Three years later, during the middle of the. Catholics in the 19th century suffered violent assaults at the hands of anti-papist mobs on the streets of Boston, Philadelphia, and New York. Marble bust of Helen Keller. Belle Mont Mansion, known for its architecture, was built in 1828 for Alexander Williams Mitchell. 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. Not-So-Scary Haunted Houses (Kid Friendly). Clicks to Website: 293 Discover the largest house built in Tennessee prior to the Civil War. 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. 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. 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? Many of them, even their detractors must admit, are beautiful, both in reference to their natural surroundings and their architecture. It's currently operated as a museum, and tours are available. Your email address will not be published. It was built in 1940 on some of the land near General John Coffees home. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. Chronological snobbery, as C.S. However, while living in Belle Mont and planting the surrounding acres, Dr. Mitchell housed 152 slaves in 13 slave cabins on the property. 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). Slaves in the plantation generations were members of what Berlin calls "slave societies," where slavery was the primary source of labor. Be specific. In addition, volunteers from the Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation assist as docents for special events and participate in fund-raising activities. 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. Gradually, the family gatherings became less frequent until the home was completely abandoned. Very little historic data, including census records, include last names of those who were enslaved, making it challenging to locate descendents through geneaology records. This design is derived from the neoclassical architectural style of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. 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's estimated that 40 percent of slave owners may have been white women. At first you think this is all in your imagination. 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's out-buildings are no longer standing, but several foundations, including that of a slave house, have been located by archeologists. Located in the middle of the Belmont University campusbehind Freeman Hall. 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 Alabama Historical Commission owns this historic site. 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? For some reason a lot of places in Tuscumbia AL are haunted. Nearby, an early 1800s mansion, Belle Mont, is available for touring. Countless Haunt Hunters have been arrested, ticketed, and reprimanded by the authorities for trespassing. One was a bluish light, the other one looked golden. All information on this page was submitted to Alabama Haunted Houses and was believed to be accurate at the time it was posted. complete with original and period furniture, artwork and statuary. 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. 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. 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. Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. The Conway family purchased the property in 1670 and it remained in the family for 120 years. Belle Mont Mansion has been listed under several names through its history. 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. Intimate and elegant elopement ceremonies are popular at Belmont Mansion! In 1833, the property was bought by Issac Williams, who owned 119 enslaved people by 1855. The letter was signed by social justice groups Project Say Something, Standing in Power, of Decatur, and Beyond the Women's March. Owned by the Alabama Historical Commission and operated by the Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation. belle mont mansion slaves July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022. It remained in the Winston family for over a century, and is currently used as a historic house museum open for tours by appointment. Located just outside Tuscumbia in Colbert County, the mansion is one of a few Palladian-style houses in the Deep South. 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. 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. I have heard quiet voices in the night. 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. Plantations used for bourgeois ceremonies with language that obscures or even glorifies the estates dark past are one example. Related Videos Video #1 Ninon Parker puts candles out on the table fully set for dinner at Belle Mont Mansion in Colbert County. 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. Went back into the cellar a coupple more times, but never had that akward feeling again. Off Campus Book Store University of North Alabama, Norton Auditorium University of North Alabama. Jonece Starr Dunigan | jdunigan@reckonmedia.com, hired a black historian to research the site's enslavement history, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Belle Mont was erected in 1828 for a physician from Louisa County, Virginia, Dr. Alexander Williams Mitchell. 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. If you've had a paranormal experience here, or have any additional information about this location, please let us know! In 1790, John Hipkins purchased the property from the Conway family and in 1791 built Belle Grove for his only child, Fannie. The property is located just south of Tuscumbia and west of US Route 43 at 1569 Cook Lane. 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. Belle Mont was built for Alexander Williams Mitchell, who grew up in Louisa County, Virginia, only 25 miles from Jefferson's home at Monticello. 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. A tour of this Nashville plantation tells the story . My Dad bought it at that time. 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. We went back there, and I finished the project, with help from all was involved. Belle Mont Mansion has resumed normal operating hours and will be operating at reduced capacity to safeguard against COVID-19. The tell when I was growing up was that the book 13 Alabama Ghosts held a tell from that house. Its important the reality of what happened in these spaces is present, versus a romanticization of human rights abuses.. And in the process, these attacks have unintended economic consequences on working-class Americans. Belle Mont Mansion | Tuscumbia AL I dont know any ghost stories but my mother tells a few funny stories. That seems far more justified than puritannical policing of plantations. The architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. Affordable Nashville Elopements start here! 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 property is also available for tours Thursday through Sunday and for special event rentals. The coalition said the event celebrated white supremacy by ignoring the enslaved people who labored at the cotton plantation. Small items like dimes and nails are moved. It is said to be haunted by slaves who died on the grounds and also by former owners. 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. Belle Mont Mansion is a historic house museum open for guided tours. 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. He says, the man that lives in that house. still pointing. . Ken is a graphic designer, web developer and co-founder of One True Paranormal, a para-group in southwest Missouri. 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. 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. 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. If such locales have tragic histories, this is all the more reason to reimagine them in ways that both recognize and overcome that past. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. I have lived here since 1963. Please report any inaccuracies. I grew up in Florence and my Great Grandmother lived near the mansion on Colbert Heights mountain. 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 Visit BelmontMansionEvents.com to review options to Elope in Nashville at Belmont Mansion. 2023 The Federalist, A wholly independent division of FDRLST Media. Indeed, I wonder how many black Americans even have a deceased grandparent who could have had a memory of antebellum America. Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. While slavery is often associated with large plantations, the institution permeated Southern culture. An Alabama Historical Commission site, Belle Mont was built 1828-1832 and is one of the state's first great plantation houses. 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. Marble bust of Helen Keller. It is best to play gospel or Christian radio in your house 24/7 to make them move on. 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. Mr. Winston was a cousin of Dolly Madison, Patrick Henry, and Isaac Cole, who was a personal friend and secretary of President Thomas Jefferson. According to census records, Mitchell enslaved 115 people at the cotton plantation. 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 only way to avoid offending anyone would be to stop celebrating anything, anywhere, at any time. According to the letter, Christmas was a disturbing time for the enslaved. Your email address will not be published. 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. 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. Gift Shop (111 S. Main St., Tuscumbia). 68 were here. The house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. In. Jones says her new title is one she holds . 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. Required fields are marked *. However, while living in Belle Mont and planting the surrounding acres, Dr. Mitchell housed 152 slaves in 13 slave cabins on the property. 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 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. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. A variety of factors have made researching the lives of Belmont's enslaved residents difficult. 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.