Use of the directory is at the discretion of the individual. 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. The architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. Please contact nps.submissions@gmail.com for more information. However, the staff continues to research as we endeavor to tell the stories of all who lived at Belmont. Gradually, the family gatherings became less frequent until the home was completely abandoned. It also reflects the vulnerability of American businesses to the whims of leftist protest movements. The site is 1/4 mile west of US 43 South on Cook Lane, three miles south of intersection US 43 and US 72. 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Your CommentsHave a photograph taken from this location? 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. Small items like dimes and nails are moved. Its also not as if Dixie estates were the only sites where acts of brutality were committed by one group of Americans against another. 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. We have located just two first-hand accounts of slavery at Belmont. No haunted tours for me. I remember her sounding really flippant about it and me wondering how being shot at was not a big deal! At this time, the family decided to move to a different location but continued to hold Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations in the mansion. Mr. Winston was a cousin of Dolly Madison, Patrick Henry, and Isaac Cole, who was a personal friend and secretary of President Thomas Jefferson. 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. It's estimated that 40 percent of slave owners may have been white women. My wife and I went to the mansion and learned of its peculiarities from the informative guide person. Affordable Nashville Elopements start here! Visit BelmontMansionEvents.com to review options to Elope in Nashville at Belmont Mansion. 68 were here. The organization behind this growing movement, Color of Change, indicts vendors for using words like breathtaking to describe plantations. Your email address will not be published. In addition, volunteers from the Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation assist as docents for special events and participate in fund-raising activities. 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). Very little historic data, including census records, include last names of those who were enslaved, making it challenging to locate descendents through geneaology records. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. This style stems from the neoclassical architectural design of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 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? Open Letter Plantation Christmas by Jonece on Scribd. According to census records, Mitchell enslaved 115 people at the cotton plantation. According to census records, Mitchell enslaved 115 people at the cotton plantation. 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. According to the Times Daily, the event, which has been a holiday tradition in the Muscle Shoals area for over 30 years, offered vintage ballroom dancing, food and tour guides dressed in Antebellum garb. 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 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). Admission: Adults $6; students, seniors, military $5; and children 6-18 $3. I have heard quiet voices in the night. Strange are there actually any African Americans who have memories of the antebellum period, given that it ended 160 years ago? Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? You can visit the historic Belle Mont Mansion at 1569 Cook Ln., Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674. Please note: It is your responsibility to acquire appropriate permissions before investigating any location listed on this site. I have experienced some very strange things in my home. Stay safe. 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. Belle Mont Mansion, known for its architecture, was built in 1828 for Alexander Williams Mitchell. Home > Historical Buildings > Belle Mont Mansion 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. What Todays Cultural Marxists Would Be Wise To Learn From Martin Luther King Jr. 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 The architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. Group rates available. At this time, the family decided to move to a different location but continued to hold Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations in the mansion. Sold by the Acklen family in 1887, the house went to a developer who began one of Nashvilles early suburbs. If you have lived in a haunted house you will not find this fun. Surely, we do not want to pretend these places dont have a violent, racist past. 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. 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. I mention this because Gay Mont was his home. The celebration of a Plantation Christmas is racist, the letter reads. 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. Private property should be respected at all times, as should all posted signs concerning trespassing, hours of operation and other local regulations. The property remained in the family until 1941 and in 1983 the house and 35 acres was donated to the State of Alabama by the Fennel family. In 1790, John Hipkins purchased the property from the Conway family and in 1791 built Belle Grove for his only child, Fannie. 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 was the centerpiece of a 1,760 acre cotton plantation and had one of the largest slave populations in the state. "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. Plantations used for bourgeois ceremonies with language that obscures or even glorifies the estates dark past are one example. Intimate and elegant elopement ceremonies are popular at Belmont Mansion! Belle Meade plantation is one of the premier plantations in Tennessee and one of the top attractions in the state. The Belle Mont Mansion in Tuscumbia Alabama was built around 1828 for physician and planter Alexander Williams Mitchell. The letter was also sent to Ninon Parker, who is listed as a site director for the Belle Mont Mansion. Stories of the Past - Conversations for the Future. Records of the property's destruction includes information related to the number of slave dwellings on the property. e prior to the Civil War. 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. Belle Mont Mansion , built circa 1828, is one of the few examples of Palladian-style houses in Alabama. 2019 was the year it finally became socially unacceptable to use a historic plantation as a wedding venue. The site is 1/4 mile west of US 43 South on Cook Lane, three miles south of intersection US 43 and US 72. It's currently operated as a museum, and tours are available. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. The property is located just south of Tuscumbia and west of US Route 43 at 1569 Cook Lane. Unlock premium content, ad-free browsing, and access to comments for just $4/month. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. Isaac Winston owned 114 slaves according to the 1860 census and died August 13, 1863 at Bell Mont during the American Civil War. It was built by Joseph and Adelicia Acklen to serve as the center of their 180-acre summer estate in what was then country outside the city, and featured elaborate gardens and a zoo. Ninon Parker puts candles out on the table fully set for dinner at Belle Mont Mansion in Colbert County. 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. According to the letter, Christmas was a disturbing time for the enslaved. Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the nature of "ghost stories," largely unverifiable. Share Your Experience or Comments - Belle Mont. 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. 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. Belle Mont also illustrates Jeffersons reverence for the neoclassical architectural elements and ideas of the Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio," (Commission 2). The property is also available for tours Thursday through Sunday and for special event rentals. I dont think only certain places are as haunted, as the belief that there are paranormal things happening all around us everywhere, and just certain people are allowed to witness these things at certain times. Be happy. 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. I grew up in Florence and my Great Grandmother lived near the mansion on Colbert Heights mountain. Marble bust of Helen Keller. Visitors to the mansion have reported seeing dark shadowy figures walking the fields and have heard the sound of chains rattling near the house. 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. Would like to know if anyone does know anything about it and any info in accordance with that reference. 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. It once stretched over 5400 acres and hosted celebrities, presidents, and countless southern gentlemen. The antebellum plantation experience, as lived by the enslaved, was neither happy nor joyous. Belle Mont isnt included in either of Kathryn Tucker Windhams books about Alabama ghosts. Belle Mont attracts approximately 5,000 visitors each year. Tickets are available at Belle Mont Mansion and at Fiddledee D! Belle Mont Mansion has resumed normal operating hours and will be operating at reduced capacity to safeguard against COVID-19. Contextualizing former slave plantations has been a concern across the nation. Their appetites will not be satisfied until all things and persons associated with injustice, real or imagined, are expunged from public experience and memory. Then they could celebrate their wedding reception at a Southern manor and have a hell of a good time. Will NOT be displayed. Its just really weird that we both saw this happen at the exact same time. At first you think this is all in your imagination. I asked, Do you see him now? in a jested way as I awkwardly half-smile to my wife. 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. 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. 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. Happy haunting! A variety of factors have made researching the lives of Belmont's enslaved residents difficult. This 1860 census, also called a Slave Schedule, provides a limited picture of all who were living at Belmont and where they lived. Wesley Thompson of Bethel Colbert Missionary Baptists Church also signed the letter. My daughter and I have both heard clear voices that sound kind of far away, but you can understand them. Do not use all capital letters. 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. The designer is unknown but seems to have been influenced by Thomas Jefferson's ideas and style. Blanket from Belle Mont Mansion. The house is listed on the National Historic Registry (#19820223). And in the process, these attacks have unintended economic consequences on working-class Americans. 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. Required fields are marked *. Mr. Winston was a cousin of Dolly Madison, Patrick Henry, and Isaac Cole, who was a personal friend and secretary of President Thomas Jefferson. All rights reserved (About Us). Belle Mont is available for special events. The National Paranormal Society is not responsible for individuals, teams and submissions listed on the NPS website. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. Now, thats poetic justice. 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. 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. One account is from young William Acklin, a enslaved worker, and the other from a visitor to the estate. View all AHC Owned Historic Houses & Museums. You can imagine me trying to picture my great aunt doing this, haha! Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. 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. He says, the man that lives in that house. still pointing. The Belle Mont Mansion in Tuscumbia Alabama was built around 1828 for physician and planter Alexander Williams Mitchell. 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. These families included the Baker and Snowden families, among others. Belle Mont also illustrates Jeffersons reverence for the neoclassical architectural elements and ideas of the Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio,The Winston family maintained ownership and continued living in Belle Mont through the Civil War and until around 1940. General Martin retired to his Belle Mont plantation at Leatherwood, which he purchased in 1796 from Benjamin Harrison V of Berkeley Plantation. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. The other residents seem to tolerate it OK, but I hate it. Belle Mont Mansion is located outside of Tuscumbia. The site originally served as the centerpiece for the large scale cotton. The house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. Visitors to the mansion have reported seeing dark shadowy figures walking the fields and have heard the sound of chains rattling near the house. All information on this page was submitted to Alabama Haunted Houses and was believed to be accurate at the time it was posted. Before you visit ANY local real haunt, make sure to acquire the appropriate permits and/or permissions, and be respectful of privately owned properties. 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. 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. The Knot, WeddingWire, and Pinterest are seeking to limit content on their websites that promotes Southern plantations as a wedding venue. Sold by the Acklen family in 1887, the house went to a developer who began one of Nashvilles early suburbs. 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 Miracle Worker organ. She said that at times, she, and others, would smell a floral scent like a womans perfume and get a cold feeling for no reason as if in the presence of a ghost. For some reason a lot of places in Tuscumbia AL are haunted. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! n 1832. 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. Montvale, the farm at Belmont, was destroyed in 1864. Weddings should be a symbol of love and unity. The answer will always be a mystery. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Nearby, an early 1800s mansion, Belle Mont, is available for touring. The schooner Clotilda smuggled African captives into the U.S. in 1860, more than 50 years after importing slaves was outlawed. Indeed, it is the Christian character of America that has allowed us to recognize and seek to rectify our past errors. 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. Following the death of his wife Alexander Mitchell remarried and sold the plantation to Isaac and Catherine Winston and moved to Philadelphia in 1833. Earlier this month, prodded by the group Color of Change, four wedding websites said they . Even though it is now just 24 acres, many of the important elements remain. While slavery is often associated with large plantations, the institution permeated Southern culture. The tell when I was growing up was that the book 13 Alabama Ghosts held a tell from that house. An Alabama Historical Commission site, Belle Mont was built 1828-1832 and is one of the state's first great plantation houses. It has a staff of three: a site director, curator, and tour guide. The property is located just south of Tuscumbia and west of US Route 43 at 1569 Cook Lane. The only way to avoid offending anyone would be to stop celebrating anything, anywhere, at any time. And have seen shadows and once a figure of a person. Tell Us About Your Experience(s) at Belle Mont. The underlying premise of the anti-plantation movement is that Southern plantations cannot be romanticized. 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. Doors open and close. Many of them, even their detractors must admit, are beautiful, both in reference to their natural surroundings and their architecture. Ticket options include: General Admission, Guided Tour, Curator Tour & Civil War at Belmont, Discover the largest house built in Tennesse. Three years later, during the middle of the. === A monument was errected in 2008 on the old Henry Courthouse square in Martinsville, VA. . 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. 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 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. We also dont need to police their repurposing. 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. 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. Belle Mont Mansion, known for its architecture, was built in 1828 for Alexander Williams Mitchell. If such locales have tragic histories, this is all the more reason to reimagine them in ways that both recognize and overcome that past. It has a staff of three: a site director, curator, and tour guide. Your email address will not be published. Belle Mont was erected in 1828 for a physician from Louisa County, Virginia, Dr. Alexander Williams Mitchell. But fewer probably know that it . Marble bust of Helen Keller. In each society and in each generation slaves adjusted and . Its important the reality of what happened in these spaces is present, versus a romanticization of human rights abuses.. She said he would come out shooting if he caught trespassers. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. Belle Mont is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. Its two-story north entrance salon is flanked on either side by a formal dining room and parlor. It was then purchased by two women who in 1890 started a college which evolved into Belmont University. At Belmont, several extended families lived in slavery over the course of several generations. 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. 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 . 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. The home was built. 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. 2023 The Federalist, A wholly independent division of FDRLST Media. Yet self-righteous assaults on these places and the many ways they are used will not bring restorative justice. As of Thursday morning, Alabama Historical Commission members have not responded to the letter or AL.coms emails and phone calls. Although the original architect and builder remain unknown, the style of Belle Mont appears also to have been influenced by past. 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. Visitors to this page: 3,182 This is a list of plantations and/or plantation houses in the U.S. state of Virginia that are National Historic Landmarks, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, other historic registers, or are otherwise significant for their history, association with significant events or people, or their architecture and design. 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. Things seem to be at their worst after midnight, until early dawn. This is not to say there isnt something a bit discomforting about vendors labeling slave cabins on these properties as evoking an elaborate past, as if blacks were happy, willing participants in a fanciful world of white gentry as portrayed in Gone with the Wind. All the same, targeting Southern wedding venues for bigotry reflects yet another manifestation of a purification of our culture and history. At the time, the name of the plantation was not Gay Mont, but Rose Hill. Chronological snobbery, as C.S. Tickets may also be purchased by credit card by calling the museum at 256-381-5052 or online . Belle Mont also illustrates Jeffersons reverence for the neoclassical architectural elements and ideas of the Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio,. 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). Voice your opinion here! My great great great great grandfather used to live at the belle mont mansion ! In. 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.