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. Let us know! Belle Meade plantation is one of the premier plantations in Tennessee and one of the top attractions in the state. 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. Records of the property's destruction includes information related to the number of slave dwellings on the property. Belle Mont Mansion has been listed under several names through its history. 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. 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. Stories of the Past - Conversations for the Future. What do you think? Her aunt, who was only a few years older than her, got busted sneaking in/vandalizing the 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? This style stems from the neoclassical architectural design of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. How Did Slaves Get To Alabama? - CLJ Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? Ticket options include: General Admission, Guided Tour, Curator Tour & Civil War at Belmont, Discover the largest house built in Tennesse. "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. Group rates available. The house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. My Dad bought it at that time. The National Paranormal Society is not responsible for individuals, teams and submissions listed on the NPS website. Affordable Nashville Elopements start here! Open Letter Plantation Christmas by Jonece on Scribd. And in the process, these attacks have unintended economic consequences on working-class Americans. Founded in 2008, AlabamaHauntedHouses.com is a simple and unique online haunted event & attraction resource created to make it easy for locals to find Haunted House, Spook Walk, Corn Maze, and other Halloween Attractions in their local area. The architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. Jonece Starr Dunigan | [email protected], hired a black historian to research the site's enslavement history, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Indeed, it was brutal and terrifying. The answer will always be a mystery. Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. Beyond Jesus Revolution: 10 Outside-The-Box Faith-Based Films On The Horizon, Major Doctors Organization Publicly Embraces Dismembering Babies Until Birth, Congress Quietly Left The Door Open To Funneling More Tax Dollars To EcoHealth Research In China For National Security, Utah Considers Ranked-Choice Voting In Primaries Despite Disasters In Alaska And Maine. Affordable Nashville Elopements start here! Slave child's doll inside Belle Mont Mansion. It was one of those drizzly unpleasant days, so after a while I went into the Cellar area of the plantation. 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. Four bedrooms surround the rear or south courtyard, forming its U-shaped brick exterior. . The Winston family maintained ownership and continued living in Belle Mont through the Civil War and until around 1940. belle mont mansion slaves July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022. The letter was also sent to Ninon Parker, who is listed as a site director for the Belle Mont Mansion. Located in the middle of the Belmont University campusbehind Freeman Hall. Earlier this month, prodded by the group Color of Change, four wedding websites said they . Slaves in the plantation generations were members of what Berlin calls "slave societies," where slavery was the primary source of labor. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. 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). Welcome to mystery411 Haunted Belle Mont Tuscumbia page. 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 | Haunted Places | Tuscumbia, AL 35674 Belle Mont Mansion, known for its architecture, was built in 1828 for Alexander Williams Mitchell. Plantation Christmas celebrations should be canceled. Belmont Mansion (Tennessee) - Wikipedia In 1833, the property was bought by Issac Williams, who owned 119 enslaved people by 1855. 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. The antebellum plantation experience, as lived by the enslaved, was neither happy nor joyous. By the following year, in 1890, all the houses occupied by enslaved Blacks on the estate had been destroyed, leaving no physical presence for interpretation. Art of the Dish at Belle Mont | This Week | courierjournal.net Being new to the area, none of us knew of the Belmont Mansion or its location. Contextualizing former slave plantations has been a concern across the nation. Your email address will not be published. Belle Mont Mansion has resumed normal operating hours and will be operating at reduced capacity to safeguard against COVID-19. 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. Just one if many weird, cant explain it things that have happened here. Discover the largest house built in Tennessee prior to the Civil War. Indeed, I wonder how many black Americans even have a deceased grandparent who could have had a memory of antebellum America. Belle Mont attracts approximately 5,000 visitors each year. 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. Many of them, even their detractors must admit, are beautiful, both in reference to their natural surroundings and their architecture. Belle Mont, built between 1828 and 1832, was a plantation that used slave labor. 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. Owned by the Alabama Historical Commission and operated by the Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation. We also dont need to police their repurposing. 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. Admission: Adults $6; students, seniors, military $5; and children 6-18 $3. Sold by the Acklen family in 1887, the house went to a developer who began one of Nashvilles early suburbs. Over the years, this historic mansion has been restored to its original pre-Civil War appearance. All of these places, despite their histories, are objectively beautiful. Belle Mont was erected in 1828 for a physician from Louisa County, Virginia, Dr. Alexander Williams Mitchell. Related Videos Video #1 At Belmont, several extended families lived in slavery over the course of several generations. Gradually, the family gatherings became less frequent until the home was completely abandoned. But fewer probably know that it . For some reason a lot of places in Tuscumbia AL are haunted. 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. Would like to know if anyone does know anything about it and any info in accordance with that reference. It has a staff of three: a site director, curator, and tour guide. Art of the Dish at the Historic Belle Mont Mansion | Gallery As there is not formal cemetery for the slaves it is likely that they were buried on some part of the estate. It has a staff of three: a site director, curator, and tour guide. The organization behind this growing movement, Color of Change, indicts vendors for using words like breathtaking to describe plantations. The house is listed on the National Historic Registry (#19820223). 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 site originally served as the centerpiece for the large scale cotton. I mention this because Gay Mont was his home. It was built in 1940 on some of the land near General John Coffees home. Ninon Parker puts candles out on the table fully set for dinner at Belle Mont Mansion in Colbert County. I asked, Do you see him now? in a jested way as I awkwardly half-smile to my wife. Blue Star Museum: Belle Mont proudly offers free admission to active duty military personnel and their families between Memorial Day and Labor Day. An example of this occurred in December, when a number of black medical students posed for a photo at a former slave plantation, a site some of them called holy. Heck, why not celebrate their graduation there? 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. The designer is unknown but seems to have been influenced by Thomas Jefferson's ideas and style. Belle Meade plantation takes a deeper look into the lives of its slaves Intimate and elegant elopement ceremonies are popular at Belmont Mansion! Do not use all capital letters. My wife, son (age 5) and I were heading from Muscle Shoals to our home in Littleville after a night of shopping and eating. Belle Mont - Alabama You can imagine me trying to picture my great aunt doing this, haha! 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. 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 Alabama Historical Commission owns this historic site. 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. "It is unacceptable to subject the descendants of enslaved African Americans to whitewashed versions of history that ignore their ancestors experience.". In addition, volunteers from the Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation assist as docents for special events and participate in fund-raising activities. Belle Meade Plantation in Nashville TN: Horses, History, Wine Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? Belle Mont also illustrates Jeffersons reverence for the neoclassical architectural elements and ideas of the Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio,. It was then purchased by two women who in 1890 started a college which evolved into Belmont University. No haunted tours for me. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. Be specific. This 1860 census, also called a Slave Schedule, provides a limited picture of all who were living at Belmont and where they lived. General Martin retired to his Belle Mont plantation at Leatherwood, which he purchased in 1796 from Benjamin Harrison V of Berkeley Plantation. Please report any inaccuracies. A tour of this Nashville plantation tells the story . Clicks to Website: 293 Surely, we do not want to pretend these places dont have a violent, racist past. The Belle Mont Mansion in Tuscumbia Alabama was built around 1828 for physician and planter Alexander Williams Mitchell. You can visit the historic Belle Mont Mansion at 1569 Cook Ln., Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674. Belle Mont is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. Belle Mont's out-buildings are no longer standing, but several foundations, including that of a slave house, have been located by archeologists. Strange are there actually any African Americans who have memories of the antebellum period, given that it ended 160 years ago? Use the "Browse" or "Choose File" button below to select an image to upload along with your comment. Positioned on a commanding hilltop, Belle Mont Mansion is one of Alabama's crowning architectural achievements. If People Can't Get Married On Plantations, They Can't Marry Anywhere Visitors to this page: 3,182 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. Most Americans know that George Washington owned enslaved people at his Mount Vernon home. The schooner Clotilda smuggled African captives into the U.S. in 1860, more than 50 years after importing slaves was outlawed. 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 vast majority of information provided on this web site is anecdotal, and as such, should be viewed in the same light as local folklore and urban legends. Its two-story north entrance salon is flanked on either side by a formal dining room and parlor. I was born and raised in Tuscumbia. I have lived here since 1963. The answer will always be a mystery. Tickets may also be purchased by credit card by calling the museum at 256-381-5052 or online . 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. Belle Mont Mansion - Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area Society of slaves: stereotypes fall - Baltimore Sun Wesley Thompson of Bethel Colbert Missionary Baptists Church also signed the letter. Contact the museum for current rates, policies, and an application. 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. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. The only way to avoid offending anyone would be to stop celebrating anything, anywhere, at any time. 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. Yet self-righteous assaults on these places and the many ways they are used will not bring restorative justice. Just outside the city of Tuscumbia, the 700+ acre Cane Creek Canyon Nature . I have experienced some very strange things in my home. Belle Mont Mansion is a historic house museum open for guided tours. All rights reserved (About Us). 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. The answer will always be a mystery. The tell when I was growing up was that the book 13 Alabama Ghosts held a tell from that house. At this time, the family decided to move to a different location but continued to hold Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations in the mansion. The house is listed on the National Historic Registry (#19820223). Belle Mont isnt included in either of Kathryn Tucker Windhams books about Alabama ghosts. 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. 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. Belle Mont was erected in 1828 for a physician from Louisa County, Virginia, Dr. Alexander Williams Mitchell. It remained in the Winston family for over a century, and is currently used as a historic house museum open for tours by appointment. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. As there is not formal cemetery for the slaves it is likely that they were buried on some part of the estate. 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. Couple looking at a car in the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. Three years later, during the middle of the. 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 mansion slaves The other residents seem to tolerate it OK, but I hate it. This design is derived from the neoclassical architectural style of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. A variety of factors have made researching the lives of Belmont's enslaved residents difficult. It was the centerpiece of a 1,760 acre cotton plantation and had one of the largest slave populations in the state. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. 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. This would have been in the late 60s, early 70s I would guess. 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. Montvale, the farm at Belmont, was destroyed in 1864. Use of the directory is at the discretion of the individual. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. Is this place really haunted? 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. 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. It was then purchased by two women who in 1890 started a college which evolved into Belmont University. n 1832. Following the death of his wife Alexander Mitchell remarried and sold the plantation to Isaac and Catherine Winston and moved to Philadelphia in 1833. Belle mont mansion slaves - nxggc.soterik.de Belle Mont also illustrates Jeffersons reverence for the neoclassical architectural elements and ideas of the Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio," (Commission 2). 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. Things seem to be at their worst after midnight, until early dawn. Its also not as if Dixie estates were the only sites where acts of brutality were committed by one group of Americans against another. He says, the man that lives in that house. still pointing. Belle Mont is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. The house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. Mr. Winston was a cousin of Dolly Madison, Patrick Henry, and Isaac Cole, who was a personal friend and secretary of President Thomas Jefferson. And have seen shadows and once a figure of a person. But she never mentioned any slave ghosts. Required fields are marked *. The best-known ghost tale from each Alabama county - al.com Peace to everyone. Located in the heart of Nashville on the Belmont University Campus. 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? 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. 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. According to census records, Mitchell enslaved 115 people at the cotton plantation. Stay safe. In each society and in each generation slaves adjusted and . Located just outside Tuscumbia in Colbert County, the mansion is one of a few Palladian-style houses in the Deep South. Join now to unlock comments, browse ad-free, and access exclusive content from your favorite FDRLST writers. You feel things passing by you. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. If you've had a paranormal experience here, or have any additional information about this location, please let us know! Plantation Christmas at Belle Mont is held annually the first Sunday in December and features period costumed interpreters, decorations, refreshments, and entertainment. 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? In. My daughter and I have both heard clear voices that sound kind of far away, but you can understand them. Not sure if it did or not but sure does fit. LGBTQ advocacy organization Equality Shoals, Shoals Young Democrats and Rev. 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. Belle Mont Mansion | Encyclopedia of Alabama 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. Although the original architect and builder remain unknown, the style of Belle Mont appears also to have been influenced by past. Your CommentsHave a photograph taken from this location? Slavery at Belmont - old page | belmontmansion Haunted Vacations, Adventures and Mysteries. It is said to be haunted by slaves who died on the grounds and also by former owners. Share Your Experience or Comments - Belle Mont. The underlying premise of the anti-plantation movement is that Southern plantations cannot be romanticized. Plantation Home Tours in Alabama | Getaway USA - The Arizona Republic The property is located just south of Tuscumbia and west of US Route 43 at 1569 Cook Lane. First, there is no such thing as a slave plantation. There are cotton plantations, sugar plantations, tobacco plantations, etc., etc., but no slave plantations. 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? All rights reserved. The letter was signed by social justice groups Project Say Something, Standing in Power, of Decatur, and Beyond the Women's March. 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).