Lewis called our tendency to view our own age as superior to others, is a dark chasm ending in our own destruction. If you've had a paranormal experience here, or have any additional information about this location, please let us know! 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. Contextualizing former slave plantations has been a concern across the nation. What do you think? 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 voices in the night are the hardest to explain away. Belle Mont is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. The groups who are critiquing the event in Tuscumbia believe historical sites must be honest and respectful. 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. Visit BelmontMansionEvents.com to review options to Elope in Nashville at Belmont Mansion. As of Thursday morning, Alabama Historical Commission members have not responded to the letter or AL.coms emails and phone calls. 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. Nearby, an early 1800s mansion, Belle Mont, is available for touring. 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. Belle Mont is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. 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. Would like to know if anyone does know anything about it and any info in accordance with that reference. 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. 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? "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. Do not use all capital letters. At this time, the family decided to move to a different location but continued to hold Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations in the mansion. 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. Doors open and close. 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. The house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. 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. However, the staff continues to research as we endeavor to tell the stories of all who lived at Belmont. 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. 2023 The Federalist, A wholly independent division of FDRLST Media. This style stems from the neoclassical architectural design of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. Most Americans know that George Washington owned enslaved people at his Mount Vernon home. These families included the Baker and Snowden families, among others. 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. Its two-story north entrance salon is flanked on either side by a formal dining room and parlor. Yes, its true that some historical artifacts across Americas landscape are honored in ways that belittle or demean our fellow countrymen. 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. The historic home is the site of the annual Art of the Dish this week. However, while living in Belle Mont and planting the surrounding acres, Dr. Mitchell housed 152 slaves in 13 slave cabins on the property. I asked, Do you see him now? in a jested way as I awkwardly half-smile to my wife. Belle Mont was built for Alexander Williams Mitchell, who grew up in Louisa County, Virginia, only 25 miles from Jefferson's home at Monticello. Many "ghost hunters" have been arrested because they failed to contact property owners and/or local authorities ahead of time. 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. 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. 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's estimated that 40 percent of slave owners may have been white women. Its important the reality of what happened in these spaces is present, versus a romanticization of human rights abuses.. Its also not as if Dixie estates were the only sites where acts of brutality were committed by one group of Americans against another. The coalition said the event celebrated white supremacy by ignoring the enslaved people who labored at the cotton plantation. Peace to everyone. 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. The abandonment of the home was the largest cause of its deterioration and the vandalism that occurred at Belle Mont. The Winston family maintained ownership and continued living in Belle Mont through the Civil War and until around 1940. 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. 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. Weddings should be a symbol of love and unity. Positioned on a commanding hilltop, Belle Mont Mansion is one of Alabama's crowning architectural achievements. This design is derived from the neoclassical architectural style of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. She said he would come out shooting if he caught trespassers. The organization behind this growing movement, Color of Change, indicts vendors for using words like breathtaking to describe plantations. Gift Shop (111 S. Main St., Tuscumbia). Belle Mont Mansion has been listed under several names through its history. Last edit to this listing: 1/16/2016 (2604 days ago). In each society and in each generation slaves adjusted and . === A monument was errected in 2008 on the old Henry Courthouse square in Martinsville, VA. . My wife, son (age 5) and I were heading from Muscle Shoals to our home in Littleville after a night of shopping and eating. Countless Haunt Hunters have been arrested, ticketed, and reprimanded by the authorities for trespassing. Gradually, the family gatherings became less frequent until the home was completely abandoned.The abandonment of the home was the largest cause of its deterioration and the vandalism that occurred at Belle Mont. It remained in the Winston family for over a century, and is currently used as a historic house museum open for tours by appointment. At Belmont, several extended families lived in slavery over the course of several generations. Will NOT be displayed. Be happy. Being new to the area, none of us knew of the Belmont Mansion or its location. The tell when I was growing up was that the book 13 Alabama Ghosts held a tell from that house. I was born and raised in Tuscumbia. That seems far more justified than puritannical policing of plantations. 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 material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. This was just word of mouth and may not have been accurate, but Im glad to hear it can be toured. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. This 1860 census, also called a Slave Schedule, provides a limited picture of all who were living at Belmont and where they lived. The house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. Private property should be respected at all times, as should all posted signs concerning trespassing, hours of operation and other local regulations. The site is 1/4 mile west of US 43 South on Cook Lane, three miles south of intersection US 43 and US 72. 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 site is 1/4 mile west of US 43 South on Cook Lane, three miles south of intersection US 43 and US 72. 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. Stay safe. Your email address will not be published. Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. While slavery is often associated with large plantations, the institution permeated Southern culture. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Catholics in the 19th century suffered violent assaults at the hands of anti-papist mobs on the streets of Boston, Philadelphia, and New York. Belle Mont also illustrates Jeffersons reverence for the neoclassical architectural elements and ideas of the Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio,. Records of the property's destruction includes information related to the number of slave dwellings on the property. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. 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. Small items like dimes and nails are moved. Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? "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. 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 Conway family purchased the property in 1670 and it remained in the family for 120 years. It also reflects the vulnerability of American businesses to the whims of leftist protest movements. Ninon Parker puts candles out on the table fully set for dinner at Belle Mont Mansion in Colbert County. The antebellum plantation experience, as lived by the enslaved, was neither happy nor joyous. You can visit the historic Belle Mont Mansion at 1569 Cook Ln., Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674. Just one if many weird, cant explain it things that have happened here. Use of the directory is at the discretion of the individual. 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. The Miracle Worker organ. I dont know any ghost stories but my mother tells a few funny stories. 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? Group rates available. 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. Just outside the city of Tuscumbia, the 700+ acre Cane Creek Canyon Nature . 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). 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! 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. It was the centerpiece of a 1,760 acre cotton plantation and had one of the largest slave populations in the state. Contact the museum for current rates, policies, and an application. 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. Moreover, the entire. Happy haunting! 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. 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. Affordable Nashville Elopements start here! Blue Star Museum: Belle Mont proudly offers free admission to active duty military personnel and their families between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Open Letter Plantation Christmas by Jonece on Scribd. belle mont mansion slaves July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022. 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. Visit BelmontMansionEvents.com to review options to Elope in Nashville at Belmont Mansion. Sold by the Acklen family in 1887, the house went to a developer who began one of Nashvilles early suburbs. Please contact nps.submissions@gmail.com for more information. 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. A variety of factors have made researching the lives of Belmont's enslaved residents difficult. Please report any inaccuracies. Couple looking at a car in the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. The site originally served as the centerpiece for the large scale cotton. Montvale, the farm at Belmont, was destroyed in 1864. 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. As there is not formal cemetery for the slaves it is likely that they were buried on some part of the estate. 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. All rights reserved. At first you think this is all in your imagination. The house is listed on the National Historic Registry (#19820223). 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. Sign up for our newsletter and receive Halloween event updates, discounts and more! Be specific. 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. Belle Mont Mansion , built circa 1828, is one of the few examples of Palladian-style houses in Alabama. The property is located just south of Tuscumbia and west of US Route 43 at 1569 Cook Lane. You can imagine me trying to picture my great aunt doing this, haha! 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, known for its architecture, was built in 1828 for Alexander Williams Mitchell. View all AHC Owned Historic Houses & Museums. Voice your opinion here! Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. All of these places, despite their histories, are objectively beautiful. Three years later, during the middle of the. In addition, volunteers from the Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation assist as docents for special events and participate in fund-raising activities. Slave child's doll inside Belle Mont Mansion. A variety of factors have made researching the lives of Belmont's enslaved residents difficult. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. It has a staff of three: a site director, curator, and tour guide. 3. What Todays Cultural Marxists Would Be Wise To Learn From Martin Luther King Jr. He has a bachelors in history and masters in teaching from the University of Virginia and a masters in theology from Christendom College. Have a haunt/halloween related news story or a tip? William F. Buckleys popularization of Eric Voegelins warning is apt: Dont immanentize the eschaton!. Plantations used for bourgeois ceremonies with language that obscures or even glorifies the estates dark past are one example. Constructed in the 1820s, Belle Mont fell into ruin until the Alabama Historical Commission rescued it in the 1980s. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Is this place really haunted? 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. General Martin retired to his Belle Mont plantation at Leatherwood, which he purchased in 1796 from Benjamin Harrison V of Berkeley Plantation. Over the years, this historic mansion has been restored to its original pre-Civil War appearance. We have located just two first-hand accounts of slavery at Belmont. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. I have experienced some very strange things in my home. I grew up in Florence and my Great Grandmother lived near the mansion on Colbert Heights mountain. Tickets are available at Belle Mont Mansion and at Fiddledee D! I remember her sounding really flippant about it and me wondering how being shot at was not a big deal! 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. We also dont need to police their repurposing. It once stretched over 5400 acres and hosted celebrities, presidents, and countless southern gentlemen. Ken is a graphic designer, web developer and co-founder of One True Paranormal, a para-group in southwest Missouri. Unlock premium content, ad-free browsing, and access to comments for just $4/month. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. The Belle Mont Mansion in Tuscumbia Alabama was built around 1828 for physician and planter Alexander Williams Mitchell. One day toward the end of the project, My friend Ronnie and I went down to remove what was left from an old tree my Dad had cut down the day before and other light work. Marble bust of Helen Keller. It was the centerpiece of a 1,760 acre cotton plantation and had one of the largest slave populations in the state. Belle Mont Mansion | Tuscumbia AL I have heard quiet voices in the night. 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. Indeed, it was brutal and terrifying. The property is also available for tours Thursday through Sunday and for special event rentals. In 1833, the property was bought by Issac Williams, who owned 119 enslaved people by 1855. Me and a group of Freinds went out there one night and we first get there we get out the car and walking up the hill to the house and I get a snapchat (popular app used by teens) from someone I dont even got added and he said Im behind you then he sent another one and said I know where you are and I sent a snap and said where am I the. 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. 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. Even though it is now just 24 acres, many of the important elements remain. 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. Join now to unlock comments, browse ad-free, and access exclusive content from your favorite FDRLST writers. 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. If such locales have tragic histories, this is all the more reason to reimagine them in ways that both recognize and overcome that past. It was one of those drizzly unpleasant days, so after a while I went into the Cellar area of the plantation. A tour of this Nashville plantation tells the story . 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. The designer is unknown but seems to have been influenced by Thomas Jefferson's ideas and style. 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. e prior to the Civil War. One account is from young William Acklin, a enslaved worker, and the other from a visitor to the estate. As there is not formal cemetery for the slaves it is likely that they were buried on some part of the estate. 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. This would have been in the late 60s, early 70s I would guess. Before you visit ANY local real haunt, make sure to acquire the appropriate permits and/or permissions, and be respectful of privately owned properties. Wesley Thompson of Bethel Colbert Missionary Baptists Church also signed the letter.

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