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. Ticket options include: General Admission, Guided Tour, Curator Tour & Civil War at Belmont, Discover the largest house built in Tennesse.
It was one of those drizzly unpleasant days, so after a while I went into the Cellar area of the plantation. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Plantations represent none of those things, declared a Pinterest spokesman, calling the glamorization of these estates a disrespectful practice. Pinterest visitors who search for plantation weddings or similar terms will now be warned that some results may violate the sites policies, de facto making plantations the equivalent of pornography. Its just really weird that we both saw this happen at the exact same time. Some visitors say that the building . Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. At Belmont, several extended families lived in slavery over the course of several generations. Its important the reality of what happened in these spaces is present, versus a romanticization of human rights abuses.. Countless Haunt Hunters have been arrested, ticketed, and reprimanded by the authorities for trespassing. Share Your Experience or Comments - Belle Mont. Blanket from Belle Mont Mansion. 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. Belle Meade plantation is one of the premier plantations in Tennessee and one of the top attractions in the state. Belle Mont also illustrates Jeffersons reverence for the neoclassical architectural elements and ideas of the Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio," (Commission 2). 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. Group of women standing outside Belle Mont Mansion. The voices in the night are the hardest to explain away. I have heard quiet voices in the night. But fewer probably know that it . ?????? Belle Mont's out-buildings are no longer standing, but several foundations, including that of a slave house, have been located by archeologists. Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. 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 Belle Mont Mansion in Tuscumbia Alabama was built around 1828 for physician and planter Alexander Williams Mitchell. Tell Us About Your Experience(s) at Belle Mont. 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. 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. 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. Its also not as if Dixie estates were the only sites where acts of brutality were committed by one group of Americans against another. 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.The house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. He is the author of The Persecuted: True Stories of Courageous Christians Living Their Faith in Muslim Lands. It was the centerpiece of a 1,760 acre cotton plantation and had one of the largest slave populations in the state. My great great great great grandfather used to live at the belle mont mansion ! 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. At this time, the family decided to move to a different location but continued to hold Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations in the mansion. You feel things passing by you. The groups who are critiquing the event in Tuscumbia believe historical sites must be honest and respectful. 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. 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? A majority of rooms in Belmont Mansion have been meticulously restored. Click "thumbs up" if you think its haunted, or "thumbs down" if you think its all just a tall tale. Disclaimer: Alabama Haunted Houses does not endorse or support trespassing to visit real haunts. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. Contextualizing former slave plantations has been a concern across the nation. Located just outside Tuscumbia in Colbert County, the mansion is one of a few Palladian-style houses in the Deep South. Most Americans know that George Washington owned enslaved people at his Mount Vernon home. Just outside the city of Tuscumbia, the 700+ acre Cane Creek Canyon Nature . 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. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. The answer will always be a mystery. The historic home is the site of the annual Art of the Dish this week. Casey Chalk is a senior contributor at The Federalist and an editor and columnist at The New Oxford Review. 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. Have a haunt/halloween related news story or a tip? The article included a large photo of an interior shot of the mansion with my great aunts name first and last blazoned across the room in graffiti! 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. Weddings should be a symbol of love and unity. 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. If you've had a paranormal experience here, or have any additional information about this location, please let us know! Your email address will not be published. It was built in 1940 on some of the land near General John Coffees home. 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. I grew up in Florence and my Great Grandmother lived near the mansion on Colbert Heights mountain. At the time, the name of the plantation was not Gay Mont, but Rose Hill. It was the centerpiece of a 1,760 acre cotton plantation and had one of the largest slave populations in the state. The architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. "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. Following the death of his wife Alexander Mitchell remarried and sold the plantation to Isaac and Catherine Winston and moved to Philadelphia in 1833. Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Her aunt, who was only a few years older than her, got busted sneaking in/vandalizing the mansion. Indeed, I wonder how many black Americans even have a deceased grandparent who could have had a memory of antebellum America. Tickets are available at Belle Mont Mansion and at Fiddledee D! We also dont need to police their repurposing. 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. Belle Mont Mansion, known for its architecture, was built in 1828 for Alexander Williams Mitchell. It was then purchased by two women who in 1890 started a college which evolved into Belmont University. Belle Mont was erected in 1828 for a physician from Louisa County, Virginia, Dr. Alexander Williams Mitchell. Marble bust of Helen Keller. The house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. Belle Mont's out-buildings are no longer standing, but several foundations, including that of a slave house, have been located by archeologists. Belle Mont, built between 1828 and 1832, was a plantation that used slave labor. He has a bachelors in history and masters in teaching from the University of Virginia and a masters in theology from Christendom College. Then you maybe talk to family members and realize everyone feels the same way. Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Off Campus Book Store University of North Alabama, Norton Auditorium University of North Alabama. This mansion is believed to have been influenced by Palladian style architecture for which Thomas Jefferson is known. The property is located just south of Tuscumbia and west of US Route 43 at 1569 Cook Lane. No haunted tours for me. Nanyehi was among the first Cherokee to own African-American slaves. Stories of the Past - Conversations for the Future. Sign up for our newsletter and receive Halloween event updates, discounts and more! Let us know! Gradually, the family gatherings became less frequent until the home was completely abandoned. "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 For some reason a lot of places in Tuscumbia AL are haunted. All rights reserved. Peace to everyone. She said he would come out shooting if he caught trespassers. If you have lived in a haunted house you will not find this fun. Would like to know if anyone does know anything about it and any info in accordance with that reference. Belle Mont is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. Blue Star Museum: Belle Mont proudly offers free admission to active duty military personnel and their families between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The property is also available for tours Thursday through Sunday and for special event rentals. What Todays Cultural Marxists Would Be Wise To Learn From Martin Luther King Jr. Please report any inaccuracies. 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. Located just outside Tuscumbia in Colbert County, the mansion is one of a few . It's currently operated as a museum, and tours are available. 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." It's estimated that 40 percent of slave owners may have been white women. The organization behind this growing movement, Color of Change, indicts vendors for using words like breathtaking to describe plantations. It remained in the Winston family for over a century, and is currently used as a historic house museum open for tours by appointment. Belle Mont Mansion , built circa 1828, is one of the few examples of Palladian-style houses in Alabama. Not sure if it did or not but sure does fit. In 1833, the property was bought by Issac Williams, who owned 119 enslaved people by 1855. My wife, son (age 5) and I were heading from Muscle Shoals to our home in Littleville after a night of shopping and eating. Nearby, an early 1800s mansion, Belle Mont, is available for touring. 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. n 1832. Over the years, this historic mansion has been restored to its original pre-Civil War appearance. All information on this page was submitted to Alabama Haunted Houses and was believed to be accurate at the time it was posted. 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. Belle Mont Mansion is a historic house museum open for guided tours. The only way to avoid offending anyone would be to stop celebrating anything, anywhere, at any time. Her eyes, big as saucers, alarm me. The Miracle Worker organ. Very little historic data, including census records, include last names of those who were enslaved, making it challenging to locate descendents through geneaology records. The house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. 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 house is listed on the National Historic Registry (#19820223). Belle Mont Mansion has been listed under several names through its history. My daughter and I have both heard clear voices that sound kind of far away, but you can understand them. Even though it is now just 24 acres, many of the important elements remain. 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. In addition, volunteers from the Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation assist as docents for special events and participate in fund-raising activities. Belle Mont is available for special events. This design is derived from the neoclassical architectural style of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. It once stretched over 5400 acres and hosted celebrities, presidents, and countless southern gentlemen. Strange are there actually any African Americans who have memories of the antebellum period, given that it ended 160 years ago? Indeed, it is the Christian character of America that has allowed us to recognize and seek to rectify our past errors. 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). 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. Lewis called our tendency to view our own age as superior to others, is a dark chasm ending in our own destruction. Only a country with a conscience in our case informed by the Christian beliefs of our ancestors would bother to engage in the kinds of self-criticism and atonement visible in American society. 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. First, there is no such thing as a slave plantation. There are cotton plantations, sugar plantations, tobacco plantations, etc., etc., but no slave plantations. Visitors to the mansion have reported seeing dark shadowy figures walking the fields and have heard the sound of chains rattling near the house. . In 1790, John Hipkins purchased the property from the Conway family and in 1791 built Belle Grove for his only child, Fannie. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. 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. 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 letter was also sent to Ninon Parker, who is listed as a site director for the Belle Mont Mansion. 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. 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. Is this place really haunted? Stay safe. Use of the directory is at the discretion of the individual. 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. Plantations used for bourgeois ceremonies with language that obscures or even glorifies the estates dark past are one example. 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. "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.'". Belle Mont also illustrates Jeffersons reverence for the neoclassical architectural elements and ideas of the Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio,. We have located just two first-hand accounts of slavery at Belmont. LGBTQ advocacy organization Equality Shoals, Shoals Young Democrats and Rev. Unlock premium content, ad-free browsing, and access to comments for just $4/month. Belle Mont is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. Slaves in the plantation generations were members of what Berlin calls "slave societies," where slavery was the primary source of labor. You can visit the historic Belle Mont Mansion at 1569 Cook Ln., Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674. Related Videos Video #1 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? Couple looking at a car in the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. I remember her sounding really flippant about it and me wondering how being shot at was not a big deal! General Martin retired to his Belle Mont plantation at Leatherwood, which he purchased in 1796 from Benjamin Harrison V of Berkeley Plantation. Join now to unlock comments, browse ad-free, and access exclusive content from your favorite FDRLST writers. It was then purchased by two women who in 1890 started a college which evolved into Belmont University. 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. Just one if many weird, cant explain it things that have happened here. Haunted Vacations, Adventures and Mysteries. When i was 17 years old, Belle Mont Plantation house was in very bad shape and had not had any restoration done to it yet. Gift Shop (111 S. Main St., Tuscumbia). If you've had a paranormal experience here, or have any additional information about this location, please let us know! Affordable Nashville Elopements start here! However, while living in Belle Mont and planting the surrounding acres, Dr. Mitchell housed 152 slaves in 13 slave cabins on the property. Located in the heart of Nashville on the Belmont University Campus. 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. My Dad bought it at that time. The designer is unknown but seems to have been influenced by Thomas Jefferson's ideas and style. The underlying premise of the anti-plantation movement is that Southern plantations cannot be romanticized. 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. The tell when I was growing up was that the book 13 Alabama Ghosts held a tell from that house. Four bedrooms surround the rear or south courtyard, forming its U-shaped brick exterior. Located in the middle of the Belmont University campusbehind Freeman Hall. As there is not formal cemetery for the slaves it is likely that they were buried on some part of the estate. 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. William F. Buckleys popularization of Eric Voegelins warning is apt: Dont immanentize the eschaton!. The answer will always be a mystery. Its two-story north entrance salon is flanked on either side by a formal dining room and parlor. Your CommentsHave a photograph taken from this location? The Knot, WeddingWire, and Pinterest are seeking to limit content on their websites that promotes Southern plantations as a wedding venue. 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. I have lived here since 1963. 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. Open Letter Plantation Christmas by Jonece on Scribd. 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. And have seen shadows and once a figure of a person. 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. One was a bluish light, the other one looked golden. All rights reserved (About Us). What do you think? 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. I got chills then tried to write it off. 2019 was the year it finally became socially unacceptable to use a historic plantation as a wedding venue. Many of them, even their detractors must admit, are beautiful, both in reference to their natural surroundings and their architecture. Belle Mont Mansion is located outside of Tuscumbia. 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. While slavery is often associated with large plantations, the institution permeated Southern culture. According to census records, Mitchell enslaved 115 people at the cotton plantation. I asked, Do you see him now? in a jested way as I awkwardly half-smile to my wife. According to census records, Mitchell enslaved 115 people at the cotton plantation. Admission: Adults $6; students, seniors, military $5; and children 6-18 $3. But she never mentioned any slave ghosts. Ken is a graphic designer, web developer and co-founder of One True Paranormal, a para-group in southwest Missouri. Visit BelmontMansionEvents.com to review options to Elope in Nashville at Belmont Mansion. This style stems from the neoclassical architectural design of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. Belle Mont Mansion has resumed normal operating hours and will be operating at reduced capacity to safeguard against COVID-19. The other residents seem to tolerate it OK, but I hate it. The site originally served as the centerpiece for the large scale cotton. This is not a good thing. 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. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. 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. Doors open and close. Montvale, the farm at Belmont, was destroyed in 1864. 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. Administrative use only. Wesley Thompson of Bethel Colbert Missionary Baptists Church also signed the letter. The home was built. The coalition said the event celebrated white supremacy by ignoring the enslaved people who labored at the cotton plantation. Belle Mont isnt included in either of Kathryn Tucker Windhams books about Alabama ghosts. 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. 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. All rights reserved. The architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. Yet self-righteous assaults on these places and the many ways they are used will not bring restorative justice. Ticket options include: General Admission, Guided Tour, Curator Tour & Civil War at Belmont. The property is located just south of Tuscumbia and west of US Route 43 at 1569 Cook Lane. The house is listed on the National Historic Registry (#19820223). Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Many "ghost hunters" have been arrested because they failed to contact property owners and/or local authorities ahead of time. Belle Mont Mansion is being restored and partially furnished to reflect the antebellum, or pre-Civil War, time period. Required fields are marked *. === A monument was errected in 2008 on the old Henry Courthouse square in Martinsville, VA. . In each society and in each generation slaves adjusted and . It remained in the Winston family for over a century, and is currently used as a historic house museum open for tours by appointment.
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