Dr. Mitchell and his family of seven were already living in Belle Mont when it was fully completed in 1832. Plantations used for bourgeois ceremonies with language that obscures or even glorifies the estates dark past are one example. 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. 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. This style stems from the neoclassical architectural design of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. It remained in the Winston family for over a century, and is currently used as a historic house museum open for tours by appointment. It also reflects the vulnerability of American businesses to the whims of leftist protest movements. It was then purchased by two women who in 1890 started a college which evolved into Belmont University. Lewis called our tendency to view our own age as superior to others, is a dark chasm ending in our own destruction. The property is also available for tours Thursday through Sunday and for special event rentals. Gradually, the family gatherings became less frequent until the home was completely abandoned. Weddings should be a symbol of love and unity. But she never mentioned any slave ghosts. Is this place really haunted? It was the centerpiece of a 1,760 acre cotton plantation and had one of the largest slave populations in the state. 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? Sold by the Acklen family in 1887, the house went to a developer who began one of Nashvilles early suburbs. This was just word of mouth and may not have been accurate, but Im glad to hear it can be toured. He says, the man that lives in that house. still pointing. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Following the death of his wife Alexander Mitchell remarried and sold the plantation to Isaac and Catherine Winston and moved to Philadelphia in 1833. Owned by the Alabama Historical Commission and operated by the Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation. That seems far more justified than puritannical policing of plantations. At this time, the family decided to move to a different location but continued to hold Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations in the mansion. This would have been in the late 60s, early 70s I would guess. You feel things passing by you. Belle Mont isnt included in either of Kathryn Tucker Windhams books about Alabama ghosts. We have located just two first-hand accounts of slavery at Belmont. "It is unacceptable to subject the descendants of enslaved African Americans to whitewashed versions of history that ignore their ancestors experience.". Haunted Vacations, Adventures and Mysteries. What do you think? complete with original and period furniture, artwork and statuary. "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. Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. Now, thats poetic justice. 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. The organization behind this growing movement, Color of Change, indicts vendors for using words like breathtaking to describe plantations. 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). Indeed, I wonder how many black Americans even have a deceased grandparent who could have had a memory of antebellum America. 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. Strange are there actually any African Americans who have memories of the antebellum period, given that it ended 160 years ago? Founded in 2008, AlabamaHauntedHouses.com is a simple and unique online haunted event & attraction resource created to make it easy for locals to find Haunted House, Spook Walk, Corn Maze, and other Halloween Attractions in their local area. Belle Meade plantation is one of the premier plantations in Tennessee and one of the top attractions in the state. 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 asked, Do you see him now? in a jested way as I awkwardly half-smile to my wife. At first you think this is all in your imagination. Just outside the city of Tuscumbia, the 700+ acre Cane Creek Canyon Nature . The groups who are critiquing the event in Tuscumbia believe historical sites must be honest and respectful. Belle Mont Mansion has been listed under several names through its history. 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. 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. Your email address will not be published. Some visitors say that the building . For some reason a lot of places in Tuscumbia AL are haunted. ?????? Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. It remained in the Winston family for over a century, and is currently used as a historic house museum open for tours by appointment. 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. In 1833, the property was bought by Issac Williams, who owned 119 enslaved people by 1855. Unlock premium content, ad-free browsing, and access to comments for just $4/month. Contextualizing former slave plantations has been a concern across the nation. I remember her sounding really flippant about it and me wondering how being shot at was not a big deal! Belle Mont Mansion is located outside of Tuscumbia. 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. The abandonment of the home was the largest cause of its deterioration and the vandalism that occurred at Belle Mont. Admission: Adults $6; students, seniors, military $5; and children 6-18 $3. Sign up for our newsletter and receive Halloween event updates, discounts and more! 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. I got chills then tried to write it off. And have seen shadows and once a figure of a person. Slave child's doll inside Belle Mont Mansion. However, while living in Belle Mont and planting the surrounding acres, Dr. Mitchell housed 152 slaves in 13 slave cabins on the property. 1569 Cook Lane, Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674 View Map CONTACT Site Director: Ninon Parker Museum: 256- 381-5052 Email: bellemontmansion@gmail.com Open Letter Plantation Christmas by Jonece on Scribd. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. The other residents seem to tolerate it OK, but I hate it. Be happy. The National Paranormal Society is not responsible for individuals, teams and submissions listed on the NPS website. In each society and in each generation slaves adjusted and . No haunted tours for me. She said he would come out shooting if he caught trespassers. Belle Mont was built for Alexander Williams Mitchell, who grew up in Louisa County, Virginia, only 25 miles from Jefferson's home at Monticello. Belle Mont is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. 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 is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. 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. Plantation Christmas at Belle Mont is held annually the first Sunday in December and features period costumed interpreters, decorations, refreshments, and entertainment. n 1832. Located just outside Tuscumbia in Colbert County, the mansion is one of a few Palladian-style houses in the Deep South. LGBTQ advocacy organization Equality Shoals, Shoals Young Democrats and Rev. Went back into the cellar a coupple more times, but never had that akward feeling again. Its two-story north entrance salon is flanked on either side by a formal dining room and parlor. Administrative use only. 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. We went back there, and I finished the project, with help from all was involved. According to census records, Mitchell enslaved 115 people at the cotton plantation. Many "ghost hunters" have been arrested because they failed to contact property owners and/or local authorities ahead of time. Visitors to this page: 3,182
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. Not-So-Scary Haunted Houses (Kid Friendly). 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. Moreover, the entire country was once the land of American Indians, and a good deal of it deceptively or violently taken from them. The Belle Mont Mansion was constructed from 1828-1832. Disclaimer: Alabama Haunted Houses does not endorse or support trespassing to visit real haunts. 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. The letter was also sent to Ninon Parker, who is listed as a site director for the Belle Mont Mansion. The architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. The celebration of a Plantation Christmas is racist, the letter reads. As there is not formal cemetery for the slaves it is likely that they were buried on some part of the estate. An Alabama Historical Commission site, Belle Mont was built 1828-1832 and is one of the state's first great plantation houses. It once stretched over 5400 acres and hosted celebrities, presidents, and countless southern gentlemen. It has a staff of three: a site director, curator, and tour guide.