Private property should be respected at all times, as should all posted signs concerning trespassing, hours of operation and other local regulations. It was then purchased by two women who in 1890 started a college which evolved into Belmont University. If you've had a paranormal experience here, or have any additional information about this location, please let us know! The voices in the night are the hardest to explain away. The organization behind this growing movement, Color of Change, indicts vendors for using words like breathtaking to describe plantations. 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. It remained in the Winston family for over a century, and is currently used as a historic house museum open for tours by appointment. 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. Off Campus Book Store University of North Alabama, Norton Auditorium University of North Alabama. It's estimated that 40 percent of slave owners may have been white women. 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. Three years later, during the middle of the. And have seen shadows and once a figure of a person. In. Disclaimer: Alabama Haunted Houses does not endorse or support trespassing to visit real haunts. 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. 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 other residents seem to tolerate it OK, but I hate it. As there is not formal cemetery for the slaves it is likely that they were buried on some part of the estate. Gradually, the family gatherings became less frequent until the home was completely abandoned. Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? For some reason a lot of places in Tuscumbia AL are haunted. "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.'". According to the letter, Christmas was a disturbing time for the enslaved. The site is 1/4 mile west of US 43 South on Cook Lane, three miles south of intersection US 43 and US 72. Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? One account is from young William Acklin, a enslaved worker, and the other from a visitor to the estate. Administrative use only. It was then purchased by two women who in 1890 started a college which evolved into Belmont University. These families included the Baker and Snowden families, among others. Your email address will not be published. One was a bluish light, the other one looked golden. Belle Mont isnt included in either of Kathryn Tucker Windhams books about Alabama ghosts. Belle Mont's out-buildings are no longer standing, but several foundations, including that of a slave house, have been located by archeologists. Went back into the cellar a coupple more times, but never had that akward feeling again. 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. It was built in 1940 on some of the land near General John Coffees home. 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. 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. Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? Isaac Winston owned 114 slaves according to the 1860 census and died August 13, 1863 at Bell Mont during the American Civil War. Use of the directory is at the discretion of the individual. 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. The use of the NPS name for any unauthorized events or activities is strictly prohibited. My Dad bought it at that time. Weddings should be a symbol of love and unity. 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. In addition, volunteers from the Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation assist as docents for special events and participate in fund-raising activities. Belle Mont was erected in 1828 for a physician from Louisa County, Virginia, Dr. Alexander Williams Mitchell. Ticket options include: General Admission, Guided Tour, Curator Tour & Civil War at Belmont. I was amazed at the huge floor joist under the house, then I had that feeling someone had walked up behind me, I thought it was Ronnie, at that time I noticed some graffiti that had been put there, and asked Ronnie what he thought about, but when I turned around, Iwas there by myself. The answer will always be a mystery. Visit BelmontMansionEvents.com to review options to Elope in Nashville at Belmont Mansion. 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. In 1833, the property was bought by Issac Williams, who owned 119 enslaved people by 1855. Its important the reality of what happened in these spaces is present, versus a romanticization of human rights abuses.. Affordable Nashville Elopements start here! The architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. All rights reserved. The coalition said the event celebrated white supremacy by ignoring the enslaved people who labored at the cotton plantation. At this time, the family decided to move to a different location but continued to hold Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations in the mansion. At first you think this is all in your imagination. e prior to the Civil War. Yet self-righteous assaults on these places and the many ways they are used will not bring restorative justice. Join now to unlock comments, browse ad-free, and access exclusive content from your favorite FDRLST writers. 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. 1569 Cook Lane, Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674 View Map CONTACT Site Director: Ninon Parker Museum: 256- 381-5052 Email: bellemontmansion@gmail.com 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. But fewer probably know that it . HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. 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. Visitors to this page: 3,182 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. What Todays Cultural Marxists Would Be Wise To Learn From Martin Luther King Jr. The home was built. The National Paranormal Society is not responsible for individuals, teams and submissions listed on the NPS website. No profanity. 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? Nearby, an early 1800s mansion, Belle Mont, is available for touring. Belle Mont Mansion is located outside of Tuscumbia. Their appetites will not be satisfied until all things and persons associated with injustice, real or imagined, are expunged from public experience and memory. This mansion is believed to have been influenced by Palladian style architecture for which Thomas Jefferson is known. 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). Many "ghost hunters" have been arrested because they failed to contact property owners and/or local authorities ahead of time. Belle Mont, built between 1828 and 1832, was a plantation that used slave labor. Gift Shop (111 S. Main St., Tuscumbia). The Belle Mont Mansion was constructed from 1828-1832. === A monument was errected in 2008 on the old Henry Courthouse square in Martinsville, VA. . 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. She said he would come out shooting if he caught trespassers. Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation, Inc. is the support group in charge of operating the site. The architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. 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. 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. Will NOT be displayed. 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. 2023 The Federalist, A wholly independent division of FDRLST Media. Catholics in the 19th century suffered violent assaults at the hands of anti-papist mobs on the streets of Boston, Philadelphia, and New York. Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. Indeed, it is the Christian character of America that has allowed us to recognize and seek to rectify our past errors. Haunted Vacations, Adventures and Mysteries. 2008-2023 AlabamaHauntedHouses.com. All rights reserved (About Us). Then you maybe talk to family members and realize everyone feels the same way. complete with original and period furniture, artwork and statuary. Share Your Experience or Comments - Belle Mont. 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. You can visit the historic Belle Mont Mansion at 1569 Cook Ln., Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674. The designer is unknown but seems to have been influenced by Thomas Jefferson's ideas and style. 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. No haunted tours for me. This design is derived from the neoclassical architectural style of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. "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. 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 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 is available for special events. 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? 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 site is 1/4 mile west of US 43 South on Cook Lane, three miles south of intersection US 43 and US 72. Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. Over the years, this historic mansion has been restored to its original pre-Civil War appearance. I have experienced some very strange things in my home. 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. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Belle Mont Mansion , built circa 1828, is one of the few examples of Palladian-style houses in Alabama. Be specific. Now, thats poetic justice. It was one of those drizzly unpleasant days, so after a while I went into the Cellar area of the plantation. Countless Haunt Hunters have been arrested, ticketed, and reprimanded by the authorities for trespassing. Let us know! 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. Happy haunting! It was the centerpiece of a 1,760 acre cotton plantation and had one of the largest slave populations 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). My wife and I went to the mansion and learned of its peculiarities from the informative guide person. William F. Buckleys popularization of Eric Voegelins warning is apt: Dont immanentize the eschaton!. 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. 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. Contact the museum for current rates, policies, and an application. Located just outside Tuscumbia in Colbert County, the mansion is one of a few Palladian-style houses in the Deep South. The house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. Yes, its true that some historical artifacts across Americas landscape are honored in ways that belittle or demean our fellow countrymen. Required fields are marked *. I was born and raised in Tuscumbia. The schooner Clotilda smuggled African captives into the U.S. in 1860, more than 50 years after importing slaves was outlawed. 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. Mr. Winston was a cousin of Dolly Madison, Patrick Henry, and Isaac Cole, who was a personal friend and secretary of President Thomas Jefferson. 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. The Conway family purchased the property in 1670 and it remained in the family for 120 years. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Her eyes, big as saucers, alarm me. 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. The property is located just south of Tuscumbia and west of US Route 43 at 1569 Cook Lane. 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. LGBTQ advocacy organization Equality Shoals, Shoals Young Democrats and Rev. 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. Just outside the city of Tuscumbia, the 700+ acre Cane Creek Canyon Nature . Discover the largest house built in Tennessee prior to the Civil War. Strange are there actually any African Americans who have memories of the antebellum period, given that it ended 160 years ago? Montvale, the farm at Belmont, was destroyed in 1864. Voice your opinion here! As of Thursday morning, Alabama Historical Commission members have not responded to the letter or AL.coms emails and phone calls. 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. I asked, Do you see him now? in a jested way as I awkwardly half-smile to my wife. Moreover, the entire country was once the land of American Indians, and a good deal of it deceptively or violently taken from them. The groups who are critiquing the event in Tuscumbia believe historical sites must be honest and respectful. Most Americans know that George Washington owned enslaved people at his Mount Vernon home. 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.