This 1860 census, also called a Slave Schedule, provides a limited picture of all who were living at Belmont and where they lived. 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. Tell Us About Your Experience(s) at Belle Mont. Do not use all capital letters. Use the "Browse" or "Choose File" button below to select an image to upload along with your comment. LGBTQ advocacy organization Equality Shoals, Shoals Young Democrats and Rev. He has a bachelors in history and masters in teaching from the University of Virginia and a masters in theology from Christendom College. 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 site is 1/4 mile west of US 43 South on Cook Lane, three miles south of intersection US 43 and US 72. In. 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. I asked, Do you see him now? in a jested way as I awkwardly half-smile to my wife. Belle Mont Mansion is a historic house museum open for guided tours. 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. We went back there, and I finished the project, with help from all was involved. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! It has a staff of three: a site director, curator, and tour guide. Its important the reality of what happened in these spaces is present, versus a romanticization of human rights abuses.. The answer will always be a mystery. It was the centerpiece of a 1,760 acre cotton plantation and had one of the largest slave populations in the state. The Belle Mont Mansion in Tuscumbia Alabama was built around 1828 for physician and planter Alexander Williams Mitchell. 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. The property is located just south of Tuscumbia and west of US Route 43 at 1569 Cook Lane. Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? One account is from young William Acklin, a enslaved worker, and the other from a visitor to the estate. The organization behind this growing movement, Color of Change, indicts vendors for using words like breathtaking to describe plantations. 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. Marble bust of Helen Keller. It is said to be haunted by slaves who died on the grounds and also by former owners. Tickets are available at Belle Mont Mansion and at Fiddledee D! Moreover, the entire country was once the land of American Indians, and a good deal of it deceptively or violently taken from them. 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. 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. 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. 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. A variety of factors have made researching the lives of Belmont's enslaved residents difficult. Belle Mont also illustrates Jeffersons reverence for the neoclassical architectural elements and ideas of the Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio," (Commission 2). 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. I grew up in Florence and my Great Grandmother lived near the mansion on Colbert Heights mountain. Belle Mont Mansion, known for its architecture, was built in 1828 for Alexander Williams Mitchell. Private property should be respected at all times, as should all posted signs concerning trespassing, hours of operation and other local regulations. Weddings should be a symbol of love and unity. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. The Miracle Worker organ. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. 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 Mansion | Tuscumbia AL 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. 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 coalition said the event celebrated white supremacy by ignoring the enslaved people who labored at the cotton plantation. Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. It has a staff of three: a site director, curator, and tour guide. Visitors to this page: 3,182 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). At first you think this is all in your imagination. Sign up for our newsletter and receive Halloween event updates, discounts and more! "It is unacceptable to subject the descendants of enslaved African Americans to whitewashed versions of history that ignore their ancestors experience.". 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. Happy haunting! 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! The abandonment of the home was the largest cause of its deterioration and the vandalism that occurred at Belle Mont. This style stems from the neoclassical architectural design of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the nature of "ghost stories," largely unverifiable. Doors open and close. All rights reserved (About Us). Belle Mont's out-buildings are no longer standing, but several foundations, including that of a slave house, have been located by archeologists. Stories of the Past - Conversations for the Future. Let us know! 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. Shes told me that prior to the restorations the mansion was a prime site for local teens to be dumb kids trespass, vandalize, etc. Moreover, the entire. 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. e prior to the Civil War. Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? 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. 3. The house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. 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? complete with original and period furniture, artwork and statuary. Indeed, it was brutal and terrifying. 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. Ticket options include: General Admission, Guided Tour, Curator Tour & Civil War at Belmont. Visitors to the mansion have reported seeing dark shadowy figures walking the fields and have heard the sound of chains rattling near the house. He is the author of The Persecuted: True Stories of Courageous Christians Living Their Faith in Muslim Lands. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Ticket options include: General Admission, Guided Tour, Curator Tour & Civil War at Belmont, Discover the largest house built in Tennesse. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. As there is not formal cemetery for the slaves it is likely that they were buried on some part of the estate. Ninon Parker puts candles out on the table fully set for dinner at Belle Mont Mansion in Colbert County. 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. 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). We have located just two first-hand accounts of slavery at Belmont. 68 were here. 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. Very little historic data, including census records, include last names of those who were enslaved, making it challenging to locate descendents through geneaology records. The property is also available for tours Thursday through Sunday and for special event rentals. Many of them, even their detractors must admit, are beautiful, both in reference to their natural surroundings and their architecture. 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. The architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. 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. No haunted tours for me. Belle Mont isnt included in either of Kathryn Tucker Windhams books about Alabama ghosts. "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. If you've had a paranormal experience here, or have any additional information about this location, please let us know! The site originally served as the centerpiece for the large scale cotton. Gradually, the family gatherings became less frequent until the home was completely abandoned. Your email address will not be published. Black people dont have happy memories of the antebellum period and plantations, where our ancestors were beaten and tortured, said senior campaign director Jade Magnus Ogunnaike. As there is not formal cemetery for the slaves it is likely that they were buried on some part of the estate. One was a bluish light, the other one looked golden. 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. Her eyes, big as saucers, alarm me. 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. Group of women standing outside Belle Mont Mansion. 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. Belle Mont, built between 1828 and 1832, was a plantation that used slave labor. 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. 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 house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. Marble bust of Helen Keller. 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. Belle Mont was erected in 1828 for a physician from Louisa County, Virginia, Dr. Alexander Williams Mitchell. 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. 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? Belle Mont Mansion , built circa 1828, is one of the few examples of Palladian-style houses in Alabama. While slavery is often associated with large plantations, the institution permeated Southern culture. For some reason a lot of places in Tuscumbia AL are haunted. Three years later, during the middle of the. 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. Ken is a graphic designer, web developer and co-founder of One True Paranormal, a para-group in southwest Missouri. 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. 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. Records of the property's destruction includes information related to the number of slave dwellings on the property. 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. You can visit the historic Belle Mont Mansion at 1569 Cook Ln., Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674. As there is not formal cemetery for the slaves it is likely that they were buried on some part of the estate. 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. Jonece Starr Dunigan | jdunigan@reckonmedia.com, hired a black historian to research the site's enslavement history, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. 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. Clicks to Website: 293 "Others feared the upcoming slave auctions commonly held in January and February in north Alabama as well as upcoming contracts for slave labor that was 'hired out.'". 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. Visit BelmontMansionEvents.com to review options to Elope in Nashville at Belmont Mansion. The source of Belle Monts design is shrouded in mystery, but tantalizing clues suggest the direct influence of President Thomas Jefferson, gentlemen architect of the early Republic, the official Belle Mont pamphlet states (Commission 2). 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. Jones says her new title is one she holds . All of these places, despite their histories, are objectively beautiful. The groups who are critiquing the event in Tuscumbia believe historical sites must be honest and respectful. That seems far more justified than puritannical policing of plantations. However, while living in Belle Mont and planting the surrounding acres, Dr. Mitchell housed 152 slaves in 13 slave cabins on the property. My great great great great grandfather used to live at the belle mont mansion ! Positioned on a commanding hilltop, Belle Mont Mansion is one of Alabama's crowning architectural achievements. He says, the man that lives in that house. still pointing. Required fields are marked *. She said he would come out shooting if he caught trespassers. belle mont mansion slaves July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022. But she never mentioned any slave ghosts. 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. Off Campus Book Store University of North Alabama, Norton Auditorium University of North Alabama. Will NOT be displayed. 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. However, while living in Belle Mont and planting the surrounding acres, Dr. Mitchell housed 152 slaves in 13 slave cabins on the property. 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. Belle Mont also illustrates Jeffersons reverence for the neoclassical architectural elements and ideas of the Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio,. Stay safe. I got chills then tried to write it off. The voices in the night are the hardest to explain away. Montvale, the farm at Belmont, was destroyed in 1864. 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 Conway family purchased the property in 1670 and it remained in the family for 120 years. 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. Strange are there actually any African Americans who have memories of the antebellum period, given that it ended 160 years ago? Catholics in the 19th century suffered violent assaults at the hands of anti-papist mobs on the streets of Boston, Philadelphia, and New York. Slave child's doll inside Belle Mont Mansion.