriate permissions before investigating any location listed on this site. Four bedrooms surround the rear or south courtyard, forming its U-shaped brick exterior. Peace to everyone. A tour of this Nashville plantation tells the story . 2019 was the year it finally became socially unacceptable to use a historic plantation as a wedding venue. Belmont Mansion, or Belle Monte as it was known in the 19th century, was not a plantation but still relied on a large number of enslaved workers to maintain the estate. If you've had a paranormal experience here, or have any additional information about this location, please let us know! Plantations represent none of those things, declared a Pinterest spokesman, calling the glamorization of these estates a disrespectful practice. Pinterest visitors who search for plantation weddings or similar terms will now be warned that some results may violate the sites policies, de facto making plantations the equivalent of pornography. Her eyes, big as saucers, alarm me. It is said to be haunted by slaves who died on the grounds and also by former owners. According to census records, Mitchell enslaved 115 people at the cotton plantation. An Alabama Historical Commission site, Belle Mont was built 1828-1832 and is one of the state's first great plantation houses. First, there is no such thing as a slave plantation. There are cotton plantations, sugar plantations, tobacco plantations, etc., etc., but no slave plantations. Many of them, even their detractors must admit, are beautiful, both in reference to their natural surroundings and their architecture. In its zealous desire to right previous wrongs, this goes too far in the other direction, and in the process, undermines the historical fabric of our nation. The Miracle Worker organ. A mural of the Clotilda adorns a concrete embankment in Africatown, a community near Mobile founded by Africans illegally transported to Alabama aboard the slave ship. Clicks to Website: 293 It has been referred to as the Isaac Winston House and is listed as Belmont in the National Register of Historic Places and as the Henry B. Thornton Plantation House in the Historic American Buildings Survey. Be specific. Its just really weird that we both saw this happen at the exact same time. The site is 1/4 mile west of US 43 South on Cook Lane, three miles south of intersection US 43 and US 72. Top ways to experience Belle Mont Mansion and nearby attractions Florence, Muscle Shoals Multi-Attraction Pass 2 Attractions & Museums from $25.00 per adult Muscle Shoals Sound Studio Tour in Sheffield Alabama 72 Recommended Walking Tours from $20.00 per adult The Raptor, High Rope Course and Zipline Tickets, Wheeler Lake KOA 1 Belle Mont isnt included in either of Kathryn Tucker Windhams books about Alabama ghosts. Following the death of his wife Alexander Mitchell remarried and sold the plantation to Isaac and Catherine Winston and moved to Philadelphia in 1833. Shes told me that prior to the restorations the mansion was a prime site for local teens to be dumb kids trespass, vandalize, etc. Come to Belle Mont to learn more about Palladian architecture and to see first-hand the tantalizing clues suggesting the direct influence of Thomas Jefferson himself. The answer will always be a mystery. He was not buried on the property as many legends say but in the Winston Family Cemetery in Tuscumbia as was his wife Catherine who died July 25, 1884. However, the pamphlet continues by claiming that, characteristics of Jeffersonian Classicism are exhibited at Belle Mont, including finely executed brickwork with contrasting woodwork and a hilltop setting. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. This would have been in the late 60s, early 70s I would guess. Marble bust of Helen Keller. Countless Haunt Hunters have been arrested, ticketed, and reprimanded by the authorities for trespassing. Sold by the Acklen family in 1887, the house went to a developer who began one of Nashvilles early suburbs. 2023 The Federalist, A wholly independent division of FDRLST Media. 3. The organization behind this growing movement, Color of Change, indicts vendors for using words like breathtaking to describe plantations. Black people dont have happy memories of the antebellum period and plantations, where our ancestors were beaten and tortured, said senior campaign director Jade Magnus Ogunnaike. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Its also not as if Dixie estates were the only sites where acts of brutality were committed by one group of Americans against another. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. He was also a founding member of a Presbyterian church in Tuscumbia and among the area's largest owners of, Throughout the antebellum period, Isaac Winston operated Belle Mont as a cotton plantation, and the 1860 Census lists him as the owner of 114 enslaved African Americans. The only way to avoid offending anyone would be to stop celebrating anything, anywhere, at any time. Belle Mont Mansion is located outside of Tuscumbia. Your email address will not be published. Some visitors say that the building is haunted, having seen ghosts of former owners or of the slaves that lived and died on the plantation. Related Videos Video #1 As there is not formal cemetery for the slaves it is likely that they were buried on some part of the estate. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Indeed, I wonder how many black Americans even have a deceased grandparent who could have had a memory of antebellum America. The source of Belle Monts design is shrouded in mystery, but tantalizing clues suggest the direct influence of President Thomas Jefferson, gentlemen architect of the early Republic, the official Belle Mont pamphlet states (Commission 2). The Belle Mont Mansion in Tuscumbia Alabama was built around 1828 for physician and planter Alexander Williams Mitchell. Their appetites will not be satisfied until all things and persons associated with injustice, real or imagined, are expunged from public experience and memory. Multiple north Alabama organizations are demanding an apology after a Christmas event was held at a Colbert County plantation mansion where enslaved people once labored. 2008-2023 AlabamaHauntedHouses.com. When i was 17 years old, Belle Mont Plantation house was in very bad shape and had not had any restoration done to it yet. The architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. Discover the largest house built in Tennessee prior to the Civil War. Visiting here is an opportunity to explore one of the few 1850s era homes still standing in Nashville while learning about the place and the people -- both free and enslaved -- who make this site worth understanding. Group rates available. In 1833, the property was bought by Issac Williams, who owned 119 enslaved people by 1855. Casey Chalk is a senior contributor at The Federalist and an editor and columnist at The New Oxford Review. For more information, click here. Montvale, the farm at Belmont, was destroyed in 1864. Belle Mont also illustrates Jeffersons reverence for the neoclassical architectural elements and ideas of the Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio,. All rights reserved. Lewis called our tendency to view our own age as superior to others, is a dark chasm ending in our own destruction. The letter was also sent to Ninon Parker, who is listed as a site director for the Belle Mont Mansion. The National Paranormal Society is not responsible for individuals, teams and submissions listed on the NPS website. It was then purchased by two women who in 1890 started a college which evolved into Belmont University. We also dont need to police their repurposing. Only a country with a conscience in our case informed by the Christian beliefs of our ancestors would bother to engage in the kinds of self-criticism and atonement visible in American society. Voice your opinion here! Gift Shop (111 S. Main St., Tuscumbia). One day toward the end of the project, My friend Ronnie and I went down to remove what was left from an old tree my Dad had cut down the day before and other light work. Belle Mont was erected in 1828 for a physician from Louisa County, Virginia, Dr. Alexander Williams Mitchell. In. The Conway family purchased the property in 1670 and it remained in the family for 120 years. The antebellum plantation experience, as lived by the enslaved, was neither happy nor joyous. The Belle Mont Mansion was constructed from 1828-1832. Belle Mont, built between 1828 and 1832, was a plantation that used slave labor. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. Although the actual design of Belle Mont is a mystery, this particular relationship provides a clue about the original designer, or at least his influence.The source of Belle Monts design is shrouded in mystery, but tantalizing clues suggest the direct influence of President Thomas Jefferson, gentlemen architect of the early Republic, the official Belle Mont pamphlet states (Commission 2). The abandonment of the home was the largest cause of its deterioration and the vandalism that occurred at Belle Mont. Surely, we do not want to pretend these places dont have a violent, racist past. Not sure if it did or not but sure does fit. Today the Belmont Mansion Association, which was formed in 1972, owns the collection, runs the museum, and shares this unique story of 19th century Nashville with visitors from far and near. She said he would come out shooting if he caught trespassers. Slaves in the plantation generations were members of what Berlin calls "slave societies," where slavery was the primary source of labor. Visiting here is an opportunity to explore one of the few 1850s era homes still standing in Nashville while learning about the place and the people -- both free and enslaved -- who make this site worth understanding. What Todays Cultural Marxists Would Be Wise To Learn From Martin Luther King Jr. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. According to the letter, Christmas was a disturbing time for the enslaved. Visitors to the mansion have reported seeing dark shadowy figures walking the fields and have heard the sound of chains rattling near the house.http://bellemont.weebly.com/history.htmlhttp://www.mystery411.com/Landing_bellemonttuscumbia.html. However, the pamphlet continues by claiming that, characteristics of Jeffersonian Classicism are exhibited at Belle Mont, including finely executed brickwork with contrasting woodwork and a hilltop setting. As of Thursday morning, Alabama Historical Commission members have not responded to the letter or AL.coms emails and phone calls. Belle Mont's out-buildings are no longer standing, but several foundations, including that of a slave house, have been located by archeologists. Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. Catholics in the 19th century suffered violent assaults at the hands of anti-papist mobs on the streets of Boston, Philadelphia, and New York. Well, all in all, me and my fellow troop members and family members spent about six weeks there, clearing underbrush, old trash, planting grass, removing small trees, etc. Moreover, are the perpetrators of our historical-cultural cleansing so naive to think their children and grandchildren wont do the same thing to them, who have fostered and encouraged a paradigm of national seppuku? But fewer probably know that it . The Knot, WeddingWire, and Pinterest are seeking to limit content on their websites that promotes Southern plantations as a wedding venue. Small items like dimes and nails are moved. It also reflects the vulnerability of American businesses to the whims of leftist protest movements. LGBTQ advocacy organization Equality Shoals, Shoals Young Democrats and Rev. A majority of rooms in Belmont Mansion have been meticulously restored. Use the "Browse" or "Choose File" button below to select an image to upload along with your comment. Slave child's doll inside Belle Mont Mansion. The source of Belle Monts design is shrouded in mystery, but tantalizing clues suggest the direct influence of President Thomas Jefferson, gentlemen architect of the early Republic, the official Belle Mont pamphlet states (Commission 2). It's currently operated as a museum, and tours are available. I was amazed at the huge floor joist under the house, then I had that feeling someone had walked up behind me, I thought it was Ronnie, at that time I noticed some graffiti that had been put there, and asked Ronnie what he thought about, but when I turned around, Iwas there by myself. My great great great great grandfather used to live at the belle mont mansion ! Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? The designer is unknown but seems to have been influenced by Thomas Jefferson's ideas and style. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. How many of the great nations of human history have so actively beat their breasts over their sins, both against their own citizens and the peoples of the world? Jones says her new title is one she holds . He is the author of The Persecuted: True Stories of Courageous Christians Living Their Faith in Muslim Lands. Beyond Jesus Revolution: 10 Outside-The-Box Faith-Based Films On The Horizon, Major Doctors Organization Publicly Embraces Dismembering Babies Until Birth, Congress Quietly Left The Door Open To Funneling More Tax Dollars To EcoHealth Research In China For National Security, Utah Considers Ranked-Choice Voting In Primaries Despite Disasters In Alaska And Maine. Moreover, the entire country was once the land of American Indians, and a good deal of it deceptively or violently taken from them. Yet self-righteous assaults on these places and the many ways they are used will not bring restorative justice. Have a haunt/halloween related news story or a tip? The celebration of a Plantation Christmas is racist, the letter reads. However, while living in Belle Mont and planting the surrounding acres, Dr. Mitchell housed 152 slaves in 13 slave cabins on the property. This area of the property can be accessed from the master bedroom through a large door with a window that leads directly to the courtyard area, which is where the detached kitchen would have been accessed as well. Id suggest a far better solution for prospective newlyweds, regardless of race or ethnicity, would be to get married where they should: in a church. At the time, the name of the plantation was not Gay Mont, but Rose Hill. 68 were here. No haunted tours for me. Jonece Starr Dunigan | jdunigan@reckonmedia.com, hired a black historian to research the site's enslavement history, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Owning 1,680 acres of cotton and corn, Dr. Mitchell became known as one of the largest planters in the area before he quickly sold the mansion and the surrounding land one year after its completion. Affordable Nashville Elopements start here! The answer will always be a mystery. Gradually, the family gatherings became less frequent until the home was completely abandoned. Belle Mont also illustrates Jeffersons reverence for the neoclassical architectural elements and ideas of the Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio," (Commission 2). All submissions made to The National Paranormal Society, for the purposes of data analysis, article or editorial publication, team, individual or service listing, or any other submission category not listed become the property of the NPS. "It is unacceptable to subject the descendants of enslaved African Americans to whitewashed versions of history that ignore their ancestors experience.". Blue Star Museum: Belle Mont proudly offers free admission to active duty military personnel and their families between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Not-So-Scary Haunted Houses (Kid Friendly). Ticket options include: General Admission, Guided Tour, Curator Tour & Civil War at Belmont. Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. The vast majority of information provided on this web site is anecdotal, and as such, should be viewed in the same light as local folklore and urban legends. Yes, its true that some historical artifacts across Americas landscape are honored in ways that belittle or demean our fellow countrymen. Whats good for the goose is good for the gander, and one would have to be a clinical narcissist to think future generations wont find us at fault for any number of things. A Pinterest representative, for example, announced that the website is working on de-indexing Google searches for plantation wedding. In December, a coalition of Alabama activists protested a Plantation Christmas event held at the Belle Mont Mansion near Tuscumbia, Alabama, because it memorialized white supremacist celebrations of Christmas. Unlock premium content, ad-free browsing, and access to comments for just $4/month. The Winston family maintained ownership and continued living in Belle Mont through the Civil War and until around 1940. Indeed, it was brutal and terrifying. Positioned on a commanding hilltop, Belle Mont Mansion is one of Alabama's crowning architectural achievements. You can visit the historic Belle Mont Mansion at 1569 Cook Ln., Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674. What county in Alabama had the most slaves? So I like have some family history about the mansion and my aunt found a man and fell in love with him and they both LOVE history and so they both had there wedding at the Belle mont mansion and I was the flower girl and I havent seen the upstairs of the mansion so Im not sure if it really is haunted I really want to find out more the reason why I started searching this up was bc my great aunt works at my school library and she started talking about it and reading us storys about it. Belle Mont is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. Magnificently sited on a commanding hilltop, Belle Mont is one of early Alabama's crowning architectural achievements.. Mitchell became known as one of the largest planters in the area before he quickly sold the mansion and the surrounding land one year after its completion. "While the holidays brought a brief respite from work, many enslaved people took the opportunity to escape the bondage of the plantation," the letter said. My wife, son (age 5) and I were heading from Muscle Shoals to our home in Littleville after a night of shopping and eating. It is best to play gospel or Christian radio in your house 24/7 to make them move on. Three years later, during the middle of the. Stories of the Past - Conversations for the Future. Indeed, it is the Christian character of America that has allowed us to recognize and seek to rectify our past errors. All rights reserved (About Us). Doors open and close. Belle Mont Mansion Tuscumbia, Alabama 65.4 miles from Tupelo, MS. A former slave plantation, it is believed to be haunted by slaves that lived and died here and also possibly by the ghosts of its former owners. My mother also said that there was a man, a caretaker of some sort, that lived in a house at the foot of the hill at some point during this time. The groups who are critiquing the event in Tuscumbia believe historical sites must be honest and respectful. The property is located just south of Tuscumbia and west of US Route 43 at 1569 Cook Lane. It was then purchased by two women who in 1890 started a college which evolved into Belmont University. Is it not appropriate to celebrate momentous occasions in beautiful places? In 1983, concerned about the condition of the house, members of the Winston family donated Belle Mont and 33 surrounding acres to the Alabama Historical Commission.The house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. Over the years, this historic mansion has been restored to its original pre-Civil War appearance. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. Belle Mont Mansion | Tuscumbia AL This style stems from the neoclassical architectural design of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. Belle Mont Mansion is a historic house museum open for guided tours. The coalition said the event celebrated white supremacy by ignoring the enslaved people who labored at the cotton plantation. One was a bluish light, the other one looked golden. Belle Mont Mansion , built circa 1828, is one of the few examples of Palladian-style houses in Alabama. Then they could celebrate their wedding reception at a Southern manor and have a hell of a good time. The article included a large photo of an interior shot of the mansion with my great aunts name first and last blazoned across the room in graffiti! She was caught due to a news story that came out in the local paper about the travesties of vandalism happening to the historic landmark by local youth. Contextualizing former slave plantations has been a concern across the nation. Ken is a graphic designer, web developer and co-founder of One True Paranormal, a para-group in southwest Missouri. Will NOT be displayed. I know someone who used to volunteer at Belle Mont, which is open for tours, and she said the house was definitely haunted by a woman, possibility a former mistress or daughter who once lived in the house. One night while we were both watching TV in the den with the lights off, we both saw two colored orbs gliding through the room from the back door toward the closet, then they disappeared. A graduate of the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, he was a physician, planter, and an early elected official of Franklin (present-day Colbert) County, where he settled around 1820. The tell when I was growing up was that the book 13 Alabama Ghosts held a tell from that house. Her aunt, who was only a few years older than her, got busted sneaking in/vandalizing the mansion. Violence against blacks and other disenfranchised groups have occurred across our nations landscape, many in popular and well-trod locales, North and South, East and West. Being new to the area, none of us knew of the Belmont Mansion or its location. You can imagine me trying to picture my great aunt doing this, haha! Constructed in the 1820s, Belle Mont fell into ruin until the Alabama Historical Commission rescued it in the 1980s. I havent asked in years the last I remember I think I may have heard it was being restored but privately owned and with no plans to open to the public. Share Your Experience or Comments - Belle Mont. Let us know! Please contact nps.submissions@gmail.com for more information. I mention this because Gay Mont was his home. No profanity. The house is listed on the National Historic Registry (#19820223). I asked, Do you see him now? in a jested way as I awkwardly half-smile to my wife. "Others feared the upcoming slave auctions commonly held in January and February in north Alabama as well as upcoming contracts for slave labor that was 'hired out.'". Belle Meade plantation is one of the premier plantations in Tennessee and one of the top attractions in the state. What do you think? Chronological snobbery, as C.S. Protest movements that perceive victimization and microaggression under every rock also wreak havoc on our countrys economy. This celebration clearly ignores the perspective of those who experienced Belle Mont as a forced labor camp., Slavery hard to teach in Cotton State of Alabama, elementary educators say. I have experienced some very strange things in my home. Things seem to be at their worst after midnight, until early dawn. Administrative use only. Belle Mont Mansion has been listed under several names through its history. To avoid this, be sure to get in touch with the property owners before visiting a haunt, and respect their hours of operation, local regulations, and rules for visiting at all times. In each society and in each generation slaves adjusted and . Disclaimer: Alabama Haunted Houses does not endorse or support trespassing to visit real haunts. The underlying premise of the anti-plantation movement is that Southern plantations cannot be romanticized. He says, the man that lives in that house. still pointing. If you have lived in a haunted house you will not find this fun. Do not use all capital letters. Heading south about to pass by the Belmont sign, and not having said a word in at least 15 Min, my son asks a question pointing precisely in the direction of the house, not visible in the daytime, let alone at pitch black night, Daddy, who is that man? to which I reply, What man? Forts, Battlefields & Archaeological Sites, Alabama Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Program, Documenting the Civil Rights Movement in Montgomery, Pond Spring, the General Joe Wheeler Home, To apply for film/photo permit, please send requests to. Tickets may also be purchased by credit card by calling the museum at 256-381-5052 or online . Tickets are available at Belle Mont Mansion and at Fiddledee D! The house is listed on the National Historic Registry (#19820223). Its two-story north entrance salon is flanked on either side by a formal dining room and parlor. Plantation Christmas at Belle Mont is held annually the first Sunday in December and features period costumed interpreters, decorations, refreshments, and entertainment. This 1860 census, also called a Slave Schedule, provides a limited picture of all who were living at Belmont and where they lived. Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation, Inc. is the support group in charge of operating the site. The house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. At Belmont, several extended families lived in slavery over the course of several generations. Ticket options include: General Admission, Guided Tour, Curator Tour & Civil War at Belmont, Discover the largest house built in Tennesse. Click "thumbs up" if you think its haunted, or "thumbs down" if you think its all just a tall tale. It was one of those drizzly unpleasant days, so after a while I went into the Cellar area of the plantation. Wesley Thompson of Bethel Colbert Missionary Baptists Church also signed the letter. Belle Mont's out-buildings are no longer standing, but several foundations, including that of a slave house, have been located by archeologists. complete with original and period furniture, artwork and statuary. Just one if many weird, cant explain it things that have happened here. At first you think this is all in your imagination. The house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. The home was built. The other residents seem to tolerate it OK, but I hate it. Isaac Winston owned 114 slaves according to the 1860 census and died August 13, 1863 at Bell Mont during the American Civil War. 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