The groups who are critiquing the event in Tuscumbia believe historical sites must be honest and respectful. Peace to everyone. The property is located just south of Tuscumbia and west of US Route 43 at 1569 Cook Lane. 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. Constructed in the 1820s, Belle Mont fell into ruin until the Alabama Historical Commission rescued it in the 1980s. "It is unacceptable to subject the descendants of enslaved African Americans to whitewashed versions of history that ignore their ancestors experience.". Emerging Civil War 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. 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). 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. Belle Mont Mansion is a historic house museum open for guided tours. Will NOT be displayed. If you've had a paranormal experience here, or have any additional information about this location, please let us know! This mansion is believed to have been influenced by Palladian style architecture for which Thomas Jefferson is known. These families included the Baker and Snowden families, among others. 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. Now, thats poetic justice. Its two-story north entrance salon is flanked on either side by a formal dining room and parlor. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. Would like to know if anyone does know anything about it and any info in accordance with that reference. The National Paranormal Society is not responsible for individuals, teams and submissions listed on the NPS website. Belle Mont is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. === A monument was errected in 2008 on the old Henry Courthouse square in Martinsville, VA. . I asked, Do you see him now? in a jested way as I awkwardly half-smile to my wife. Belle Mont Mansion | Encyclopedia of Alabama The use of the NPS name for any unauthorized events or activities is strictly prohibited. Then you maybe talk to family members and realize everyone feels the same way. 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. Disclaimer: Alabama Haunted Houses does not endorse or support trespassing to visit real haunts. Visitors to the mansion have reported seeing dark shadowy figures walking the fields and have heard the sound of chains rattling near the house. Belle Mont Mansion, known for its architecture, was built in 1828 for Alexander Williams Mitchell. If such locales have tragic histories, this is all the more reason to reimagine them in ways that both recognize and overcome that past. This would have been in the late 60s, early 70s I would guess. 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). Earlier this month, prodded by the group Color of Change, four wedding websites said they . Group rates available. Although the original architect and builder remain unknown, the style of Belle Mont appears also to have been influenced by past. However, the staff continues to research as we endeavor to tell the stories of all who lived at Belmont. Belle Mont is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. BG Joseph Lynch Martin Jr. (1740-1808) - Find a Grave Memorial Intimate and elegant elopement ceremonies are popular at Belmont Mansion! Unlock premium content, ad-free browsing, and access to comments for just $4/month. History - Belle Mont Mansion Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. Its important the reality of what happened in these spaces is present, versus a romanticization of human rights abuses.. 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. The site is 1/4 mile west of US 43 South on Cook Lane, three miles south of intersection US 43 and US 72. Sold by the Acklen family in 1887, the house went to a developer who began one of Nashvilles early suburbs. As there is not formal cemetery for the slaves it is likely that they were buried on some part of the estate. 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. 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. Haunted Vacations, Adventures and Mysteries. My wife, son (age 5) and I were heading from Muscle Shoals to our home in Littleville after a night of shopping and eating. Her aunt, who was only a few years older than her, got busted sneaking in/vandalizing the mansion. The letter was signed by social justice groups Project Say Something, Standing in Power, of Decatur, and Beyond the Women's March. Marble bust of Helen Keller. According to census records, Mitchell enslaved 115 people at the cotton plantation. It is best to play gospel or Christian radio in your house 24/7 to make them move on. Visit BelmontMansionEvents.com to review options to Elope in Nashville at Belmont Mansion. The Knot, WeddingWire, and Pinterest are seeking to limit content on their websites that promotes Southern plantations as a wedding venue. "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. Most Americans know that George Washington owned enslaved people at his Mount Vernon home. The answer will always be a mystery. Isaac Winston owned 114 slaves according to the 1860 census and died August 13, 1863 at Bell Mont during the American Civil War. Nearby, an early 1800s mansion, Belle Mont, is available for touring. My Dad bought it at that time. While slavery is often associated with large plantations, the institution permeated Southern culture. You feel things passing by you. Went back into the cellar a coupple more times, but never had that akward feeling again. Belle Mont Mansion - The National Paranormal Society The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. Belle Mont also illustrates Jeffersons reverence for the neoclassical architectural elements and ideas of the Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio," (Commission 2). Plantations used for bourgeois ceremonies with language that obscures or even glorifies the estates dark past are one example. Intimate and elegant elopement ceremonies are popular at Belmont Mansion! 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. 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. Tickets may also be purchased by credit card by calling the museum at 256-381-5052 or online . 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. Casey Chalk is a senior contributor at The Federalist and an editor and columnist at The New Oxford Review. The underlying premise of the anti-plantation movement is that Southern plantations cannot be romanticized. Your email address will not be published. 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. I got chills then tried to write it off. Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? Open Letter Plantation Christmas by Jonece on Scribd. 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. 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. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. My great great great great grandfather used to live at the belle mont mansion ! The architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. Belle Mont Mansion | Haunted Places | Tuscumbia, AL 35674 Just outside the city of Tuscumbia, the 700+ acre Cane Creek Canyon Nature . 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 . Ticket options include: General Admission, Guided Tour, Curator Tour & Civil War at Belmont, Discover the largest house built in Tennesse. 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. 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. As there is not formal cemetery for the slaves it is likely that they were buried on some part of the estate. Your CommentsHave a photograph taken from this location? Please report any inaccuracies. Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. 2008-2023 AlabamaHauntedHouses.com. The historic home is the site of the annual Art of the Dish this week. Belle mont mansion slaves - yjgp.hendrik-aus-e.de Yes, its true that some historical artifacts across Americas landscape are honored in ways that belittle or demean our fellow countrymen. 1569 Cook Lane, Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674 View Map CONTACT Site Director: Ninon Parker Museum: 256- 381-5052 Email: bellemontmansion@gmail.com Blue Star Museum: Belle Mont proudly offers free admission to active duty military personnel and their families between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the nature of "ghost stories," largely unverifiable. As there is not formal cemetery for the slaves it is likely that they were buried on some part of the estate. Moreover, the entire. Belle Meade plantation takes a deeper look into the lives of its slaves It was the centerpiece of a 1,760 acre cotton plantation and had one of the largest slave populations in the state. Is this place really haunted? He is the author of The Persecuted: True Stories of Courageous Christians Living Their Faith in Muslim Lands. Affordable Nashville Elopements start here! Indeed, it was brutal and terrifying. 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. 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? 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? Visit BelmontMansionEvents.com to review options to Elope in Nashville at Belmont 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 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. The architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. Belle Mont also illustrates Jeffersons reverence for the neoclassical architectural elements and ideas of the Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio,. But fewer probably know that it . Moreover, the entire country was once the land of American Indians, and a good deal of it deceptively or violently taken from them. Four bedrooms surround the rear or south courtyard, forming its U-shaped brick exterior. Use the "Browse" or "Choose File" button below to select an image to upload along with your comment. No profanity. 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. The schooner Clotilda smuggled African captives into the U.S. in 1860, more than 50 years after importing slaves was outlawed. 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 Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Related Videos Video #1 Protest movements that perceive victimization and microaggression under every rock also wreak havoc on our countrys economy. 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 | Tuscumbia Alabama | Real Haunted Place 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. Chronological snobbery, as C.S. 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. Belle Mont isnt included in either of Kathryn Tucker Windhams books about Alabama ghosts. Marble bust of Helen Keller. The abandonment of the home was the largest cause of its deterioration and the vandalism that occurred at Belle Mont. Belle Mont was erected in 1828 for a physician from Louisa County, Virginia, Dr. Alexander Williams Mitchell. complete with original and period furniture, artwork and statuary. 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.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). 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. e prior to the Civil War. Because of the tragedies that transpired therin, they powerfully communicate how far America has come. Lewis called our tendency to view our own age as superior to others, is a dark chasm ending in our own destruction. 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. Art of the Dish at the Historic Belle Mont Mansion | Gallery And have seen shadows and once a figure of a person. Strange are there actually any African Americans who have memories of the antebellum period, given that it ended 160 years ago? 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? A variety of factors have made researching the lives of Belmont's enslaved residents difficult. 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. William F. Buckleys popularization of Eric Voegelins warning is apt: Dont immanentize the eschaton!. As of Thursday morning, Alabama Historical Commission members have not responded to the letter or AL.coms emails and phone calls. Belle Mont Mansion - Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area One was a bluish light, the other one looked golden. 3. Please note: It is your responsibility to acquire appropriate permissions before investigating any location listed on this site. All rights reserved. Slave child's doll inside Belle Mont Mansion. Just one if many weird, cant explain it things that have happened here. My daughter and I have both heard clear voices that sound kind of far away, but you can understand them. Visitors to this page: 3,182 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. 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. The only way to avoid offending anyone would be to stop celebrating anything, anywhere, at any time. In. If you've had a paranormal experience here, or have any additional information about this location, please let us know! Have a haunt/halloween related news story or a tip? Not sure if it did or not but sure does fit. 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