It is said to be haunted by slaves who died on the grounds and also by former owners. The Miracle Worker organ. . 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 home was built. 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). Their appetites will not be satisfied until all things and persons associated with injustice, real or imagined, are expunged from public experience and memory. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Stories of the Past - Conversations for the Future. The property is located just south of Tuscumbia and west of US Route 43 at 1569 Cook Lane. Then they could celebrate their wedding reception at a Southern manor and have a hell of a good time. Located just outside Tuscumbia in Colbert County, the mansion is one of a few Palladian-style houses in the Deep South. You can imagine me trying to picture my great aunt doing this, haha! Just outside the city of Tuscumbia, the 700+ acre Cane Creek Canyon Nature . Owned by the Alabama Historical Commission and operated by the Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation. Peace to everyone. 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. The architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. Blanket from Belle Mont Mansion. Following the death of his wife Alexander Mitchell remarried and sold the plantation to Isaac and Catherine Winston and moved to Philadelphia in 1833. Located in the heart of Nashville on the Belmont University Campus. Weddings should be a symbol of love and unity. 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. I have experienced some very strange things in my home. Chronological snobbery, as C.S. A tour of this Nashville plantation tells the story . 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. Earlier this month, prodded by the group Color of Change, four wedding websites said they . belle mont mansion slaves July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022. The abandonment of the home was the largest cause of its deterioration and the vandalism that occurred at Belle Mont. At this time, the family decided to move to a different location but continued to hold Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations in the mansion. Slaves in the plantation generations were members of what Berlin calls "slave societies," where slavery was the primary source of labor. Belle Mont is available for special events. We went back there, and I finished the project, with help from all was involved. Small items like dimes and nails are moved. The Winston family maintained ownership and continued living in Belle Mont through the Civil War and until around 1940. 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 The underlying premise of the anti-plantation movement is that Southern plantations cannot be romanticized. 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. Ninon Parker puts candles out on the table fully set for dinner at Belle Mont Mansion in Colbert County. Unlock premium content, ad-free browsing, and access to comments for just $4/month. A variety of factors have made researching the lives of Belmont's enslaved residents difficult. I mention this because Gay Mont was his home. The Alabama Historical Commission owns this historic site. Countless Haunt Hunters have been arrested, ticketed, and reprimanded by the authorities for trespassing. Records of the property's destruction includes information related to the number of slave dwellings on the property. Ken is a graphic designer, web developer and co-founder of One True Paranormal, a para-group in southwest Missouri. The answer will always be a mystery. Sold by the Acklen family in 1887, the house went to a developer who began one of Nashvilles early suburbs. 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. "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.'". Off Campus Book Store University of North Alabama, Norton Auditorium University of North Alabama. The property is also available for tours Thursday through Sunday and for special event rentals. Required fields are marked *. One was a bluish light, the other one looked golden. The property is located just south of Tuscumbia and west of US Route 43 at 1569 Cook Lane. A majority of rooms in Belmont Mansion have been meticulously restored. 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. Group rates available. Please report any inaccuracies. At the time, the name of the plantation was not Gay Mont, but Rose Hill. 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. 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. Yes, its true that some historical artifacts across Americas landscape are honored in ways that belittle or demean our fellow countrymen. Have a haunt/halloween related news story or a tip? The groups who are critiquing the event in Tuscumbia believe historical sites must be honest and respectful. Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. 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. Her eyes, big as saucers, alarm me. I dont think only certain places are as haunted, as the belief that there are paranormal things happening all around us everywhere, and just certain people are allowed to witness these things at certain times. 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 coalition said the event celebrated white supremacy by ignoring the enslaved people who labored at the cotton plantation. I grew up in Florence and my Great Grandmother lived near the mansion on Colbert Heights mountain. 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. Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the nature of "ghost stories," largely unverifiable. Belle Mont was erected in 1828 for a physician from Louisa County, Virginia, Dr. Alexander Williams Mitchell. But fewer probably know that it . 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 design is derived from the neoclassical architectural style of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. The designer is unknown but seems to have been influenced by Thomas Jefferson's ideas and style. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. However, while living in Belle Mont and planting the surrounding acres, Dr. Mitchell housed 152 slaves in 13 slave cabins on the property. Even though it is now just 24 acres, many of the important elements remain. e prior to the Civil War. 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. The answer will always be a mystery. My wife and I went to the mansion and learned of its peculiarities from the informative guide person. 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.However, while living in Belle Mont and planting the surrounding acres, Dr. Mitchell housed 152 slaves in 13 slave cabins on the property. Lewis called our tendency to view our own age as superior to others, is a dark chasm ending in our own destruction. Visitors to this page: 3,182 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. Belle Mont attracts approximately 5,000 visitors each year. 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. 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. Nanyehi was among the first Cherokee to own African-American slaves. 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. 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." Plantations used for bourgeois ceremonies with language that obscures or even glorifies the estates dark past are one example. Over the years, this historic mansion has been restored to its original pre-Civil War appearance. As there is not formal cemetery for the slaves it is likely that they were buried on some part of the estate. Visitors to the mansion have reported seeing dark shadowy figures walking the fields and have heard the sound of chains rattling near the house. It once stretched over 5400 acres and hosted celebrities, presidents, and countless southern gentlemen. 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. Some visitors say that the building . 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? Shes told me that prior to the restorations the mansion was a prime site for local teens to be dumb kids trespass, vandalize, etc. 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. Plantation Christmas at Belle Mont is held annually the first Sunday in December and features period costumed interpreters, decorations, refreshments, and entertainment. 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. Voice your opinion here! ?????? 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. William F. Buckleys popularization of Eric Voegelins warning is apt: Dont immanentize the eschaton!. As there is not formal cemetery for the slaves it is likely that they were buried on some part of the estate. 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. Belle Mont is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. Before you visit ANY local real haunt, make sure to acquire the appropriate permits and/or permissions, and be respectful of privately owned properties. Positioned on a commanding hilltop, Belle Mont Mansion is one of Alabama's crowning architectural achievements. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. At this time, the family decided to move to a different location but continued to hold Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations in the mansion. You can visit the historic Belle Mont Mansion at 1569 Cook Ln., Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674. 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. 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). One account is from young William Acklin, a enslaved worker, and the other from a visitor to the estate. Mr. Winston was a cousin of Dolly Madison, Patrick Henry, and Isaac Cole, who was a personal friend and secretary of President Thomas Jefferson. Jones says her new title is one she holds . Strange are there actually any African Americans who have memories of the antebellum period, given that it ended 160 years ago? 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. Gradually, the family gatherings became less frequent until the home was completely abandoned. 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. Is this place really haunted? Couple looking at a car in the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. My wife, son (age 5) and I were heading from Muscle Shoals to our home in Littleville after a night of shopping and eating. My daughter and I have both heard clear voices that sound kind of far away, but you can understand them. Open Letter Plantation Christmas by Jonece on Scribd. Affordable Nashville Elopements start here! According to census records, Mitchell enslaved 115 people at the cotton plantation. The site is 1/4 mile west of US 43 South on Cook Lane, three miles south of intersection US 43 and US 72. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. It's estimated that 40 percent of slave owners may have been white women. The antebellum plantation experience, as lived by the enslaved, was neither happy nor joyous. If you've had a paranormal experience here, or have any additional information about this location, please let us know! In addition, volunteers from the Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation assist as docents for special events and participate in fund-raising activities. Just one if many weird, cant explain it things that have happened here. The celebration of a Plantation Christmas is racist, the letter reads. 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. According to the letter, Christmas was a disturbing time for the enslaved. Tickets may also be purchased by credit card by calling the museum at 256-381-5052 or online . My great great great great grandfather used to live at the belle mont mansion ! 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. 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. n 1832. Visitors to the mansion have reported seeing dark shadowy figures walking the fields and have heard the sound of chains rattling near the house. 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. A graduate of the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, he was a physician, planter, and an early elected official of Franklin (present-day Colbert) County, where he settled around 1820. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 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. Will NOT be displayed. Belle Mont was built for Alexander Williams Mitchell, who grew up in Louisa County, Virginia, only 25 miles from Jefferson's home at Monticello. She said he would come out shooting if he caught trespassers. 1569 Cook Lane, Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674 View Map CONTACT Site Director: Ninon Parker Museum: 256- 381-5052 Email: bellemontmansion@gmail.com At first you think this is all in your imagination. Constructed in the 1820s, Belle Mont fell into ruin until the Alabama Historical Commission rescued it in the 1980s. Belle Meade plantation is one of the premier plantations in Tennessee and one of the top attractions in the state. All rights reserved. Its two-story north entrance salon is flanked on either side by a formal dining room and parlor. Belle Mont also illustrates Jeffersons reverence for the neoclassical architectural elements and ideas of the Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio,. Belle Mont Mansion is located outside of Tuscumbia. It was built in 1940 on some of the land near General John Coffees home. View all AHC Owned Historic Houses & Museums. It has a staff of three: a site director, curator, and tour guide. All information on this page was submitted to Alabama Haunted Houses and was believed to be accurate at the time it was posted. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. All rights reserved (About Us). 68 were here. General Martin retired to his Belle Mont plantation at Leatherwood, which he purchased in 1796 from Benjamin Harrison V of Berkeley Plantation. In 1833, the property was bought by Issac Williams, who owned 119 enslaved people by 1855. This is not a good thing. 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. Visit BelmontMansionEvents.com to review options to Elope in Nashville at Belmont Mansion. In 1790, John Hipkins purchased the property from the Conway family and in 1791 built Belle Grove for his only child, Fannie. I have lived here since 1963. 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. In each society and in each generation slaves adjusted and . Nearby, an early 1800s mansion, Belle Mont, is available for touring. The Belle Mont Mansion in Tuscumbia Alabama was built around 1828 for physician and planter Alexander Williams Mitchell. 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? 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. Her aunt, who was only a few years older than her, got busted sneaking in/vandalizing the mansion. This would have been in the late 60s, early 70s I would guess. My Dad bought it at that time. 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! The other residents seem to tolerate it OK, but I hate it. 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.
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