Moreover, the entire country was once the land of American Indians, and a good deal of it deceptively or violently taken from them. A variety of factors have made researching the lives of Belmont's enslaved residents difficult. 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. Would like to know if anyone does know anything about it and any info in accordance with that reference. 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. It also reflects the vulnerability of American businesses to the whims of leftist protest movements. Couple looking at a car in the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. Plantation Christmas at Belle Mont is held annually the first Sunday in December and features period costumed interpreters, decorations, refreshments, and entertainment. In addition, volunteers from the Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation assist as docents for special events and participate in fund-raising activities. 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. Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? Clicks to Website: 293 Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. The architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. No profanity. 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. It remained in the Winston family for over a century, and is currently used as a historic house museum open for tours by appointment. Montvale, the farm at Belmont, was destroyed in 1864. Related Videos Video #1 It is best to play gospel or Christian radio in your house 24/7 to make them move on. 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. === A monument was errected in 2008 on the old Henry Courthouse square in Martinsville, VA. . Belle Mont was built for Alexander Williams Mitchell, who grew up in Louisa County, Virginia, only 25 miles from Jefferson's home at Monticello. Doors open and close. Ninon Parker puts candles out on the table fully set for dinner at Belle Mont Mansion in Colbert County. What do you think? Its just really weird that we both saw this happen at the exact same time. Use the "Browse" or "Choose File" button below to select an image to upload along with your comment. Off Campus Book Store University of North Alabama, Norton Auditorium University of North Alabama. I dont know any ghost stories but my mother tells a few funny stories. Belle Mont also illustrates Jeffersons reverence for the neoclassical architectural elements and ideas of the Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio," (Commission 2). Belle Mont also illustrates Jeffersons reverence for the neoclassical architectural elements and ideas of the Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio,. The National Paranormal Society is not responsible for individuals, teams and submissions listed on the NPS website. If you've had a paranormal experience here, or have any additional information about this location, please let us know! All of these places, despite their histories, are objectively beautiful. At Belmont, several extended families lived in slavery over the course of several generations. Although the original architect and builder remain unknown, the style of Belle Mont appears also to have been influenced by past. 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. Catholics in the 19th century suffered violent assaults at the hands of anti-papist mobs on the streets of Boston, Philadelphia, and New York. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. I have lived here since 1963. Do not use all capital letters. Indeed, it is the Christian character of America that has allowed us to recognize and seek to rectify our past errors. After finding lesson plans asking Alabama fourth-graders to write their own slave narratives, experts talk about the hardships of teaching slavery on an elementary school level. Let us know! ?????? Records of the property's destruction includes information related to the number of slave dwellings on the property. Have a haunt/halloween related news story or a tip? 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. The voices in the night are the hardest to explain away. Belle Mont attracts approximately 5,000 visitors each year. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). In 1790, John Hipkins purchased the property from the Conway family and in 1791 built Belle Grove for his only child, Fannie. At first you think this is all in your imagination. At this time, the family decided to move to a different location but continued to hold Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations in the mansion. Being new to the area, none of us knew of the Belmont Mansion or its location. But she never mentioned any slave ghosts. Administrative use only. The schooner Clotilda smuggled African captives into the U.S. in 1860, more than 50 years after importing slaves was outlawed. Click "thumbs up" if you think its haunted, or "thumbs down" if you think its all just a tall tale. Four bedrooms surround the rear or south courtyard, forming its U-shaped brick exterior. 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. The site is 1/4 mile west of US 43 South on Cook Lane, three miles south of intersection US 43 and US 72. Countless Haunt Hunters have been arrested, ticketed, and reprimanded by the authorities for trespassing. 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. I have experienced some very strange things in my home. 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. Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. That seems far more justified than puritannical policing of plantations. Many of them, even their detractors must admit, are beautiful, both in reference to their natural surroundings and their architecture. It was one of those drizzly unpleasant days, so after a while I went into the Cellar area of the plantation. We also dont need to police their repurposing. All rights reserved. You feel things passing by you. Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the nature of "ghost stories," largely unverifiable. Marble bust of Helen Keller. Marble bust of Helen Keller. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. This 1860 census, also called a Slave Schedule, provides a limited picture of all who were living at Belmont and where they lived. 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 architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. 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. Because of the tragedies that transpired therin, they powerfully communicate how far America has come. The abandonment of the home was the largest cause of its deterioration and the vandalism that occurred at Belle Mont. Moreover, the entire. You can imagine me trying to picture my great aunt doing this, haha! Small items like dimes and nails are moved. All information on this page was submitted to Alabama Haunted Houses and was believed to be accurate at the time it was posted. 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. Voice your opinion here! No haunted tours for me. Indeed, I wonder how many black Americans even have a deceased grandparent who could have had a memory of antebellum America. Her eyes, big as saucers, alarm me. 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. 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 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! Visit BelmontMansionEvents.com to review options to Elope in Nashville at Belmont Mansion. Will we need Google to warn us that searching for such places or even worse, planning a vacation to visit them are microaggressive acts, as if we are unable to contemplate both the good and bad of such places? Happy haunting! Belmont Mansion, also known as Acklen Hall, and originally known as Belle Monte, Belle Mont or Belmont, is a historic mansion located in Nashville, Tennessee. Weddings should be a symbol of love and unity. My son says, Yes, hes walking to the house. Having passed the sign and turn to the house, I realized there is no way he could have known of the house based on his not being able to read and having no pre-exposure to the houses existence. 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. However, the staff continues to research as we endeavor to tell the stories of all who lived at Belmont. A variety of factors have made researching the lives of Belmont's enslaved residents difficult. 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. The only way to avoid offending anyone would be to stop celebrating anything, anywhere, at any time. Some visitors say that the building . Chronological snobbery, as C.S. It was then purchased by two women who in 1890 started a college which evolved into Belmont University. Their appetites will not be satisfied until all things and persons associated with injustice, real or imagined, are expunged from public experience and memory. It has a staff of three: a site director, curator, and tour guide. Belle Mont Mansion has been listed under several names through its history. Will NOT be displayed. e prior to the Civil War. As there is not formal cemetery for the slaves it is likely that they were buried on some part of the estate. In. It's estimated that 40 percent of slave owners may have been white women. If such locales have tragic histories, this is all the more reason to reimagine them in ways that both recognize and overcome that past. . Ken is a graphic designer, web developer and co-founder of One True Paranormal, a para-group in southwest Missouri. Very little historic data, including census records, include last names of those who were enslaved, making it challenging to locate descendents through geneaology records. We might also remember that many of the most celebrated and visited historical sites in our country are Southern manors built and worked by slaves: Mount Vernon (itself a wedding venue), Monticello (another wedding venue), and Montpelier (also a wedding venue) among them. 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. If you have lived in a haunted house you will not find this fun. 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. Use of the directory is at the discretion of the individual. Plantations used for bourgeois ceremonies with language that obscures or even glorifies the estates dark past are one example. Share Your Experience or Comments - Belle Mont. Belle Mont Mansion is being restored and partially furnished to reflect the antebellum, or pre-Civil War, time period. Visitors to this page: 3,182 Stories of the Past - Conversations for the Future. The site is 1/4 mile west of US 43 South on Cook Lane, three miles south of intersection US 43 and US 72. Just one if many weird, cant explain it things that have happened here. belle mont mansion slaves July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022. My daughter and I have both heard clear voices that sound kind of far away, but you can understand them. The property is also available for tours Thursday through Sunday and for special event rentals. 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. General Martin retired to his Belle Mont plantation at Leatherwood, which he purchased in 1796 from Benjamin Harrison V of Berkeley Plantation. My wife and I went to the mansion and learned of its peculiarities from the informative guide person. 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. Belle Mont is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. Not sure if it did or not but sure does fit. And have seen shadows and once a figure of a person. "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. Admission: Adults $6; students, seniors, military $5; and children 6-18 $3. The house is listed on the National Historic Registry (#19820223). Contact the museum for current rates, policies, and an application. You can visit the historic Belle Mont Mansion at 1569 Cook Ln., Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674. We went back there, and I finished the project, with help from all was involved. 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. 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. The answer will always be a mystery. However, while living in Belle Mont and planting the surrounding acres, Dr. Mitchell housed 152 slaves in 13 slave cabins on the property. 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. Group rates available. We have located just two first-hand accounts of slavery at Belmont. Affordable Nashville Elopements start here! One account is from young William Acklin, a enslaved worker, and the other from a visitor to the estate. 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. The Belle Meade Plantation in Nashville hired a black historian to research the site's enslavement history and to offer tours so visitors can learn about the African Americans who were enslaved on the property. Gradually, the family gatherings became less frequent until the home was completely abandoned. I remember her sounding really flippant about it and me wondering how being shot at was not a big deal! 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. The use of the NPS name for any unauthorized events or activities is strictly prohibited. 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. Her aunt, who was only a few years older than her, got busted sneaking in/vandalizing the mansion. The Winston family maintained ownership and continued living in Belle Mont through the Civil War and until around 1940. The modern application of this practice is also redolent of any of those ancient heresies that are uncomfortable with the complicated reality that vice and virtue, spiritual and material, co-exist within the human experience. It is said to be haunted by slaves who died on the grounds and also by former owners. The house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. Belle Mont isnt included in either of Kathryn Tucker Windhams books about Alabama ghosts. And in the process, these attacks have unintended economic consequences on working-class Americans. What county in Alabama had the most slaves? This style stems from the neoclassical architectural design of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. Belle Mont Mansion, known for its architecture, was built in 1828 for Alexander Williams Mitchell. Your CommentsHave a photograph taken from this location? 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. Open Letter Plantation Christmas by Jonece on Scribd. The other residents seem to tolerate it OK, but I hate it. 10 years later, I relayed the story for the first time to him the day my wife and I decided to visit the place and asked him if he would like to go see the man he saw that night. he respectfully declined. The letter was signed by social justice groups Project Say Something, Standing in Power, of Decatur, and Beyond the Women's March. Beginning in 1889, the basement of Belmont, which served as the main workspace for many enslaved persons, was significantly remodeled with no care given to historic preservation. Nearby, an early 1800s mansion, Belle Mont, is available for touring. 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). 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. It once stretched over 5400 acres and hosted celebrities, presidents, and countless southern gentlemen. Simply by virtue of ones social justice warrior credentials and alleged victimhood status, these people deputize themselves the cultural police of our history, our language, and now apparently our wedding venues. Sign up for our newsletter and receive Halloween event updates, discounts and more! Peace to everyone. Officials from multiple wedding-planning websites recently announced they are either no longer advertising plantation wedding venues or making those venues harder to find on their websites. The historic home is the site of the annual Art of the Dish this week. Intimate and elegant elopement ceremonies are popular at Belmont Mansion! Belle Mont's out-buildings are no longer standing, but several foundations, including that of a slave house, have been located by archeologists. The answer will always be a mystery. Jones says her new title is one she holds . These families included the Baker and Snowden families, among others. Be specific. Nanyehi was among the first Cherokee to own African-American slaves. Mr. Winston was a cousin of Dolly Madison, Patrick Henry, and Isaac Cole, who was a personal friend and secretary of President Thomas Jefferson. But fewer probably know that it . Please contact nps.submissions@gmail.com for more information. 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. Constructed in the 1820s, Belle Mont fell into ruin until the Alabama Historical Commission rescued it in the 1980s. Mr. Winston was a cousin of Dolly Madison, Patrick Henry, and Isaac Cole, who was a personal friend and secretary of President Thomas Jefferson. Is it not appropriate to celebrate momentous occasions in beautiful places? This gets to the broader dilemma with our zeitgeist, which combines woke deconstructionism with a modern version of damnatio memoriae, or condemnation of memory, an ancient Roman practice whereby persons vilified by the state were erased from public memory. Owned by the Alabama Historical Commission and operated by the Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation. Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? Protest movements that perceive victimization and microaggression under every rock also wreak havoc on our countrys economy. I came out of the cellar and saw Ronnie sitting in my truck, so I asked if he had came into the cellar, he told me no. Casey Chalk is a senior contributor at The Federalist and an editor and columnist at The New Oxford Review. The letter was also sent to Ninon Parker, who is listed as a site director for the Belle Mont Mansion. 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. Sold by the Acklen family in 1887, the house went to a developer who began one of Nashvilles early suburbs. This was just word of mouth and may not have been accurate, but Im glad to hear it can be toured. Ticket options include: General Admission, Guided Tour, Curator Tour & Civil War at Belmont. 3. This mansion is believed to have been influenced by Palladian style architecture for which Thomas Jefferson is known. 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. Following the death of his wife Alexander Mitchell remarried and sold the plantation to Isaac and Catherine Winston and moved to Philadelphia in 1833. 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. A majority of rooms in Belmont Mansion have been meticulously restored. 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? Sold by the Acklen family in 1887, the house went to a developer who began one of Nashvilles early suburbs. 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.However, while living in Belle Mont and planting the surrounding acres, Dr. Mitchell housed 152 slaves in 13 slave cabins on the property. Your email address will not be published. Blue Star Museum: Belle Mont proudly offers free admission to active duty military personnel and their families between Memorial Day and Labor Day. First, there is no such thing as a slave plantation. There are cotton plantations, sugar plantations, tobacco plantations, etc., etc., but no slave plantations. 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. In a letter sent to multiple Alabama Historical Commission officials Tuesday night, the coalition demanded an apology as well as a promise to no longer hold events supporting tours and events that "deny the brutality of the past." For more information, click here. 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. 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. According to census records, Mitchell enslaved 115 people at the cotton plantation. He has a bachelors in history and masters in teaching from the University of Virginia and a masters in theology from Christendom College. An Alabama Historical Commission site, Belle Mont was built 1828-1832 and is one of the state's first great plantation houses.