If such locales have tragic histories, this is all the more reason to reimagine them in ways that both recognize and overcome that past. 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. 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. That seems far more justified than puritannical policing of plantations. He says, the man that lives in that house. still pointing. I have heard quiet voices in the night. The house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. Peace to everyone. Share Your Experience or Comments - Belle Mont. Ninon Parker puts candles out on the table fully set for dinner at Belle Mont Mansion in Colbert County. 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). Positioned on a commanding hilltop, Belle Mont Mansion is one of Alabama's crowning architectural achievements. Indeed, I wonder how many black Americans even have a deceased grandparent who could have had a memory of antebellum America. A tour of this Nashville plantation tells the story . The use of the NPS name for any unauthorized events or activities is strictly prohibited. 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. I dont know any ghost stories but my mother tells a few funny stories. 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. Tell Us About Your Experience(s) at Belle Mont. Belle Mont isnt included in either of Kathryn Tucker Windhams books about Alabama ghosts. 2023 The Federalist, A wholly independent division of FDRLST Media. Visitors to the mansion have reported seeing dark shadowy figures walking the fields and have heard the sound of chains rattling near the house. Mr. Winston was a cousin of Dolly Madison, Patrick Henry, and Isaac Cole, who was a personal friend and secretary of President Thomas Jefferson. This would have been in the late 60s, early 70s I would guess. 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. 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. However, the staff continues to research as we endeavor to tell the stories of all who lived at Belmont. However, while living in Belle Mont and planting the surrounding acres, Dr. Mitchell housed 152 slaves in 13 slave cabins on the property. Its two-story north entrance salon is flanked on either side by a formal dining room and parlor. Very little historic data, including census records, include last names of those who were enslaved, making it challenging to locate descendents through geneaology records. 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. Belle Mont is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. 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. 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. 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. Yet self-righteous assaults on these places and the many ways they are used will not bring restorative justice. Private property should be respected at all times, as should all posted signs concerning trespassing, hours of operation and other local regulations. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! My Dad bought it at that time. I got chills then tried to write it off. 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. Chronological snobbery, as C.S. 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. 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. Many "ghost hunters" have been arrested because they failed to contact property owners and/or local authorities ahead of time. Sign up for our newsletter and receive Halloween event updates, discounts and more! My wife, son (age 5) and I were heading from Muscle Shoals to our home in Littleville after a night of shopping and eating. 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. The site is 1/4 mile west of US 43 South on Cook Lane, three miles south of intersection US 43 and US 72. The site is 1/4 mile west of US 43 South on Cook Lane, three miles south of intersection US 43 and US 72. The abandonment of the home was the largest cause of its deterioration and the vandalism that occurred at Belle Mont. === A monument was errected in 2008 on the old Henry Courthouse square in Martinsville, VA. . 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Being new to the area, none of us knew of the Belmont Mansion or its location. The architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. The property is located just south of Tuscumbia and west of US Route 43 at 1569 Cook Lane. Isaac Winston owned 114 slaves according to the 1860 census and died August 13, 1863 at Bell Mont during the American Civil War. "The celebration of a 'Plantation Christmas' represents a willful ignorance of the experience of enslaved people and a concocted memory of a joyous, white supremacist Christmas celebration," the letter said. Belle Mont attracts approximately 5,000 visitors each year. Located just outside Tuscumbia in Colbert County, the mansion is one of a few . Then you maybe talk to family members and realize everyone feels the same way. Do not use all capital letters. I grew up in Florence and my Great Grandmother lived near the mansion on Colbert Heights mountain. For more information, click here. 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 home was built. 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. Montvale, the farm at Belmont, was destroyed in 1864. 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. 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. The answer will always be a mystery. Tickets are available at Belle Mont Mansion and at Fiddledee D! Your email address will not be published. This design is derived from the neoclassical architectural style of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. Moreover, the entire country was once the land of American Indians, and a good deal of it deceptively or violently taken from them. Not-So-Scary Haunted Houses (Kid Friendly). Many of them, even their detractors must admit, are beautiful, both in reference to their natural surroundings and their architecture. Now, thats poetic justice. Indeed, it was brutal and terrifying. Located in the middle of the Belmont University campusbehind Freeman Hall. No profanity. Ken is a graphic designer, web developer and co-founder of One True Paranormal, a para-group in southwest Missouri. Some visitors say that the building . 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. Belle Mont's out-buildings are no longer standing, but several foundations, including that of a slave house, have been located by archeologists. Lewis called our tendency to view our own age as superior to others, is a dark chasm ending in our own destruction. It is said to be haunted by slaves who died on the grounds and also by former owners. The groups who are critiquing the event in Tuscumbia believe historical sites must be honest and respectful. 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. 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. I remember her sounding really flippant about it and me wondering how being shot at was not a big deal! 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. As of Thursday morning, Alabama Historical Commission members have not responded to the letter or AL.coms emails and phone calls. 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. 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. 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. An Alabama Historical Commission site, Belle Mont was built 1828-1832 and is one of the state's first great plantation houses. At the time, the name of the plantation was not Gay Mont, but Rose Hill. Tickets may also be purchased by credit card by calling the museum at 256-381-5052 or online . Slave child's doll inside Belle Mont Mansion. Before you visit ANY local real haunt, make sure to acquire the appropriate permits and/or permissions, and be respectful of privately owned properties. . 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. As there is not formal cemetery for the slaves it is likely that they were buried on some part of the estate. 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. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. 2019 was the year it finally became socially unacceptable to use a historic plantation as a wedding venue. As there is not formal cemetery for the slaves it is likely that they were buried on some part of the estate. Four bedrooms surround the rear or south courtyard, forming its U-shaped brick exterior. Please note: It is your responsibility to acquire appropriate permissions before investigating any location listed on this site. Happy haunting! Shes told me that prior to the restorations the mansion was a prime site for local teens to be dumb kids trespass, vandalize, etc. 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. Group of women standing outside Belle Mont Mansion. 2008-2023 AlabamaHauntedHouses.com. The voices in the night are the hardest to explain away. Casey Chalk is a senior contributor at The Federalist and an editor and columnist at The New Oxford Review. The antebellum plantation experience, as lived by the enslaved, was neither happy nor joyous. Contextualizing former slave plantations has been a concern across the nation. Ticket options include: General Admission, Guided Tour, Curator Tour & Civil War at Belmont, Discover the largest house built in Tennesse. The property is also available for tours Thursday through Sunday and for special event rentals. Her aunt, who was only a few years older than her, got busted sneaking in/vandalizing the mansion. Doors open and close. 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. 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. Three years later, during the middle of the. 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." Intimate and elegant elopement ceremonies are popular at Belmont Mansion! Nanyehi was among the first Cherokee to own African-American slaves. Belle Mont is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. The letter was also sent to Ninon Parker, who is listed as a site director for the Belle Mont Mansion. Please contact nps.submissions@gmail.com for more information. Belle Mont Mansion is being restored and partially furnished to reflect the antebellum, or pre-Civil War, time period. The designer is unknown but seems to have been influenced by Thomas Jefferson's ideas and style. In addition, volunteers from the Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation assist as docents for special events and participate in fund-raising activities. 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 was just word of mouth and may not have been accurate, but Im glad to hear it can be toured. Unlock premium content, ad-free browsing, and access to comments for just $4/month. 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. 68 were here. Blue Star Museum: Belle Mont proudly offers free admission to active duty military personnel and their families between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Related Videos Video #1 Plantation Christmas at Belle Mont is held annually the first Sunday in December and features period costumed interpreters, decorations, refreshments, and entertainment. Be happy. belle mont mansion slaves July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022. 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. 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. 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. The National Paranormal Society is not responsible for individuals, teams and submissions listed on the NPS website. Mr. Winston was a cousin of Dolly Madison, Patrick Henry, and Isaac Cole, who was a personal friend and secretary of President Thomas Jefferson. Belle Mont also illustrates Jeffersons reverence for the neoclassical architectural elements and ideas of the Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio," (Commission 2). Belle Mont Mansion has been listed under several names through its history. 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? Affordable Nashville Elopements start here! 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 Most Americans know that George Washington owned enslaved people at his Mount Vernon home. 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. Belle Mont Mansion is located outside of Tuscumbia. Located just outside Tuscumbia in Colbert County, the mansion is one of a few Palladian-style houses in the Deep South. Belle Mont was erected in 1828 for a physician from Louisa County, Virginia, Dr. Alexander Williams Mitchell. In 1833, the property was bought by Issac Williams, who owned 119 enslaved people by 1855. My great great great great grandfather used to live at the belle mont mansion ! 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. Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? 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. Yes, its true that some historical artifacts across Americas landscape are honored in ways that belittle or demean our fellow countrymen. 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. Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. Because of the tragedies that transpired therin, they powerfully communicate how far America has come. 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. Affordable Nashville Elopements start here! 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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Catholics in the 19th century suffered violent assaults at the hands of anti-papist mobs on the streets of Boston, Philadelphia, and New York. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. It's currently operated as a museum, and tours are available. 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. Your CommentsHave a photograph taken from this location? The tell when I was growing up was that the book 13 Alabama Ghosts held a tell from that house. 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. Belle Mont, built between 1828 and 1832, was a plantation that used slave labor. It was the centerpiece of a 1,760 acre cotton plantation and had one of the largest slave populations in the state. The letter was signed by social justice groups Project Say Something, Standing in Power, of Decatur, and Beyond the Women's March. Contact the museum for current rates, policies, and an application. Stories of the Past - Conversations for the Future. The Miracle Worker organ. Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? The schooner Clotilda smuggled African captives into the U.S. in 1860, more than 50 years after importing slaves was outlawed. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Open Letter Plantation Christmas by Jonece on Scribd. I was born and raised in Tuscumbia. Visitors to the mansion have reported seeing dark shadowy figures walking the fields and have heard the sound of chains rattling near the house. Small items like dimes and nails are moved. It has a staff of three: a site director, curator, and tour guide. 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. But fewer probably know that it . The Belle Mont Mansion in Tuscumbia Alabama was built around 1828 for physician and planter Alexander Williams Mitchell. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? Plantations used for bourgeois ceremonies with language that obscures or even glorifies the estates dark past are one example. Blanket from Belle Mont Mansion. View all AHC Owned Historic Houses & Museums. Just outside the city of Tuscumbia, the 700+ acre Cane Creek Canyon Nature . Violence against blacks and other disenfranchised groups have occurred across our nation's landscape, many in popular and well-trod locales, North and South, East and West. The celebration of a Plantation Christmas is racist, the letter reads. A majority of rooms in Belmont Mansion have been meticulously restored. My wife and I went to the mansion and learned of its peculiarities from the informative guide person. 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. 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.