Unlock premium content, ad-free browsing, and access to comments for just $4/month. Voice your opinion here! The use of the NPS name for any unauthorized events or activities is strictly prohibited. Use the "Browse" or "Choose File" button below to select an image to upload along with your comment. 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. 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. A variety of factors have made researching the lives of Belmont's enslaved residents difficult. Its important the reality of what happened in these spaces is present, versus a romanticization of human rights abuses.. Yet self-righteous assaults on these places and the many ways they are used will not bring restorative justice. What county in Alabama had the most slaves? 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. Contextualizing former slave plantations has been a concern across the nation. Use of the directory is at the discretion of the individual. 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. This style stems from the neoclassical architectural design of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. Ken is a graphic designer, web developer and co-founder of One True Paranormal, a para-group in southwest Missouri. 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. Its two-story north entrance salon is flanked on either side by a formal dining room and parlor. Isaac Winston owned 114 slaves according to the 1860 census and died August 13, 1863 at Bell Mont during the American Civil War. At this time, the family decided to move to a different location but continued to hold Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations in the mansion. 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. Indeed, it was brutal and terrifying. 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. 2008-2023 AlabamaHauntedHouses.com. I got chills then tried to write it off. Belle Mont Mansion , built circa 1828, is one of the few examples of Palladian-style houses in Alabama. Ticket options include: General Admission, Guided Tour, Curator Tour & Civil War at Belmont. 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. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. Belle Mont Mansion, known for its architecture, was built in 1828 for Alexander Williams Mitchell. Gradually, the family gatherings became less frequent until the home was completely abandoned. 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. All rights reserved. The groups who are critiquing the event in Tuscumbia believe historical sites must be honest and respectful. 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. Not-So-Scary Haunted Houses (Kid Friendly). According to census records, Mitchell enslaved 115 people at the cotton plantation. 3. 68 were here. Strange are there actually any African Americans who have memories of the antebellum period, given that it ended 160 years ago? Ticket options include: General Admission, Guided Tour, Curator Tour & Civil War at Belmont, Discover the largest house built in Tennesse. Belle Mont was erected in 1828 for a physician from Louisa County, Virginia, Dr. Alexander Williams Mitchell. 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. Last edit to this listing: 1/16/2016 (2604 days ago). A majority of rooms in Belmont Mansion have been meticulously restored. 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. Earlier this month, prodded by the group Color of Change, four wedding websites said they . 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." No haunted tours for me. Belle Mont is available for special events. Over the years, this historic mansion has been restored to its original pre-Civil War appearance. Belle Mont's out-buildings are no longer standing, but several foundations, including that of a slave house, have been located by archeologists. Belle Mont Mansion has resumed normal operating hours and will be operating at reduced capacity to safeguard against COVID-19. That seems far more justified than puritannical policing of plantations. At this time, the family decided to move to a different location but continued to hold Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations in the mansion. 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. 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. The coalition said the event celebrated white supremacy by ignoring the enslaved people who labored at the cotton plantation. It was the centerpiece of a 1,760 acre cotton plantation and had one of the largest slave populations in the state. Will NOT be displayed. It's estimated that 40 percent of slave owners may have been white women. The property is also available for tours Thursday through Sunday and for special event rentals. Group rates available. 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. The Belle Mont Mansion in Tuscumbia Alabama was built around 1828 for physician and planter Alexander Williams Mitchell. 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. Protest movements that perceive victimization and microaggression under every rock also wreak havoc on our countrys economy. As of Thursday morning, Alabama Historical Commission members have not responded to the letter or AL.coms emails and phone calls. Some visitors say that the building . Belle Mont was built for Alexander Williams Mitchell, who grew up in Louisa County, Virginia, only 25 miles from Jefferson's home at Monticello. This 1860 census, also called a Slave Schedule, provides a limited picture of all who were living at Belmont and where they lived. But she never mentioned any slave ghosts. Many "ghost hunters" have been arrested because they failed to contact property owners and/or local authorities ahead of time. 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. As there is not formal cemetery for the slaves it is likely that they were buried on some part of the estate. I have heard quiet voices in the night. If you've had a paranormal experience here, or have any additional information about this location, please let us know! 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. Affordable Nashville Elopements start here! 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. Nearby, an early 1800s mansion, Belle Mont, is available for touring. He has a bachelors in history and masters in teaching from the University of Virginia and a masters in theology from Christendom College. The property is located just south of Tuscumbia and west of US Route 43 at 1569 Cook Lane. Her aunt, who was only a few years older than her, got busted sneaking in/vandalizing the mansion. Moreover, the entire. Belle Mont is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. This was just word of mouth and may not have been accurate, but Im glad to hear it can be toured. Visit BelmontMansionEvents.com to review options to Elope in Nashville at Belmont Mansion. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Tell Us About Your Experience(s) at Belle Mont. 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. 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. 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? View all AHC Owned Historic Houses & Museums. 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. Intimate and elegant elopement ceremonies are popular at Belmont Mansion! 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. The historic home is the site of the annual Art of the Dish this week. Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? Contact the museum for current rates, policies, and an application. . 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. All information on this page was submitted to Alabama Haunted Houses and was believed to be accurate at the time it was posted. 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. Located in the heart of Nashville on the Belmont University Campus. 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). 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. 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). 1569 Cook Lane, Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674 View Map CONTACT Site Director: Ninon Parker Museum: 256- 381-5052 Email: bellemontmansion@gmail.com According to the letter, Christmas was a disturbing time for the enslaved. Marble bust of Helen Keller. 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. 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). 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. One account is from young William Acklin, a enslaved worker, and the other from a visitor to the estate. Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? Casey Chalk is a senior contributor at The Federalist and an editor and columnist at The New Oxford Review. Stay safe. 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. Slaves in the plantation generations were members of what Berlin calls "slave societies," where slavery was the primary source of labor. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. For more information, click here. It is best to play gospel or Christian radio in your house 24/7 to make them move on. 2019 was the year it finally became socially unacceptable to use a historic plantation as a wedding venue. I remember her sounding really flippant about it and me wondering how being shot at was not a big deal! If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Please note: It is your responsibility to acquire appropriate permissions before investigating any location listed on this site. Records of the property's destruction includes information related to the number of slave dwellings on the property. 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. 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 property is located just south of Tuscumbia and west of US Route 43 at 1569 Cook Lane. Belle Mont Mansion is being restored and partially furnished to reflect the antebellum, or pre-Civil War, time period. And have seen shadows and once a figure of a person. Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. Wesley Thompson of Bethel Colbert Missionary Baptists Church also signed the letter. Then you maybe talk to family members and realize everyone feels the same way. 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. Being new to the area, none of us knew of the Belmont Mansion or its location. Your CommentsHave a photograph taken from this location? Three years later, during the middle of the. 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. An Alabama Historical Commission site, Belle Mont was built 1828-1832 and is one of the state's first great plantation houses. The other residents seem to tolerate it OK, but I hate it. 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 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 tell when I was growing up was that the book 13 Alabama Ghosts held a tell from that house. According to census records, Mitchell enslaved 115 people at the cotton plantation. However, while living in Belle Mont and planting the surrounding acres, Dr. Mitchell housed 152 slaves in 13 slave cabins on the property. Share Your Experience or Comments - Belle Mont. 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. But fewer probably know that it . Tickets may also be purchased by credit card by calling the museum at 256-381-5052 or online . 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. 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. Couple looking at a car in the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. Slave child's doll inside Belle Mont Mansion. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Lewis called our tendency to view our own age as superior to others, is a dark chasm ending in our own destruction. 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. Would like to know if anyone does know anything about it and any info in accordance with that reference. Countless Haunt Hunters have been arrested, ticketed, and reprimanded by the authorities for trespassing. Even though it is now just 24 acres, many of the important elements remain. Visit BelmontMansionEvents.com to review options to Elope in Nashville at Belmont Mansion. The designer is unknown but seems to have been influenced by Thomas Jefferson's ideas and style. Disclaimer: Alabama Haunted Houses does not endorse or support trespassing to visit real haunts. At the time, the name of the plantation was not Gay Mont, but Rose Hill. It once stretched over 5400 acres and hosted celebrities, presidents, and countless southern gentlemen. For some reason a lot of places in Tuscumbia AL are haunted. Is this place really haunted? First, there is no such thing as a slave plantation. There are cotton plantations, sugar plantations, tobacco plantations, etc., etc., but no slave plantations. 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. 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. 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. Your email address will not be published. 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. 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. If such locales have tragic histories, this is all the more reason to reimagine them in ways that both recognize and overcome that past. 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. 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. Many of them, even their detractors must admit, are beautiful, both in reference to their natural surroundings and their architecture. Montvale, the farm at Belmont, was destroyed in 1864. LGBTQ advocacy organization Equality Shoals, Shoals Young Democrats and Rev. It has a staff of three: a site director, curator, and tour guide. Happy haunting! The underlying premise of the anti-plantation movement is that Southern plantations cannot be romanticized. It was one of those drizzly unpleasant days, so after a while I went into the Cellar area of the plantation. You can visit the historic Belle Mont Mansion at 1569 Cook Ln., Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674. It remained in the Winston family for over a century, and is currently used as a historic house museum open for tours by appointment.