Four bedrooms surround the rear or south courtyard, forming its U-shaped brick exterior. A majority of rooms in Belmont Mansion have been meticulously restored. The property is located just south of Tuscumbia and west of US Route 43 at 1569 Cook Lane. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. At Belmont, several extended families lived in slavery over the course of several generations. Constructed in the 1820s, Belle Mont fell into ruin until the Alabama Historical Commission rescued it in the 1980s. All rights reserved. Positioned on a commanding hilltop, Belle Mont Mansion is one of Alabama's crowning architectural achievements. The underlying premise of the anti-plantation movement is that Southern plantations cannot be romanticized. Peace to everyone. So all the people who work at these historic plantations, regardless of their race, sex, or income, must suffer the economic consequences of what feelings their employers history might provoke. Her eyes, big as saucers, alarm me. Moreover, blacks, both free and slave, provided the bulk of labor that built the White House, the U.S. Capitol, and other early government buildings. 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. It's estimated that 40 percent of slave owners may have been white women. Mr. Winston was a cousin of Dolly Madison, Patrick Henry, and Isaac Cole, who was a personal friend and secretary of President Thomas Jefferson. An example of this occurred in December, when a number of black medical students posed for a photo at a former slave plantation, a site some of them called holy. Heck, why not celebrate their graduation there? Last edit to this listing: 1/16/2016 (2604 days ago). I dont know any ghost stories but my mother tells a few funny stories. Be lovers of freedom and anxious for the fray, Georgia Senate Passes Bill To Close Sneaky 'Zuckbucks 2.0' Loopholes, 3 Things Anti-America Agitator Angela Davis Can Learn From Her Pilgrim Ancestors, Just Like Real Socialism, Real Feudalism Has Never Been Tried, Amid Personal Loss, Washington And Lincoln Became Fathers Of Their Country. It remained in the Winston family for over a century, and is currently used as a historic house museum open for tours by appointment. Marble bust of Helen Keller. Gradually, the family gatherings became less frequent until the home was completely abandoned.The abandonment of the home was the largest cause of its deterioration and the vandalism that occurred at Belle Mont. Shes told me that prior to the restorations the mansion was a prime site for local teens to be dumb kids trespass, vandalize, etc. It has a staff of three: a site director, curator, and tour guide. I contacted the historic society to find out about the planned restoration project that I had heard about, and asked if I could assist as part of my Eagle Scout project in the Boy Scouts. Please report any inaccuracies. Slavery Plantation Agriculture Robert J. Vejnar, Kennesaw State University Dogtrot Cabin at Belle Mont Plantation Plantation agriculture was a form of large-scale farming that was most prevalent during the colonial and antebellum periods of American history. 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. The site is 1/4 mile west of US 43 South on Cook Lane, three miles south of intersection US 43 and US 72. Visitors to the mansion have reported seeing dark shadowy figures walking the fields and have heard the sound of chains rattling near the house. It's currently operated as a museum, and tours are available. 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). I asked, Do you see him now? in a jested way as I awkwardly half-smile to my wife. Off Campus Book Store University of North Alabama, Norton Auditorium University of North Alabama. The antebellum plantation experience, as lived by the enslaved, was neither happy nor joyous. Is this place really haunted? Its important the reality of what happened in these spaces is present, versus a romanticization of human rights abuses.. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), NPS Investigation & Research Education Resource, World Institute for Scientific Exploration (WISE), http://www.mystery411.com/Landing_bellemonttuscumbia.html. 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.The Mitchell family sold Belle Mont and 33 of the surrounding acres to their friends Isaac and Catherine Baker Jones Winston, who were also from Virginia, in 1833. I have heard quiet voices in the night. At this time, the family decided to move to a different location but continued to hold Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations in the mansion. Slaves in the plantation generations were members of what Berlin calls "slave societies," where slavery was the primary source of labor. n 1832. Nor do the sins of our forefathers nullify their many acts of virtue or the great political and cultural gifts they bestowed upon future generations. Indeed, it was brutal and terrifying. Group rates available. 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. 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. It was then purchased by two women who in 1890 started a college which evolved into Belmont University. Happy haunting! But fewer probably know that it . Many "ghost hunters" have been arrested because they failed to contact property owners and/or local authorities ahead of time. At the time, the name of the plantation was not Gay Mont, but Rose Hill. 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. 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. Sold by the Acklen family in 1887, the house went to a developer who began one of Nashvilles early suburbs. In 1790, John Hipkins purchased the property from the Conway family and in 1791 built Belle Grove for his only child, Fannie. complete with original and period furniture, artwork and statuary. Related Videos Video #1 It has a staff of three: a site director, curator, and tour guide. It was the centerpiece of a 1,760 acre cotton plantation and had one of the largest slave populations in the state. What do you think? Their appetites will not be satisfied until all things and persons associated with injustice, real or imagined, are expunged from public experience and memory. As there is not formal cemetery for the slaves it is likely that they were buried on some part of the estate. The schooner Clotilda smuggled African captives into the U.S. in 1860, more than 50 years after importing slaves was outlawed. 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 It once stretched over 5400 acres and hosted celebrities, presidents, and countless southern gentlemen. 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. I have lived here since 1963. This is not a good thing. We have located just two first-hand accounts of slavery at Belmont. e prior to the Civil War. The property is located just south of Tuscumbia and west of US Route 43 at 1569 Cook Lane. 1569 Cook Lane, Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674 View Map CONTACT Site Director: Ninon Parker Museum: 256- 381-5052 Email: bellemontmansion@gmail.com Its just really weird that we both saw this happen at the exact same time. Please note: It is your responsibility to acquire appropriate permissions before investigating any location listed on this site. Belle Mont also illustrates Jeffersons reverence for the neoclassical architectural elements and ideas of the Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio,. 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. Would like to know if anyone does know anything about it and any info in accordance with that reference. Three years later, during the middle of the. The answer will always be a mystery. Belle Mont's out-buildings are no longer standing, but several foundations, including that of a slave house, have been located by archeologists. 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. View all AHC Owned Historic Houses & Museums. Me and a group of Freinds went out there one night and we first get there we get out the car and walking up the hill to the house and I get a snapchat (popular app used by teens) from someone I dont even got added and he said Im behind you then he sent another one and said I know where you are and I sent a snap and said where am I the. By the following year, in 1890, all the houses occupied by enslaved Blacks on the estate had been destroyed, leaving no physical presence for interpretation. LGBTQ advocacy organization Equality Shoals, Shoals Young Democrats and Rev. Violence against blacks and other disenfranchised groups have occurred across our nation's landscape, many in popular and well-trod locales, North and South, East and West. Belle Mont Mansion , built circa 1828, is one of the few examples of Palladian-style houses in Alabama. If you have lived in a haunted house you will not find this fun. Visit BelmontMansionEvents.com to review options to Elope in Nashville at Belmont Mansion. Not-So-Scary Haunted Houses (Kid Friendly). Create your own unique website with customizable templates. The architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. Private property should be respected at all times, as should all posted signs concerning trespassing, hours of operation and other local regulations. I grew up in Florence and my Great Grandmother lived near the mansion on Colbert Heights mountain. The house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. According to census records, Mitchell enslaved 115 people at the cotton plantation. During the 1960s, star-crossed lovers camped inside the rotting mansion in the woods, and the home has long been the site of drunken high school parties. This mansion is believed to have been influenced by Palladian style architecture for which Thomas Jefferson is known. Belle Mont Mansion has resumed normal operating hours and will be operating at reduced capacity to safeguard against COVID-19. 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? Belle Mont attracts approximately 5,000 visitors each year. The Belle Mont Mansion in Tuscumbia Alabama was built around 1828 for physician and planter Alexander Williams Mitchell. The Belle Mont Mansion was constructed from 1828-1832. 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. Blue Star Museum: Belle Mont proudly offers free admission to active duty military personnel and their families between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Open Letter Plantation Christmas by Jonece on Scribd. Indeed, I wonder how many black Americans even have a deceased grandparent who could have had a memory of antebellum America. Voice your opinion here! If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 2019 was the year it finally became socially unacceptable to use a historic plantation as a wedding venue. Clicks to Website: 293 Group of women standing outside Belle Mont Mansion. The celebration of a Plantation Christmas is racist, the letter reads. 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. A variety of factors have made researching the lives of Belmont's enslaved residents difficult. Use the "Browse" or "Choose File" button below to select an image to upload along with your comment. The organization behind this growing movement, Color of Change, indicts vendors for using words like breathtaking to describe plantations. This design is derived from the neoclassical architectural style of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. 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. 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. Belle Mont is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. Ken is a graphic designer, web developer and co-founder of One True Paranormal, a para-group in southwest Missouri. Unlock premium content, ad-free browsing, and access to comments for just $4/month. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Mr. Winston was a cousin of Dolly Madison, Patrick Henry, and Isaac Cole, who was a personal friend and secretary of President Thomas Jefferson. 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. And have seen shadows and once a figure of a person. 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. A variety of factors have made researching the lives of Belmont's enslaved residents difficult. That seems far more justified than puritannical policing of plantations. 3. Belle Mont is available for special events. However, while living in Belle Mont and planting the surrounding acres, Dr. Mitchell housed 152 slaves in 13 slave cabins on the property. The only way to avoid offending anyone would be to stop celebrating anything, anywhere, at any time. You can visit the historic Belle Mont Mansion at 1569 Cook Ln., Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674. Belle Mont Mansion By Ken Weigandin Ashley Ann Lewis, Haunted Locations Belle Mont was erected in 1828 for a physician from Louisa County, Virginia, Dr. Alexander Williams Mitchell. My great great great great grandfather used to live at the belle mont mansion ! While slavery is often associated with large plantations, the institution permeated Southern culture. 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. 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. The Mitchell family sold Belle Mont and 33 of the surrounding acres to their friends Isaac and Catherine Baker Jones Winston, who were also from Virginia, in 1833. My wife and I went to the mansion and learned of its peculiarities from the informative guide person. Your CommentsHave a photograph taken from this location? Located just outside Tuscumbia in Colbert County, the mansion is one of a few . You can imagine me trying to picture my great aunt doing this, haha! Do not use all capital letters. Although the original architect and builder remain unknown, the style of Belle Mont appears also to have been influenced by past. Protest movements that perceive victimization and microaggression under every rock also wreak havoc on our countrys economy. 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. Let us know! Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? 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. Visitors to this page: 3,182 The site is 1/4 mile west of US 43 South on Cook Lane, three miles south of intersection US 43 and US 72. Plantations used for bourgeois ceremonies with language that obscures or even glorifies the estates dark past are one example. However, the staff continues to research as we endeavor to tell the stories of all who lived at Belmont. It was the centerpiece of a 1,760 acre cotton plantation and had one of the largest slave populations in the state. Then he didnt snap back and unadded me and my Freinds girlfriend said a woman followed us back to the car and as soon as we pulled out a car came out of no where like we seen no headlights the whole time and we get home And another Freind of mine gets a text and said we know you was here no trespassing and Said I had a picture taker (dont really know what that means) and he had a drink and a bag of chips and he threw it down and they said we found your snack. 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. Advertised as an event where people can experience the "hospitality of the Old South", "A Plantation Christmas" was held at the Belle Mont Mansion on Sunday evening. === A monument was errected in 2008 on the old Henry Courthouse square in Martinsville, VA. . Isaac Winston owned 114 slaves according to the 1860 census and died August 13, 1863 at Bell Mont during the American Civil War. Records of the property's destruction includes information related to the number of slave dwellings on the property. I have experienced some very strange things in my home. Earlier this month, prodded by the group Color of Change, four wedding websites said they . Join now to unlock comments, browse ad-free, and access exclusive content from your favorite FDRLST writers. 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. The designer is unknown but seems to have been influenced by Thomas Jefferson's ideas and style. Catholics in the 19th century suffered violent assaults at the hands of anti-papist mobs on the streets of Boston, Philadelphia, and New York.