Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. The answer will always be a mystery. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. belle mont mansion slaves July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022. 2008-2023 AlabamaHauntedHouses.com. Please contact nps.submissions@gmail.com for more information. 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. One was a bluish light, the other one looked golden. "The celebration of a 'Plantation Christmas' represents a willful ignorance of the experience of enslaved people and a concocted memory of a joyous, white supremacist Christmas celebration," the letter said. Belle Mont Mansion , built circa 1828, is one of the few examples of Palladian-style houses in Alabama. 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. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. 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. Belle Mont's out-buildings are no longer standing, but several foundations, including that of a slave house, have been located by archeologists. Not sure if it did or not but sure does fit. 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. Things seem to be at their worst after midnight, until early dawn. It was then purchased by two women who in 1890 started a college which evolved into Belmont University. "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. Just one if many weird, cant explain it things that have happened here. Strange are there actually any African Americans who have memories of the antebellum period, given that it ended 160 years ago? In 1833, the property was bought by Issac Williams, who owned 119 enslaved people by 1855. For some reason a lot of places in Tuscumbia AL are haunted. Belle Mont Mansion is a historic house museum open for guided tours. General Martin retired to his Belle Mont plantation at Leatherwood, which he purchased in 1796 from Benjamin Harrison V of Berkeley Plantation. Before you visit ANY local real haunt, make sure to acquire the appropriate permits and/or permissions, and be respectful of privately owned properties. Jones says her new title is one she holds . 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. 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? e prior to the Civil War. 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 Miracle Worker organ. 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. Your CommentsHave a photograph taken from this location? 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. 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. 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. Visitors to this page: 3,182 The Belle Mont Mansion was constructed from 1828-1832. 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. The tell when I was growing up was that the book 13 Alabama Ghosts held a tell from that house. Montvale, the farm at Belmont, was destroyed in 1864. Be happy. At the time, the name of the plantation was not Gay Mont, but Rose Hill. 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 Conway family purchased the property in 1670 and it remained in the family for 120 years. 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. 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? Wesley Thompson of Bethel Colbert Missionary Baptists Church also signed the letter. Is it possible that Dr. Mitchell built Belle Mont in this style, two years after Jeffersons death, to honor the late president? Earlier this month, prodded by the group Color of Change, four wedding websites said they . At this time, the family decided to move to a different location but continued to hold Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations in the mansion. The house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. Slaves in the plantation generations were members of what Berlin calls "slave societies," where slavery was the primary source of labor. All of these places, despite their histories, are objectively beautiful. You can visit the historic Belle Mont Mansion at 1569 Cook Ln., Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674. 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. 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). My wife, son (age 5) and I were heading from Muscle Shoals to our home in Littleville after a night of shopping and eating. Nanyehi was among the first Cherokee to own African-American slaves. Marble bust of Helen Keller. Have a haunt/halloween related news story or a tip? Belle Mont, built between 1828 and 1832, was a plantation that used slave labor. My wife and I went to the mansion and learned of its peculiarities from the informative guide person. Belle Mont Mansion is being restored and partially furnished to reflect the antebellum, or pre-Civil War, time period. The letter was signed by social justice groups Project Say Something, Standing in Power, of Decatur, and Beyond the Women's March. Countless Haunt Hunters have been arrested, ticketed, and reprimanded by the authorities for trespassing. Tickets may also be purchased by credit card by calling the museum at 256-381-5052 or online . Whats good for the goose is good for the gander, and one would have to be a clinical narcissist to think future generations wont find us at fault for any number of things. The designer is unknown but seems to have been influenced by Thomas Jefferson's ideas and style. Belle Mont Mansion has been listed under several names through its history. Belle Meade plantation is one of the premier plantations in Tennessee and one of the top attractions in the state. In addition, volunteers from the Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation assist as docents for special events and participate in fund-raising activities. All rights reserved (About Us). Constructed between 1849 and 1860, Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia and Joseph Acklen. The letter was also sent to Ninon Parker, who is listed as a site director for the Belle Mont Mansion. 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. The coalition said the event celebrated white supremacy by ignoring the enslaved people who labored at the cotton plantation. The Alabama Historical Commission owns this historic site. 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. Located just outside Tuscumbia in Colbert County, the mansion is one of a few Palladian-style houses in the Deep South. As of Thursday morning, Alabama Historical Commission members have not responded to the letter or AL.coms emails and phone calls. But fewer probably know that it . The property is also available for tours Thursday through Sunday and for special event rentals. 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. This is not a good thing. Affordable Nashville Elopements start here! It is best to play gospel or Christian radio in your house 24/7 to make them move on. 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. Use the "Browse" or "Choose File" button below to select an image to upload along with your comment. Some visitors say that the building . Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Would like to know if anyone does know anything about it and any info in accordance with that reference. Nearby, an early 1800s mansion, Belle Mont, is available for touring. Group of women standing outside Belle Mont Mansion. 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. Click "thumbs up" if you think its haunted, or "thumbs down" if you think its all just a tall tale. 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. Stay safe. 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. Jonece Starr Dunigan | jdunigan@reckonmedia.com, hired a black historian to research the site's enslavement history, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. 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. Its two-story north entrance salon is flanked on either side by a formal dining room and parlor. Being new to the area, none of us knew of the Belmont Mansion or its location. 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. No haunted tours for me. Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation, Inc. is the support group in charge of operating the site. 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. The voices in the night are the hardest to explain away. 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. 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. Mr. Winston was a cousin of Dolly Madison, Patrick Henry, and Isaac Cole, who was a personal friend and secretary of President Thomas Jefferson. Belle Mont's out-buildings are no longer standing, but several foundations, including that of a slave house, have been located by archeologists. Very little historic data, including census records, include last names of those who were enslaved, making it challenging to locate descendents through geneaology records. Its important the reality of what happened in these spaces is present, versus a romanticization of human rights abuses.. Weddings should be a symbol of love and unity. Please report any inaccuracies. View all AHC Owned Historic Houses & Museums. 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. All rights reserved. Open Letter Plantation Christmas by Jonece on Scribd. 3. The architecture of Belmont Mansion makes it one of the most significant homes of 19th century Tennessee. An Alabama Historical Commission site, Belle Mont was built 1828-1832 and is one of the state's first great plantation houses. A variety of factors have made researching the lives of Belmont's enslaved residents difficult. The schooner Clotilda smuggled African captives into the U.S. in 1860, more than 50 years after importing slaves was outlawed. Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the nature of "ghost stories," largely unverifiable. I grew up in Florence and my Great Grandmother lived near the mansion on Colbert Heights mountain. William F. Buckleys popularization of Eric Voegelins warning is apt: Dont immanentize the eschaton!. Affordable Nashville Elopements start here! A tour of this Nashville plantation tells the story . 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. 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."