Belle Mont Mansion | Haunted Places | Tuscumbia, AL 35674 Belle Mont Mansion has resumed normal operating hours and will be operating at reduced capacity to safeguard against COVID-19. 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 site is 1/4 mile west of US 43 South on Cook Lane, three miles south of intersection US 43 and US 72. 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. 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. A tour of this Nashville plantation tells the story . Nanyehi was among the first Cherokee to own African-American slaves. This is not a good thing. Even though it is now just 24 acres, many of the important elements remain. Please note: It is your responsibility to acquire appropriate permissions before investigating any location listed on this site. 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. Strange are there actually any African Americans who have memories of the antebellum period, given that it ended 160 years ago? The schooner Clotilda smuggled African captives into the U.S. in 1860, more than 50 years after importing slaves was outlawed. Weddings should be a symbol of love and unity. complete with original and period furniture, artwork and statuary. Yes, its true that some historical artifacts across Americas landscape are honored in ways that belittle or demean our fellow countrymen. Required fields are marked *. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. It remained in the Winston family for over a century, and is currently used as a historic house museum open for tours by appointment. Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. Most Americans know that George Washington owned enslaved people at his Mount Vernon home. Sign up for our newsletter and receive Halloween event updates, discounts and more! 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. I have lived here since 1963. According to the letter, Christmas was a disturbing time for the enslaved. Belle Mont Mansion | Tuscumbia AL - Facebook The best-known ghost tale from each Alabama county - al.com Records of the property's destruction includes information related to the number of slave dwellings on the property. If you have lived in a haunted house you will not find this fun. Surely, we do not want to pretend these places dont have a violent, racist past. 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. 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. Gradually, the family gatherings became less frequent until the home was completely abandoned. Belle Mont Mansion, known for its architecture, was built in 1828 for Alexander Williams Mitchell. I mention this because Gay Mont was his home. 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. Chronological snobbery, as C.S. I have heard quiet voices in the night. 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. Ticket options include: General Admission, Guided Tour, Curator Tour & Civil War at Belmont, Discover the largest house built in Tennesse. Would like to know if anyone does know anything about it and any info in accordance with that reference. Society of slaves: stereotypes fall - Baltimore Sun 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? 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 Mansion (Tuscumbia) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go The only way to avoid offending anyone would be to stop celebrating anything, anywhere, at any time. 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. 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 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. The house is listed on the National Historic Registry (#19820223). Be happy. Shes told me that prior to the restorations the mansion was a prime site for local teens to be dumb kids trespass, vandalize, etc. However, while living in Belle Mont and planting the surrounding acres, Dr. Mitchell housed 152 slaves in 13 slave cabins on the property. 2023 The Federalist, A wholly independent division of FDRLST Media. Belle Mont attracts approximately 5,000 visitors each year. Ken is a graphic designer, web developer and co-founder of One True Paranormal, a para-group in southwest Missouri. Its just really weird that we both saw this happen at the exact same time. Its important the reality of what happened in these spaces is present, versus a romanticization of human rights abuses.. Indeed, it is the Christian character of America that has allowed us to recognize and seek to rectify our past errors. Belle Mont is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. He says, the man that lives in that house. still pointing. 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. 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 Knot, WeddingWire, and Pinterest are seeking to limit content on their websites that promotes Southern plantations as a wedding venue. 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. 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. 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. Voice your opinion here! 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. 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). Your email address will not be published. Gift Shop (111 S. Main St., Tuscumbia). belle mont mansion slaves Belle mont mansion slaves - wqgme.astula.shop This design is derived from the neoclassical architectural style of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. As there is not formal cemetery for the slaves it is likely that they were buried on some part of the estate. Positioned on a commanding hilltop, Belle Mont Mansion is one of Alabama's crowning architectural achievements. He is the author of The Persecuted: True Stories of Courageous Christians Living Their Faith in Muslim Lands. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. Four bedrooms surround the rear or south courtyard, forming its U-shaped brick exterior. Use of the directory is at the discretion of the individual. Lewis called our tendency to view our own age as superior to others, is a dark chasm ending in our own destruction. Isaac Winston owned 114 slaves according to the 1860 census and died August 13, 1863 at Bell Mont during the American Civil War. 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. . Some visitors say that the building . 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 Massive, Overlooked Role of Female Slave Owners Group rates available. A mural of the Clotilda adorns a concrete embankment in Africatown, a community near Mobile founded by Africans illegally transported to Alabama aboard the slave ship. Because of the tragedies that transpired therin, they powerfully communicate how far America has come. Moreover, the entire. I was born and raised in Tuscumbia. Belle Mont isnt included in either of Kathryn Tucker Windhams books about Alabama ghosts. 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. Affordable Nashville Elopements start here! Earlier this month, prodded by the group Color of Change, four wedding websites said they . 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. LGBTQ advocacy organization Equality Shoals, Shoals Young Democrats and Rev. 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 Casey Chalk is a senior contributor at The Federalist and an editor and columnist at The New Oxford Review. Join now to unlock comments, browse ad-free, and access exclusive content from your favorite FDRLST writers. You can imagine me trying to picture my great aunt doing this, haha! Belle Mont Mansion is being restored and partially furnished to reflect the antebellum, or pre-Civil War, time period. Your email address will not be published. The Belle Meade Plantation in Nashville hired a black historian to research the site's enslavement history and to offer tours so visitors can learn about the African Americans who were enslaved 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. At this time, the family decided to move to a different location but continued to hold Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations in the mansion. 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. Countless Haunt Hunters have been arrested, ticketed, and reprimanded by the authorities for trespassing. Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? Marble bust of Helen Keller. 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? Just one if many weird, cant explain it things that have happened here. "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. It was then purchased by two women who in 1890 started a college which evolved into Belmont University. Is it not appropriate to celebrate momentous occasions in beautiful places? 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. Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? Not sure if it did or not but sure does fit. Visitors to the mansion have reported seeing dark shadowy figures walking the fields and have heard the sound of chains rattling near the house. Owned by the Alabama Historical Commission and operated by the Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation. Belle Mont Mansion is a historic house museum open for guided tours. Wesley Thompson of Bethel Colbert Missionary Baptists Church also signed the letter. That seems far more justified than puritannical policing of plantations. 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. Before you visit ANY local real haunt, make sure to acquire the appropriate permits and/or permissions, and be respectful of privately owned properties. It is said to be haunted by slaves who died on the grounds and also by former owners. Administrative use only. Belle Mont | Tuscumbia Alabama | Real Haunted Place 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. Many of them, even their detractors must admit, are beautiful, both in reference to their natural surroundings and their architecture. Yet self-righteous assaults on these places and the many ways they are used will not bring restorative justice. Discover the largest house built in Tennessee prior to the Civil War. It's estimated that 40 percent of slave owners may have been white women. Not-So-Scary Haunted Houses (Kid Friendly). The property is also available for tours Thursday through Sunday and for special event rentals. Slave child's doll inside Belle Mont Mansion. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. Sold by the Acklen family in 1887, the house went to a developer who began one of Nashvilles early suburbs. Following the death of his wife Alexander Mitchell remarried and sold the plantation to Isaac and Catherine Winston and moved to Philadelphia in 1833. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 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. As of Thursday morning, Alabama Historical Commission members have not responded to the letter or AL.coms emails and phone calls. === A monument was errected in 2008 on the old Henry Courthouse square in Martinsville, VA. . Its two-story north entrance salon is flanked on either side by a formal dining room and parlor. Belle mont mansion slaves - yjgp.hendrik-aus-e.de However, the staff continues to research as we endeavor to tell the stories of all who lived at Belmont. The house is listed on the National Historic Registry (#19820223). All rights reserved. 2019 was the year it finally became socially unacceptable to use a historic plantation as a wedding venue. 2008-2023 AlabamaHauntedHouses.com. Its also not as if Dixie estates were the only sites where acts of brutality were committed by one group of Americans against another. Visitors to this page: 3,182 If you've had a paranormal experience here, or have any additional information about this location, please let us know! Now, thats poetic justice. 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. Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. 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. Ticket options include: General Admission, Guided Tour, Curator Tour & Civil War at Belmont. It has a staff of three: a site director, curator, and tour guide. He has a bachelors in history and masters in teaching from the University of Virginia and a masters in theology from Christendom College. 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. 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. Haunted Places in Tupelo, Mississippi Nearby, an early 1800s mansion, Belle Mont, is available for touring. The groups who are critiquing the event in Tuscumbia believe historical sites must be honest and respectful. Intimate and elegant elopement ceremonies are popular at Belmont Mansion! The underlying premise of the anti-plantation movement is that Southern plantations cannot be romanticized. This mansion is believed to have been influenced by Palladian style architecture for which Thomas Jefferson is known. A variety of factors have made researching the lives of Belmont's enslaved residents difficult. It was then purchased by two women who in 1890 started a college which evolved into Belmont University. Admission: Adults $6; students, seniors, military $5; and children 6-18 $3. n 1832. The antebellum plantation experience, as lived by the enslaved, was neither happy nor joyous. The tell when I was growing up was that the book 13 Alabama Ghosts held a tell from that house. The architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. What Todays Cultural Marxists Would Be Wise To Learn From Martin Luther King Jr. The letter was also sent to Ninon Parker, who is listed as a site director for the Belle Mont Mansion. It has a staff of three: a site director, curator, and tour guide. Plantation Agriculture | Encyclopedia of Alabama "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.'". 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. It remained in the Winston family for over a century, and is currently used as a historic house museum open for tours by appointment. 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. Stay safe. 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." 379 Tuscumbia Alabama Premium High Res Photos - Getty Images "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. Peace to everyone. Stories of the Past - Conversations for the Future. However, while living in Belle Mont and planting the surrounding acres, Dr. Mitchell housed 152 slaves in 13 slave cabins on the property. 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. 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. The use of the NPS name for any unauthorized events or activities is strictly prohibited. All of these places, despite their histories, are objectively beautiful. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. 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. My daughter and I have both heard clear voices that sound kind of far away, but you can understand them. 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. All rights reserved. You feel things passing by you. She said he would come out shooting if he caught trespassers. 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 was the centerpiece of a 1,760 acre cotton plantation and had one of the largest slave populations in the state. The house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. The Conway family purchased the property in 1670 and it remained in the family for 120 years. Visit BelmontMansionEvents.com to review options to Elope in Nashville at Belmont Mansion. The abandonment of the home was the largest cause of its deterioration and the vandalism that occurred at Belle Mont. 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. "It is unacceptable to subject the descendants of enslaved African Americans to whitewashed versions of history that ignore their ancestors experience.". Belle Mont Mansion | Tuscumbia AL Located in the heart of Nashville on the Belmont University Campus. 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. But she never mentioned any slave ghosts. Plantation Home Tours in Alabama | Getaway USA - The Arizona Republic