The coalition said the event celebrated white supremacy by ignoring the enslaved people who labored at the cotton plantation. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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? Located just outside Tuscumbia in Colbert County, the mansion is one of a few Palladian-style houses in the Deep South. Moreover, the entire country was once the land of American Indians, and a good deal of it deceptively or violently taken from them. belle mont mansion slaves July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022. Earlier this month, prodded by the group Color of Change, four wedding websites said they . 2019 was the year it finally became socially unacceptable to use a historic plantation as a wedding venue. The architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. However, while living in Belle Mont and planting the surrounding acres, Dr. Mitchell housed 152 slaves in 13 slave cabins on the property. 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. 2008-2023 AlabamaHauntedHouses.com. All rights reserved. Contact the museum for current rates, policies, and an application. 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. You can visit the historic Belle Mont Mansion at 1569 Cook Ln., Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. 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! That seems far more justified than puritannical policing of plantations. 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 organization behind this growing movement, Color of Change, indicts vendors for using words like breathtaking to describe plantations. Belle Mont is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. Happy haunting! Visitors to the mansion have reported seeing dark shadowy figures walking the fields and have heard the sound of chains rattling near the house.http://bellemont.weebly.com/history.htmlhttp://www.mystery411.com/Landing_bellemonttuscumbia.html. 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. Ticket options include: General Admission, Guided Tour, Curator Tour & Civil War at Belmont. It also reflects the vulnerability of American businesses to the whims of leftist protest movements. Then you maybe talk to family members and realize everyone feels the same way. My daughter and I have both heard clear voices that sound kind of far away, but you can understand them. I asked, Do you see him now? in a jested way as I awkwardly half-smile to my wife. Gradually, the family gatherings became less frequent until the home was completely abandoned. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. Not-So-Scary Haunted Houses (Kid Friendly). 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. Protest movements that perceive victimization and microaggression under every rock also wreak havoc on our countrys economy. 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. It's currently operated as a museum, and tours are available. 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. The Alabama Historical Commission owns this historic site. Administrative use only. n 1832. 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. Belle Mont Mansion is a historic house museum open for guided tours. 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. Belle Mont Mansion has been listed under several names through its history. No profanity. My wife, son (age 5) and I were heading from Muscle Shoals to our home in Littleville after a night of shopping and eating. Belle Mont isnt included in either of Kathryn Tucker Windhams books about Alabama ghosts. Have a haunt/halloween related news story or a tip? 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. 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. Visitors to the mansion have reported seeing dark shadowy figures walking the fields and have heard the sound of chains rattling near the house. Off Campus Book Store University of North Alabama, Norton Auditorium University of North Alabama. If you've had a paranormal experience here, or have any additional information about this location, please let us know! Let us know! These families included the Baker and Snowden families, among others. 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. Be specific. My wife and I went to the mansion and learned of its peculiarities from the informative guide person. Ken is a graphic designer, web developer and co-founder of One True Paranormal, a para-group in southwest Missouri. Be happy. The architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. As of Thursday morning, Alabama Historical Commission members have not responded to the letter or AL.coms emails and phone calls. If you have lived in a haunted house you will not find this fun. Records of the property's destruction includes information related to the number of slave dwellings on the property. Nanyehi was among the first Cherokee to own African-American slaves. Just outside the city of Tuscumbia, the 700+ acre Cane Creek Canyon Nature . 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. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Moreover, the entire. According to census records, Mitchell enslaved 115 people at the cotton plantation. Couple looking at a car in the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. 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. Sold by the Acklen family in 1887, the house went to a developer who began one of Nashvilles early suburbs. LGBTQ advocacy organization Equality Shoals, Shoals Young Democrats and Rev. Located in the middle of the Belmont University campusbehind Freeman Hall. Belle Mont is available for special events. 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. Your CommentsHave a photograph taken from this location? The home was built. I have lived here since 1963. Belle Mont, built between 1828 and 1832, was a plantation that used slave labor. She said he would come out shooting if he caught trespassers. Marble bust of Helen Keller. He has a bachelors in history and masters in teaching from the University of Virginia and a masters in theology from Christendom College. The designer is unknown but seems to have been influenced by Thomas Jefferson's ideas and style. Tickets are available at Belle Mont Mansion and at Fiddledee D! Related Videos Video #1 Weddings should be a symbol of love and unity. It has a staff of three: a site director, curator, and tour guide. Discover the largest house built in Tennessee prior to the Civil War. The answer will always be a mystery. Contextualizing former slave plantations has been a concern across the nation. The schooner Clotilda smuggled African captives into the U.S. in 1860, more than 50 years after importing slaves was outlawed. 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. Being new to the area, none of us knew of the Belmont Mansion or its location. Belle Mont Mansion is being restored and partially furnished to reflect the antebellum, or pre-Civil War, time period. While slavery is often associated with large plantations, the institution permeated Southern culture. 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. It is best to play gospel or Christian radio in your house 24/7 to make them move on. It is said to be haunted by slaves who died on the grounds and also by former owners. Ninon Parker puts candles out on the table fully set for dinner at Belle Mont Mansion in Colbert County. Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. Belle Mont Mansion | Tuscumbia AL Please note: It is your responsibility to acquire appropriate permissions before investigating any location listed on this site. 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? Over the years, this historic mansion has been restored to its original pre-Civil War appearance. You feel things passing by you. Group of women standing outside Belle Mont Mansion. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. My great great great great grandfather used to live at the belle mont mansion ! 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. To avoid this, be sure to get in touch with the property owners before visiting a haunt, and respect their hours of operation, local regulations, and rules for visiting at all times. The other residents seem to tolerate it OK, but I hate it. This mansion is believed to have been influenced by Palladian style architecture for which Thomas Jefferson is known. Casey Chalk is a senior contributor at The Federalist and an editor and columnist at The New Oxford Review. Private property should be respected at all times, as should all posted signs concerning trespassing, hours of operation and other local regulations. 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. I got chills then tried to write it off. The answer will always be a mystery. Even though it is now just 24 acres, many of the important elements remain. According to the letter, Christmas was a disturbing time for the enslaved. "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. 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. 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. Shes told me that prior to the restorations the mansion was a prime site for local teens to be dumb kids trespass, vandalize, etc. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. What do you think? 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. Gift Shop (111 S. Main St., Tuscumbia). Visitors to the mansion have reported seeing dark shadowy figures walking the fields and have heard the sound of chains rattling near the house. 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. 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. 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. An Alabama Historical Commission site, Belle Mont was built 1828-1832 and is one of the state's first great plantation houses. Small items like dimes and nails are moved. Positioned on a commanding hilltop, Belle Mont Mansion is one of Alabama's crowning architectural achievements. The letter was also sent to Ninon Parker, who is listed as a site director for the Belle Mont Mansion. Mr. Winston was a cousin of Dolly Madison, Patrick Henry, and Isaac Cole, who was a personal friend and secretary of President Thomas Jefferson. I remember her sounding really flippant about it and me wondering how being shot at was not a big deal! 3. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Although the original architect and builder remain unknown, the style of Belle Mont appears also to have been influenced by past. Went back into the cellar a coupple more times, but never had that akward feeling again. No haunted tours for me. Doors open and close. Its important the reality of what happened in these spaces is present, versus a romanticization of human rights abuses.. Jones says her new title is one she holds . Countless Haunt Hunters have been arrested, ticketed, and reprimanded by the authorities for trespassing. This was just word of mouth and may not have been accurate, but Im glad to hear it can be toured. 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). Marble bust of Helen Keller. Jonece Starr Dunigan | jdunigan@reckonmedia.com, hired a black historian to research the site's enslavement history, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Share Your Experience or Comments - Belle Mont. This is not a good thing. Belle Mont also illustrates Jeffersons reverence for the neoclassical architectural elements and ideas of the Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio," (Commission 2). Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. The property is also available for tours Thursday through Sunday and for special event rentals. In. Many "ghost hunters" have been arrested because they failed to contact property owners and/or local authorities ahead of time. Four bedrooms surround the rear or south courtyard, forming its U-shaped brick exterior. Haunted Vacations, Adventures and Mysteries. Voice your opinion here! The Belle Mont Mansion in Tuscumbia Alabama was built around 1828 for physician and planter Alexander Williams Mitchell. Belle Mont was built for Alexander Williams Mitchell, who grew up in Louisa County, Virginia, only 25 miles from Jefferson's home at Monticello. The property is located just south of Tuscumbia and west of US Route 43 at 1569 Cook Lane. I have experienced some very strange things in my home. Because of the tragedies that transpired therin, they powerfully communicate how far America has come. Belle Meade plantation is one of the premier plantations in Tennessee and one of the top attractions in the state. The voices in the night are the hardest to explain away. The antebellum plantation experience, as lived by the enslaved, was neither happy nor joyous. . 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 Plantations used for bourgeois ceremonies with language that obscures or even glorifies the estates dark past are one example. I grew up in Florence and my Great Grandmother lived near the mansion on Colbert Heights mountain. The site originally served as the centerpiece for the large scale cotton. The letter was signed by social justice groups Project Say Something, Standing in Power, of Decatur, and Beyond the Women's March. Blue Star Museum: Belle Mont proudly offers free admission to active duty military personnel and their families between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Indeed, it is the Christian character of America that has allowed us to recognize and seek to rectify our past errors. The house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. 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. We also dont need to police their repurposing. The Belle Mont Mansion was constructed from 1828-1832. The only way to avoid offending anyone would be to stop celebrating anything, anywhere, at any time. Its just really weird that we both saw this happen at the exact same time. 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. The abandonment of the home was the largest cause of its deterioration and the vandalism that occurred at Belle Mont. We have located just two first-hand accounts of slavery at Belmont. Visit BelmontMansionEvents.com to review options to Elope in Nashville at Belmont Mansion. 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.
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