Belmont Hall (Smyrna, Delaware) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Belmont Hall
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Belmont Hall, March 2010
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 Location in Delaware
Location in the United States
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| Location | 217 Smyrna-Leipsic Road, Smyrna, Delaware |
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| Area | 4 acres (1.6 ha) |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000223 |
| Added to NRHP | December 16, 1971 |
Belmont Hall is a beautiful old house located in Smyrna, Delaware. It was built around 1773 in the Georgian style. This grand home was once owned by Thomas Collins, who later became the eighth governor of Delaware. The front of the house faces US 13.
Contents
What Does Belmont Hall Look Like?
The front of Belmont Hall is made of brick. It has five sections of windows across and is three stories tall. The roof has a flat top, which is called a widow's walk. This walk is a flat area on the roof, perfect for looking out. You can reach it by a special stair tower at the back.
The house is wide but not very deep. It has one main room depth with two wings at the back. These back parts were actually built before the front section. The front part of the house is about 46 feet (14 meters) wide and 21.25 feet (6.48 meters) deep.
Inside Belmont Hall
Inside, the house has a large central hallway. On each side of this hall, there are fancy living rooms called parlors. A staircase goes up from the hall to the upper floors. Bedrooms are located on the second and third floors.
Many parts of the house have beautiful wooden decorations, especially in the entrance hall and the west parlor. The inside of the house was updated in the Victorian era. However, it was later brought back to its original look in the 1920s.
The Story of Belmont Hall
The land where Belmont Hall stands was first given to Henry Pearman in 1684 by William Penn. This area became known as "Pearman's Choice." A small brick house was built there first.
In 1691, this house and 200 acres of land were sold to Andrew Love. Later, Thomas Collins bought the property. Thomas Collins was an important person. He became the High Sheriff of Kent County and a brigadier general in the Continental Army. He eventually became the governor of Delaware.
A Historic Moment
Thomas Collins added the main front part of the house around 1773. In 1777, during the American Revolutionary War, a group of British soldiers tried to capture Collins. A guard, called a sentry, was on the widow's walk. The British shot the sentry, and he sadly died in the room below. A special plaque in the front hall remembers his death.
Thomas Collins was very respected. He was the only person to be chosen unanimously by the Assembly to be the 8th President/Governor of Delaware. He served from 1786 until he passed away at Belmont Hall in 1789.
Later Owners and Changes
In 1827, John Cloak bought Belmont Hall. He used new farming methods on the land. In the late 1800s, "Belmont brand" canned tomatoes became very popular.
In 1922, a fire badly damaged the third floor of the house. During the repairs, the dormer windows on the east and west sides were added. The Cloak family, and later the Speakman family, owned the property until the 1980s.
In 1987, the State of Delaware bought Belmont Hall. This was part of a plan to get 30 acres of land for a new bypass road, Route 13, around Smyrna.
