Be specific. You can visit the historic Belle Mont Mansion at 1569 Cook Ln., Tuscumbia, Alabama 35674. Their appetites will not be satisfied until all things and persons associated with injustice, real or imagined, are expunged from public experience and memory. Sold by the Acklen family in 1887, the house went to a developer who began one of Nashvilles early suburbs. 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. Will NOT be displayed. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The property is also available for tours Thursday through Sunday and for special event rentals. Its two-story north entrance salon is flanked on either side by a formal dining room and parlor. Join now to unlock comments, browse ad-free, and access exclusive content from your favorite FDRLST writers. The Belle Mont Mansion was constructed from 1828-1832. 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. According to census records, Mitchell enslaved 115 people at the cotton plantation. The house is listed on the National Historic Registry (#19820223). It has a staff of three: a site director, curator, and tour guide. According to census records, Mitchell enslaved 115 people at the cotton plantation. The other residents seem to tolerate it OK, but I hate it. 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. As there is not formal cemetery for the slaves it is likely that they were buried on some part of the estate. 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. Yet self-righteous assaults on these places and the many ways they are used will not bring restorative justice. Last edit to this listing: 1/16/2016 (2604 days ago). 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. The answer will always be a mystery. The coalition said the event celebrated white supremacy by ignoring the enslaved people who labored at the cotton plantation. 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. Belle Mont is located south of Tuscumbia in Colbert Couty in northwest Alabama. This 1860 census, also called a Slave Schedule, provides a limited picture of all who were living at Belmont and where they lived. The site is 1/4 mile west of US 43 South on Cook Lane, three miles south of intersection US 43 and US 72. I have experienced some very strange things in my home. Tickets may also be purchased by credit card by calling the museum at 256-381-5052 or online . Now, thats poetic justice. Tickets are available at Belle Mont Mansion and at Fiddledee D! 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 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." The Belle Mont Mansion in Tuscumbia Alabama was built around 1828 for physician and planter Alexander Williams Mitchell. Is it not appropriate to celebrate momentous occasions in beautiful places? Located just outside Tuscumbia in Colbert County, the mansion is one of a few . 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. 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. Weddings should be a symbol of love and unity. 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. 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). Went back into the cellar a coupple more times, but never had that akward feeling again. It once stretched over 5400 acres and hosted celebrities, presidents, and countless southern gentlemen. 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. Have a haunt/halloween related news story or a tip? 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). Tell Us About Your Experience(s) at Belle Mont. Surely, we do not want to pretend these places dont have a violent, racist past. The designer is unknown but seems to have been influenced by Thomas Jefferson's ideas and style. It is best to play gospel or Christian radio in your house 24/7 to make them move on. Her aunt, who was only a few years older than her, got busted sneaking in/vandalizing the mansion. 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? Visitors to this page: 3,182 My great great great great grandfather used to live at the belle mont mansion ! The house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. Belle Mont Mansion , built circa 1828, is one of the few examples of Palladian-style houses in Alabama. 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. Use of the directory is at the discretion of the individual. Discover the largest house built in Tennessee prior to the Civil War. In addition, volunteers from the Colbert County Historical Landmarks Foundation assist as docents for special events and participate in fund-raising activities. Sold by the Acklen family in 1887, the house went to a developer who began one of Nashvilles early suburbs. 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. A tour of this Nashville plantation tells the story . 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 would have been in the late 60s, early 70s I would guess. Just one if many weird, cant explain it things that have happened here. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Strange are there actually any African Americans who have memories of the antebellum period, given that it ended 160 years ago? 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 house and surrounding property are reportedly haunted by the former slaves that lived and died on the plantation. 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. 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. That seems far more justified than puritannical policing of plantations. Blue Star Museum: Belle Mont proudly offers free admission to active duty military personnel and their families between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The abandonment of the home was the largest cause of its deterioration and the vandalism that occurred at Belle Mont. Affordable Nashville Elopements start here! Belle Mont's out-buildings are no longer standing, but several foundations, including that of a slave house, have been located by archeologists. First, there is no such thing as a slave plantation. There are cotton plantations, sugar plantations, tobacco plantations, etc., etc., but no slave plantations. The only way to avoid offending anyone would be to stop celebrating anything, anywhere, at any time. Off Campus Book Store University of North Alabama, Norton Auditorium University of North Alabama. Constructed in the 1820s, Belle Mont fell into ruin until the Alabama Historical Commission rescued it in the 1980s. It was then purchased by two women who in 1890 started a college which evolved into Belmont University. However, the staff continues to research as we endeavor to tell the stories of all who lived at Belmont. 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. Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the nature of "ghost stories," largely unverifiable.