My great great great great grandfather used to live at the belle mont mansion ! Indeed, it was brutal and terrifying. Moreover, the entire country was once the land of American Indians, and a good deal of it deceptively or violently taken from them. Happy haunting! We have located just two first-hand accounts of slavery at Belmont. This 1860 census, also called a Slave Schedule, provides a limited picture of all who were living at Belmont and where they lived. You feel things passing by you. 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 , built circa 1828, is one of the few examples of Palladian-style houses in Alabama. The antebellum plantation experience, as lived by the enslaved, was neither happy nor joyous. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. Use of the directory is at the discretion of the individual. 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. 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. 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. As there is not formal cemetery for the slaves it is likely that they were buried on some part of the estate. 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 architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. According to census records, Mitchell enslaved 115 people at the cotton plantation. Use the "Browse" or "Choose File" button below to select an image to upload along with your comment. Do not use all capital letters. General Martin retired to his Belle Mont plantation at Leatherwood, which he purchased in 1796 from Benjamin Harrison V of Berkeley Plantation. Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. The National Paranormal Society is not responsible for individuals, teams and submissions listed on the NPS website. The property is located just south of Tuscumbia and west of US Route 43 at 1569 Cook Lane. 2008-2023 AlabamaHauntedHouses.com. Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? The Winston family maintained ownership and continued living in Belle Mont through the Civil War and until around 1940. 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? It is said to be haunted by slaves who died on the grounds and also by former owners. Belle Mont also illustrates Jeffersons reverence for the neoclassical architectural elements and ideas of the Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio,. 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). Belle Mont Mansion is located outside of Tuscumbia. Yes, its true that some historical artifacts across Americas landscape are honored in ways that belittle or demean our fellow countrymen. It remained in the Winston family for over a century, and is currently used as a historic house museum open for tours by appointment. Affordable Nashville Elopements start here! Belle Mont Mansion, known for its architecture, was built in 1828 for Alexander Williams Mitchell. For some reason a lot of places in Tuscumbia AL are haunted. Protest movements that perceive victimization and microaggression under every rock also wreak havoc on our countrys economy. 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. Mr. Winston was a cousin of Dolly Madison, Patrick Henry, and Isaac Cole, who was a personal friend and secretary of President Thomas Jefferson. Chronological snobbery, as C.S. It was the centerpiece of a 1,760 acre cotton plantation and had one of the largest slave populations in the state. 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. Have a haunt/halloween related news story or a tip? According to the Times Daily, the event, which has been a holiday tradition in the Muscle Shoals area for over 30 years, offered vintage ballroom dancing, food and tour guides dressed in Antebellum garb. Tickets may also be purchased by credit card by calling the museum at 256-381-5052 or online . Now, thats poetic justice. Please contact nps.submissions@gmail.com for more information. One account is from young William Acklin, a enslaved worker, and the other from a visitor to the estate. It once stretched over 5400 acres and hosted celebrities, presidents, and countless southern gentlemen. He is the author of The Persecuted: True Stories of Courageous Christians Living Their Faith in Muslim Lands. Its two-story north entrance salon is flanked on either side by a formal dining room and parlor. 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. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. Plantation Christmas at Belle Mont is held annually the first Sunday in December and features period costumed interpreters, decorations, refreshments, and entertainment. Belle Mont isnt included in either of Kathryn Tucker Windhams books about Alabama ghosts. I have experienced some very strange things in my home. The answer will always be a mystery. Open Letter Plantation Christmas by Jonece on Scribd. 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. 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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. He says, the man that lives in that house. still pointing. Ticket options include: General Admission, Guided Tour, Curator Tour & Civil War at Belmont, Discover the largest house built in Tennesse. Belle Mont is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. 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. It was then purchased by two women who in 1890 started a college which evolved into Belmont University. Their appetites will not be satisfied until all things and persons associated with injustice, real or imagined, are expunged from public experience and memory. 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. Its also not as if Dixie estates were the only sites where acts of brutality were committed by one group of Americans against another. Contact the museum for current rates, policies, and an application. 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. And in the process, these attacks have unintended economic consequences on working-class Americans. 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. 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. An Alabama Historical Commission site, Belle Mont was built 1828-1832 and is one of the state's first great plantation houses. The answer will always be a mystery. A variety of factors have made researching the lives of Belmont's enslaved residents difficult. The organization behind this growing movement, Color of Change, indicts vendors for using words like breathtaking to describe plantations. At this time, the family decided to move to a different location but continued to hold Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations in the mansion. This is not a good thing. Over the years, this historic mansion has been restored to its original pre-Civil War appearance. Please report any inaccuracies. I remember her sounding really flippant about it and me wondering how being shot at was not a big deal! The letter was also sent to Ninon Parker, who is listed as a site director for the Belle Mont Mansion. Belle Mont is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. Nearby, an early 1800s mansion, Belle Mont, is available for touring. Group of women standing outside Belle Mont Mansion. The voices in the night are the hardest to explain away. The Belle Mont Mansion in Tuscumbia Alabama was built around 1828 for physician and planter Alexander Williams Mitchell. 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. Belle Mont Mansion has resumed normal operating hours and will be operating at reduced capacity to safeguard against COVID-19. The designer is unknown but seems to have been influenced by Thomas Jefferson's ideas and style. 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). Marble bust of Helen Keller. Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? Whats good for the goose is good for the gander, and one would have to be a clinical narcissist to think future generations wont find us at fault for any number of things. Jonece Starr Dunigan | jdunigan@reckonmedia.com, hired a black historian to research the site's enslavement history, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. The home was built. 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. 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 underlying premise of the anti-plantation movement is that Southern plantations cannot be romanticized. Indeed, it is the Christian character of America that has allowed us to recognize and seek to rectify our past errors. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Belle Meade plantation is one of the premier plantations in Tennessee and one of the top attractions in the state. A variety of factors have made researching the lives of Belmont's enslaved residents difficult. Blue Star Museum: Belle Mont proudly offers free admission to active duty military personnel and their families between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Located in the middle of the Belmont University campusbehind Freeman Hall. 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. Voice your opinion here! While slavery is often associated with large plantations, the institution permeated Southern culture. Many of them, even their detractors must admit, are beautiful, both in reference to their natural surroundings and their architecture. 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. One was a bluish light, the other one looked golden. I was born and raised in Tuscumbia. The use of the NPS name for any unauthorized events or activities is strictly prohibited. Located in the heart of Nashville on the Belmont University Campus. However, while living in Belle Mont and planting the surrounding acres, Dr. Mitchell housed 152 slaves in 13 slave cabins on the property. 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. The abandonment of the home was the largest cause of its deterioration and the vandalism that occurred at Belle Mont. Following the death of his wife Alexander Mitchell remarried and sold the plantation to Isaac and Catherine Winston and moved to Philadelphia in 1833. The architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. Visit BelmontMansionEvents.com to review options to Elope in Nashville at Belmont Mansion. However, the staff continues to research as we endeavor to tell the stories of all who lived at Belmont. Constructed in the 1820s, Belle Mont fell into ruin until the Alabama Historical Commission rescued it in the 1980s. Private property should be respected at all times, as should all posted signs concerning trespassing, hours of operation and other local regulations. Would like to know if anyone does know anything about it and any info in accordance with that reference. Id suggest a far better solution for prospective newlyweds, regardless of race or ethnicity, would be to get married where they should: in a church. 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.

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