belle mont mansion slaves

Marble bust of Helen Keller. 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. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. The house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. Please note: It is your responsibility to acquire appropriate permissions before investigating any location listed on this site. 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 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). The house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. Belle Mont Mansion, known for its architecture, was built in 1828 for Alexander Williams Mitchell. Many of them, even their detractors must admit, are beautiful, both in reference to their natural surroundings and their architecture. The antebellum plantation experience, as lived by the enslaved, was neither happy nor joyous. Located in the middle of the Belmont University campusbehind Freeman Hall. Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the nature of "ghost stories," largely unverifiable. 3. First, there is no such thing as a slave plantation. There are cotton plantations, sugar plantations, tobacco plantations, etc., etc., but no slave plantations. A variety of factors have made researching the lives of Belmont's enslaved residents difficult. Mr. Winston was a cousin of Dolly Madison, Patrick Henry, and Isaac Cole, who was a personal friend and secretary of President Thomas Jefferson. The voices in the night are the hardest to explain away. Jones says her new title is one she holds . Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation, Inc. is the support group in charge of operating the site. The house is listed on the National Historic Registry (#19820223). Blanket from Belle Mont Mansion. Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? 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. 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." At Belmont, several extended families lived in slavery over the course of several generations. Not-So-Scary Haunted Houses (Kid Friendly). Will we need Google to warn us that searching for such places or even worse, planning a vacation to visit them are microaggressive acts, as if we are unable to contemplate both the good and bad of such places? n 1832. If such locales have tragic histories, this is all the more reason to reimagine them in ways that both recognize and overcome that past. By the following year, in 1890, all the houses occupied by enslaved Blacks on the estate had been destroyed, leaving no physical presence for interpretation. What county in Alabama had the most slaves? That seems far more justified than puritannical policing of plantations. "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.'". All submissions made to The National Paranormal Society, for the purposes of data analysis, article or editorial publication, team, individual or service listing, or any other submission category not listed become the property of the NPS. Please contact nps.submissions@gmail.com for more information. Plantation Christmas at Belle Mont is held annually the first Sunday in December and features period costumed interpreters, decorations, refreshments, and entertainment. 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. 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. One was a bluish light, the other one looked golden. 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. Let us know! The other residents seem to tolerate it OK, but I hate it. 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. 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. Weddings should be a symbol of love and unity. You can visit the historic Belle Mont Mansion at 1569 Cook Ln., Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674. Sign up for our newsletter and receive Halloween event updates, discounts and more! As there is not formal cemetery for the slaves it is likely that they were buried on some part of the estate. It remained in the Winston family for over a century, and is currently used as a historic house museum open for tours by appointment. The designer is unknown but seems to have been influenced by Thomas Jefferson's ideas and style. Slaves in the plantation generations were members of what Berlin calls "slave societies," where slavery was the primary source of labor. 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. If you've had a paranormal experience here, or have any additional information about this location, please let us know! . 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. Private property should be respected at all times, as should all posted signs concerning trespassing, hours of operation and other local regulations. But she never mentioned any slave 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. Open Letter Plantation Christmas by Jonece on Scribd. Belle Mont, built between 1828 and 1832, was a plantation that used slave labor. This design is derived from the neoclassical architectural style of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. Ninon Parker puts candles out on the table fully set for dinner at Belle Mont Mansion in Colbert County. 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. 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. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! According to census records, Mitchell enslaved 115 people at the cotton plantation. Disclaimer: Alabama Haunted Houses does not endorse or support trespassing to visit real haunts. Countless Haunt Hunters have been arrested, ticketed, and reprimanded by the authorities for trespassing. Strange are there actually any African Americans who have memories of the antebellum period, given that it ended 160 years ago? The Miracle Worker organ. It is best to play gospel or Christian radio in your house 24/7 to make them move on. Because of the tragedies that transpired therin, they powerfully communicate how far America has come. Contact the museum for current rates, policies, and an application. I dont know any ghost stories but my mother tells a few funny stories. 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? The property is also available for tours Thursday through Sunday and for special event rentals. Positioned on a commanding hilltop, Belle Mont Mansion is one of Alabama's crowning architectural achievements. Intimate and elegant elopement ceremonies are popular at Belmont Mansion! The Knot, WeddingWire, and Pinterest are seeking to limit content on their websites that promotes Southern plantations as a wedding venue. 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? Jonece Starr Dunigan | jdunigan@reckonmedia.com, hired a black historian to research the site's enslavement history, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Located just outside Tuscumbia in Colbert County, the mansion is one of a few . 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. Belle Mont is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. Not sure if it did or not but sure does fit. At first you think this is all in your imagination. Be lovers of freedom and anxious for the fray, Georgia Senate Passes Bill To Close Sneaky 'Zuckbucks 2.0' Loopholes, 3 Things Anti-America Agitator Angela Davis Can Learn From Her Pilgrim Ancestors, Just Like Real Socialism, Real Feudalism Has Never Been Tried, Amid Personal Loss, Washington And Lincoln Became Fathers Of Their Country. Belle Mont Mansion is located outside of Tuscumbia. Related Videos Video #1 Located just outside Tuscumbia in Colbert County, the mansion is one of a few Palladian-style houses in the Deep South. Belle Mont also illustrates Jeffersons reverence for the neoclassical architectural elements and ideas of the Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio,. Very little historic data, including census records, include last names of those who were enslaved, making it challenging to locate descendents through geneaology records. Surely, we do not want to pretend these places dont have a violent, racist past. All information on this page was submitted to Alabama Haunted Houses and was believed to be accurate at the time it was posted. It's currently operated as a museum, and tours are available. 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. Voice your opinion here! 2023 The Federalist, A wholly independent division of FDRLST Media. She said he would come out shooting if he caught trespassers. My great great great great grandfather used to live at the belle mont mansion ! 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Unlock premium content, ad-free browsing, and access to comments for just $4/month. 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. ?????? Visit BelmontMansionEvents.com to review options to Elope in Nashville at Belmont Mansion. The architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. In addition, volunteers from the Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation assist as docents for special events and participate in fund-raising activities. Stay safe. Now, thats poetic justice. It was the centerpiece of a 1,760 acre cotton plantation and had one of the largest slave populations in the state. It has a staff of three: a site director, curator, and tour guide. 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. For some reason a lot of places in Tuscumbia AL are haunted. 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. As of Thursday morning, Alabama Historical Commission members have not responded to the letter or AL.coms emails and phone calls. Blue Star Museum: Belle Mont proudly offers free admission to active duty military personnel and their families between Memorial Day and Labor Day. It was then purchased by two women who in 1890 started a college which evolved into Belmont University. It was the centerpiece of a 1,760 acre cotton plantation and had one of the largest slave populations in the state. Lewis called our tendency to view our own age as superior to others, is a dark chasm ending in our own destruction. I contacted the historic society to find out about the planned restoration project that I had heard about, and asked if I could assist as part of my Eagle Scout project in the Boy Scouts. 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. 1569 Cook Lane, Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674 View Map CONTACT Site Director: Ninon Parker Museum: 256- 381-5052 Email: bellemontmansion@gmail.com Mr. Winston was a cousin of Dolly Madison, Patrick Henry, and Isaac Cole, who was a personal friend and secretary of President Thomas Jefferson. He says, the man that lives in that house. still pointing. Peace to everyone. An Alabama Historical Commission site, Belle Mont was built 1828-1832 and is one of the state's first great plantation houses. Administrative use only. 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. Visitors to this page: 3,182 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. And in the process, these attacks have unintended economic consequences on working-class Americans. It is said to be haunted by slaves who died on the grounds and also by former owners. It was built in 1940 on some of the land near General John Coffees home. 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. All rights reserved. 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. The letter was also sent to Ninon Parker, who is listed as a site director for the Belle Mont Mansion. Visitors to the mansion have reported seeing dark shadowy figures walking the fields and have heard the sound of chains rattling near the house. 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. Chronological snobbery, as C.S. Its also not as if Dixie estates were the only sites where acts of brutality were committed by one group of Americans against another. 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. Located in the heart of Nashville on the Belmont University Campus. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. 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. Happy haunting! The home was built. Couple looking at a car in the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. 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. Then they could celebrate their wedding reception at a Southern manor and have a hell of a good time. 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. This gets to the broader dilemma with our zeitgeist, which combines woke deconstructionism with a modern version of damnatio memoriae, or condemnation of memory, an ancient Roman practice whereby persons vilified by the state were erased from public memory. Tickets may also be purchased by credit card by calling the museum at 256-381-5052 or online . Some visitors say that the building . 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. Moreover, the entire. 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. Indeed, it is the Christian character of America that has allowed us to recognize and seek to rectify our past errors. Your email address will not be published. Then you maybe talk to family members and realize everyone feels the same way. Your email address will not be published. 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. Earlier this month, prodded by the group Color of Change, four wedding websites said they . Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. 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. Most Americans know that George Washington owned enslaved people at his Mount Vernon home. It has been referred to as the Isaac Winston House and is listed as Belmont in the National Register of Historic Places and as the Henry B. Thornton Plantation House in the Historic American Buildings Survey. We have located just two first-hand accounts of slavery at Belmont. 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. 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. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. Nearby, an early 1800s mansion, Belle Mont, is available for touring. The site is 1/4 mile west of US 43 South on Cook Lane, three miles south of intersection US 43 and US 72. 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. Casey Chalk is a senior contributor at The Federalist and an editor and columnist at The New Oxford Review. Its important the reality of what happened in these spaces is present, versus a romanticization of human rights abuses.. The Belle Mont Mansion in Tuscumbia Alabama was built around 1828 for physician and planter Alexander Williams Mitchell. 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. 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 groups who are critiquing the event in Tuscumbia believe historical sites must be honest and respectful. I asked, Do you see him now? in a jested way as I awkwardly half-smile to my wife. However, the staff continues to research as we endeavor to tell the stories of all who lived at Belmont. Being new to the area, none of us knew of the Belmont Mansion or its location. According to census records, Mitchell enslaved 115 people at the cotton plantation. Before you visit ANY local real haunt, make sure to acquire the appropriate permits and/or permissions, and be respectful of privately owned properties. 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. In each society and in each generation slaves adjusted and . Sold by the Acklen family in 1887, the house went to a developer who began one of Nashvilles early suburbs. Constructed in the 1820s, Belle Mont fell into ruin until the Alabama Historical Commission rescued it in the 1980s. Affordable Nashville Elopements start here! Belle Mont isnt included in either of Kathryn Tucker Windhams books about Alabama ghosts. Things seem to be at their worst after midnight, until early dawn. My mother also said that there was a man, a caretaker of some sort, that lived in a house at the foot of the hill at some point during this time. Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. 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. The organization behind this growing movement, Color of Change, indicts vendors for using words like breathtaking to describe plantations. My wife, son (age 5) and I were heading from Muscle Shoals to our home in Littleville after a night of shopping and eating. 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. The house is listed on the National Historic Registry (#19820223). Over the years, this historic mansion has been restored to its original pre-Civil War appearance. We also dont need to police their repurposing. 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. Belle Mont was erected in 1828 for a physician from Louisa County, Virginia, Dr. Alexander Williams Mitchell. This would have been in the late 60s, early 70s I would guess. Catholics in the 19th century suffered violent assaults at the hands of anti-papist mobs on the streets of Boston, Philadelphia, and New York. The Belle Mont Mansion was constructed from 1828-1832. Belle Mont Mansion, known for its architecture, was built in 1828 for Alexander Williams Mitchell. Even though it is now just 24 acres, many of the important elements remain. Belle Mont Mansion is a historic house museum open for guided tours. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. A majority of rooms in Belmont Mansion have been meticulously restored. Plantations used for bourgeois ceremonies with language that obscures or even glorifies the estates dark past are one example. These families included the Baker and Snowden families, among others. Four bedrooms surround the rear or south courtyard, forming its U-shaped brick exterior. Many "ghost hunters" have been arrested because they failed to contact property owners and/or local authorities ahead of time.

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