Belmont Mansion (Tennessee) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Belmont
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Belmont Mansion
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 Location in Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1900 Belmont Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee |
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| Built | 1849–1853 |
| Architect | William Strickland or Adolphus Heiman |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000816 |
| Added to NRHP | May 6, 1971 |
Belmont Mansion, also known as Acklen Hall, is a historic house in Nashville, Tennessee. It was built between 1849 and 1853. This grand home was the center of a large 180-acre summer estate. It belonged to Adelicia Acklen and her second husband, Joseph Acklen. The estate featured beautiful gardens and even a zoo.
The Acklens mostly lived on their large farms in Louisiana. They used Belmont as a summer retreat. Later, in the late 1800s, the estate was sold. Since 1890, it has been used for education. It started as a girls' school. Then, it became the first building for what is now Belmont University. Today, Belmont Mansion is a museum. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
Contents
Building a Dream Home
In 1849, Adelicia Hayes Franklin married Joseph Alexander Smith Acklen. Adelicia was a very wealthy widow. She had inherited a large fortune from her first husband, Isaac Franklin. The couple began building their summer home, Belle Monte, in Davidson County, Tennessee. It was finished by 1853. The house was designed in the Italian villa style.
Adelicia and Joseph used Belmont as their summer escape. Most of the year, they lived on one of Adelicia's seven large cotton farms in Louisiana. These farms covered about 8,600 acres.
Grand Design and Features
Belmont Mansion was one of the most detailed homes in the South before the Civil War. It had 36 rooms and covered 19,000 square feet. The house sat on top of a hill. Covered balconies with fancy iron railings surrounded the house. These balconies helped keep the sun out of the windows.
On top of the house was a ten-foot octagonal cupola. This cupola helped cool the house in summer. It was also used as an "astronomical observatory." From here, people could view the stars, the estate, and downtown Nashville.
Guest House and Art Gallery
Next to the main house, there was a T-shaped building. This building served as a guest house and an art gallery. The south part of the guest house had rooms for visitors. It also had a bowling alley. The art gallery was in the north part. It had a special corrugated glass roof.
Amazing Gardens and Zoo
The estate grounds were very impressive. They included lavish gardens, conservatories, and an aviary. There was also a lake and a zoo. The conservatories housed tropical fruits and flowers. These included camellias, jasmine, lilies, and cacti.
The zoo was home to many animals. It had bears, monkeys, and peacocks. There were also singing birds and a white owl. Alligators from Louisiana and a deer park were part of the zoo too.
Life at Belmont
Joseph and Adelicia had six children together. Sadly, their twin children died from scarlet fever in 1855. They were only two years old. In 1863, Joseph died in Louisiana. He was managing their farms during the American Civil War.
Adelicia was very clever. During the Civil War, she made secret deals. She worked with both Union and Confederate leaders. This allowed her to ship 2,800 bales of cotton to Liverpool, England. She sold the cotton for a total of $758,000.
Belmont Mansion was not damaged during the Civil War. Union General Thomas J. Wood and 13,000 Union troops stayed there for two weeks. This was just before the Battle of Nashville. Only the grounds suffered some damage from the troops.
European Travels and Art Collection
After the war, Adelicia and her four surviving children traveled to Europe. While there, she continued to collect art. She bought five major marble statues. These were made by important American sculptors working in Rome. Four of these statues are still in the mansion today. In France, Adelicia was introduced to Emperor Louis Napoleon and Empress Eugénie.
Belmont's Legacy
Months before she passed away, Adelicia sold Belmont. She sold the mansion and its land to Lewis T. Baxter for about $54,000. In 1890, it was turned into a women's academy and junior college. The school later merged with Ward's Seminary in 1913. It was then renamed Ward-Belmont.
In 1951, the Tennessee Baptist Convention bought the school. They developed it into a four-year college called Belmont College. It was open to both male and female students. Later, it became a university offering advanced degrees. In 2007, Belmont University became independent from the Tennessee Baptist Convention.
Today, Belmont Mansion is owned by the Belmont Mansion Association and Belmont University. The Belmont Mansion Association manages and preserves it.
Inside the Mansion Today
Many original features remain in the mansion. Gilded mirrors hang over marble fireplaces. They reflect the beautiful gas lamps and elegant rooms. Much of the original Venetian glass still decorates the windows, doors, and transoms.
The Grand Salon is a special room. Experts say it is the most detailed home interior built in Tennessee before the Civil War. The gardens are now part of the university campus. They still have five cast iron gazebos. The 105-foot water tower also remains. Today, it serves as a Bell Tower for Belmont University.
Many famous people visited the home. These include Sarah Polk (wife of President James K. Polk) and Dwight L. Moody.
The Belmont Mansion was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
