I can't believe such splendour has been lost! These unique works of art should be preserved instead of being abandoned. They are an important part of heritage.
+Gershom Ben Dovid Those who want to erase the past, are bound to repeat it. As horrible as slavery was, it was the past and we should go forward, but not forget. These plantations, are a testimony to one of the most horrendous times in the past--but by no mean the worst, and if you are a student of history, you are aware that slavery has always existed in the world--but at the same time, they were built by these same people who suffered an incomprehensible wrong. These building should be preserved. As a history of the beautiful architecture which will never be again. As a testament of the mistakes made by human beings who knew no better. But more importantly, as witnesses to the wonderful talent of those people you defend so but at the same time, want to forget about.
What a terrible waste, so sad that someone destroyed it. It's hard to believe how some cannot appreciate the FABULOUS architecture of days gone by, we will never have it again. Long live the beautiful old homes of the past. Thank you for caring and sharing the video.
donthavetime4that Right, because as long as someone today expresses concern for the people who were oppressed 150 years ago, then those dead, oppressed people will somehow be better off. Totally logical.
In responce to MrRocketBrain, yes most of these Southern mansions were built with slave labor as well as craftsmen from all corners of the world. Lets not forget that the White House & the Capital building in Washington DC were also built with slave labor! This country was built with slave labor and NOT just in the South-lets get over it and try to save the architectural treasures we have left before they are gone forever....
The photo is from a book called Ghosts Along the Mississippi and features the photo and photographic artistry of Clarence John Laughlin. He often liked to use models to create ghostly images. It's an amazing book.
Aww this made me so Sad, Belle Grove Should of been preserved, its part of our history.., Our Tax dollars Should go to Preserve these Mansions, instead of Wasting Trillions on lost wars.. etc...
+Gershom Ben Dovid But without the past, there is no future. And as I saw inscribed on one of the walls at Auschwitz: 'If we don't remember the past, we are bound to make the same mistakes.'
***** Yes, but Germany made the mistake of supporting Hitler. But then again, some Germans had no choice, just like my Grandfather, as well as Pope Benedict.
I believe Belle Grove was still being lived in in the early 20th century - 1900s, 1910s and the 1920s. But a house that big, I think they could only get by paying the house, and not really keeping up with the proper maintenance that was needed, judging from photos from around that time. It was in the 30s that it became abandoned and shortly after, a leak or two that went unchecked spread through the back wing of the mansion and wreaked havoc on it until it finally collapsed. Then the fire in the 50s finally did the rest of her in. So tragic that such an architectural masterpiece of the South could not have been preserved, but it was simply the circumstances surrounding the post Civil War South and especially her abandonment in the 20th century.
+sharon jones the house did not enslave, the owners did. Blame them, them alone for what they did. But a structure is only owned by people and is not the cause of the ignorance of such people. But these houses stand as testament to a past that should never be forgotten, and also as a tribute to the craftsmanship of those slaves who built them.
I first saw Belle Grove in a photo exhibit of Edward Weston photos at Indiana University. "Ghosts..." is under lock and key in the Fine Arts library though I have a copy purchased for a few dollars from the Red Cross Book Fair. Belle Grove appears in color in the 1952 LIFE on which Marilyn Monroe appears for the first time on the coveer of that magazine. Belle Grove was actually pink. Jayne Mansfield might have liked that as pink was "her" color! A real "Pink Palace" for Jayne!
I have read that same book..I too could not forget this beautiful home. I wish the ruins were still there so i could visit. I live in the South and have seen many Plantations..But this one seems to stay with me : )
Those Corinthian columns/pilasters are straight out of Heaven. Beautiful! I guess it goes to show that an exceptionally beautiful building is exceptionally haunting when it's in a state of disrepair.
Absolutely awesome video!!! I love these southern plantations such beautiful architecture and design, these places should be preserved forever!! Atleast there is still pictures!
What a tragic loss! Too bad some church or school did not buy the building and preserve it, as has been done with many other great mansions. If I was a Silicon Valley billionaire I would reconstruct this splendid home in Beverly Hills or Atherton, instead of the freakish monstrosities they build today. What has happened to modern architecture? Has everyone forgotten what grace and beauty look like?
This is so very beautiful! I love the Music! What is it from? sounds like an aria from one of today's Operas! Thank you for giving us a glimpse of the past and showing us what the Belle Grove plantation looked like! My family is from Mississippi and New Orleans, so I am interested in the beautiful old homes! God Bless!
Great pictures! I'd never seen the staircase before, nor the ironwork on the balconies. The photo with the man looking out from the gaping hole where one wing had collapsed gives a good idea of the scale. Those ceilings must have been 15 feet tall.
I am with you, I must have had a previous lifetime in the South. Something happened in Aug. 1980. A black child rode his bike out in front of a CTA bus. I knew CPR so I went to see what i could do. My mother's black neighbor was ran up to me absolutely terrified ! "Don';t you go out there Miss Abigail ! It ain't safe for you !" I was stunned ! But his words had a ring from the past, and I listened to him, The child died , I can still hear his mother's screeams of anguish.
Very glad you re-uploaded this. Absolutely LOVE this house; so sad not more pictures of the interiors exist, though. I hate the fact that no one ever thought to fully document the house photographically. Or maybe that's why we have the power of imagination in the first place, to ponder what might have been and fill in the blanks ourselves?
We don't know what those poor slaves who helped build it, and worked at that plantation went through. Maybe a relative of those tortured set it on fire after hearing stories, and seeing drawings of what the family went through. Can't say I blame them.
CajunSweetTart So you’re 1) assuming a family member of a former slave set this plantation on fire and 2) advocating violence and destruction as the answer to past wrong doings? (I haven’t seen any evidence to suggest your claim is accurate in any way whatsoever). Please keep your political ideology and agenda to yourself. This video and the people watching it aren’t advocating for slavery, they’re mourning the loss of a beautiful architectural and cultural historic site.
Why would someone want to destroy their ancestor's craftsmanship? If my ancestor spent months using his talents on creating something, the last thing I would want to do is to spit in his face by destroying his work. And you agree with that stupidity?
@@ednakelley814 You have a good point. But some slave owners were nicer than others. Some were just spawns of the Devil himself. And like I said, some drawings and stories of what went on there could make someone want to do what they did. These are stories passed down through generations. I'm from south Louisiana, and a lot of my black friends don't like to think or talk about what their great great grandparents went through.
Some saw, and still see it, as an excuse to moan and groan claiming it as a sign of oppression. However, they don’t see, how in Southern America they were provided medical care, shelter, clothing, and a better diet than they would have received in an Africa state.
Beautiful architecture but i believe these “treasures” end up being lost through karmic events. You can’t do horrible things to people and expect to be honored w beautiful memorial. Sad.
I am so grateful that you left this video up after 13 years , as this my first time seeing your channel . Very good video & a wonderful story , even though a bit sad . Thank God there are still photos !!
Many of the old mansions in Louisiana have been restored to their former glory. Unfortunately, too many did not survive or still stand in extreme disrepair. These old homes are extremely expensive to restore and, once restored, are very expensive to upkeep. You have to be very rich to restore and maintain these mansions and quite often, they are in abandoned areas where no one wants to live. Still, it's very sad to see these relics of American history rot or burn to the ground...
How sad, just as well, we don't have Queens in America, wait we have Michelle ! Called LOSING our History & FREEDOM ! I would have LOVED to at least visit her ....... :(
Maybe the fire was blessing in disguise. The mansion was probably in a dangerous state of disrepair. I would rather that glorious house be consumed by fire than someone be hurt or killed there.
Yes, there is something about that house that just won't let you forget. When did they finally tear it down ? Does anyone know what happened to parts of the house that did manage to survive ?
I am pleased to meet you too ! I got stuck being born in the North this time around. Even so, my heart has always been in the beautiful South. What was it that Rhett Butler said ? "Magnolias and moonlight !" Ah, what a picture that conveys. I live in a house built in 1859,pre war. I looked up what Ladies wore in the days. No wonder they stayed thin, hauling around huge steel hooped dresses must have been a real workout !
Can anyone identify the music and singer? The singer sounds like Monserrat, but I would really love to know the name of the music and composer. Thank you
The music is perfect for this painful demise of Belle Grove. Painful to build on the backs of slaves ( and Italian artisans) and painful to watch her " death". Can anyone tell me the name of this music/ opera?
She's from a photo in a book called "Ghosts Along The Mississippi." I think the uploader is using her to represent the house itself in a haunting way.. 'Tis herself at 6:05.
A former resident of BG wrote about how when his family moved in the portrait of an unknown man had been left hanging in the house. The new residents called him "the guardian of the house". I'm thinking about writing a ghost story told by the ghost of a fictional BG. The story would be called "The Guardian of the House".
Too bad some church did not buy this place. It would have been an excellent religious retreat. Unfortunately, these splendid homes were built on the backs of shameful slave labor. If I was a billionaire I would love to recreate this splendid home.
I can't be absolutely certain but the vocalist in this video sounds like opera singer, Montserrat Caballe. This is a very moving tribute to such an architectural masterpiece that is now lost to eternity. Thanks for posting!
OMG ! I came across the same book in our library ! I feel the same way as you do ! What a tragic loss. You are right about having a feeling of being haunted by the mansion. I felt the same way.
before we condemn a place through slavery which is a bad thing we do not go round destroying roman things just be cause they used us [im from uk] as slaves but thay feed us to the lions and you lot from usa just remember what you did to the Indians so you from usa are double bad or is it a case of do not do as i do do what i say . that said i like this video thx
leslie phipps Actually, Leslie, your lot is responsible for the deaths of way more native Americans than later US citizens are. European diseases brought here by French, British, Dutch and Spanish colonists killed millions upon millions of Indians, not to mention the fact that Europeans murdered and/or enslaved a large number of Native Americans long before the US existed.
It looks to me as if the bulk of the house is newer in architectural style and construct than the left wing. It has what might at one time have been a turret and its windows are arched. Is there any record of the house having been a re-construct, at least in part?
To the best of my knowledge the house was built all at the same time. I first learned about Belle Grove at a photo exhibit at a museum and have read the book "Ghosts Along the Mississippi" in which the mansion is discussed and have read about Belle Grove here and there in other books but haven't read anything about re-constructing or adding on. It appears that Belle Grove was built all at once with its unusual asymmetrical floor plan and variety of decorative features. I don't know if it any original floor plans or architectural drawings still exist but maybe someone could create them based on the photographs of the house. I've seen some but not of the whole mansion. Someone once made an interesting comment that Belle Grove was more of a Victorian house than a Southern plantation house. I suppose that would be because the asymmetrical layout is like a Queen Anne-style house. What an amazing house Belle Grove must have been. I once read a 1940's novel called "Victoria Grandolet" that might be called Southern Gothic and I think the plantation mansion (called Clouds) may have been based on Belle Grove.
Andrew Brendan You're way ahead of me in your knowledge. All I did was look at the pretty, and at the pretty sad, pictures and make some observations. Thanks for sharing your info.
That picture look familiar to me from an exhibit of Edward Weston photos at the Indiana University Fine Arts Museum. I'm not positive but I think that particular photo is not from Belle Grove but from another Southern home, maybe in New Orleans and after a fire, maybe taken in the late 1930's to mid-1940's. The woman's identity is unknown to me though libraries or online information may provide more information about the lady and the house.
Some pieces that were stolen from the abandoned ruins, such as column capitols and plaster moldings and other various moveable (readily stolen) items have been documented over the years but the main body of the house is, like so many of the great houses of Louisiana, is gone.
4pointedstar is something of its left today? if those things were stolen, the must be lost for ever.... is anything left now in place where house once were?
I read 'seventy five rooms' too, in 'Ghosts Along the Mississippi'. What sort of spaces were counted as rooms? Every hallway, closet, and bathroom? I realize the scale was massive, and so there would have been warrens of rooms in the ground floor and attic. But still...
no actual rooms. Dens, libraries, offices, bedrooms, guest rooms, servant quarters, day rooms, sewing rooms, Mostly bedrooms though. People back then had parties for large groups of families that lasted days sometimes weeks.
It's only been 8 years, but...maybe this will offer some insight and still be of interest to you. www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=Drawing%3A%20la0099&fi=number&op=PHRASE&va=exact&co%20=hh&st=gallery&sg%20=%20true&fbclid=IwAR2aSDG67DaIYe31biNLsYnw9T3LCTgJoM6PuJKKRzk0S4QwBqS7eHZ2pA0
The antebellum south was a time of great architecture society. This house that you speak so poorly of was an architectural and aesthetic masterpiece. When you think of the south, all you think of is slavery. Well guess what?! Everyone had slaves then!! Don't you think you are any better because you live in the north or the west.
+Gershom Ben Dovid Not all slave owners treated their slaves violently. Some did not even want slaves, but they inherited them, and therefore wrote on their will that they were to be freed upon their death. For example, George Washington did that.
+Gershom Ben Dovid well if this is the case, then the United States are doomed. We took the land that rightfully belonged to the Native Americans by force, and not only where we content with taking the land, we also wanted to make them extinct.
***** There is not much treat with the Illegals coming in to the US from Central and South America, however they are still illegal, so they should be sent back and given the chance to come back legally. In Europe on the other hand, the so called 'refugees' that are migrating pose a more serious threat. Some of which are not do not even classify as refugees as they do not seek refuge in the first safe country they get to, but instead move to the countries with richer economies. Some of these migrants either do not realise, or perhaps do not care about the laws in the countries which have generously just given them refuge. For example, in Germany, Austria and Sweden, the amount of sexual assaults have dramatically risen since the migrants arrived. Not to mention that there is the serious threat of some of them being terrorists, and attacks like in Paris are most likely going to become much more frequent. This is a risk that Europe should not have to take.
I can't believe such splendour has been lost! These unique works of art should be preserved instead of being abandoned. They are an important part of heritage.
+Gershom Ben Dovid Those who want to erase the past, are bound to repeat it. As horrible as slavery was, it was the past and we should go forward, but not forget. These plantations, are a testimony to one of the most horrendous times in the past--but by no mean the worst, and if you are a student of history, you are aware that slavery has always existed in the world--but at the same time, they were built by these same people who suffered an incomprehensible wrong. These building should be preserved. As a history of the beautiful architecture which will never be again. As a testament of the mistakes made by human beings who knew no better. But more importantly, as witnesses to the wonderful talent of those people you defend so but at the same time, want to forget about.
What a terrible waste, so sad that someone destroyed it. It's hard to believe how some cannot appreciate the FABULOUS architecture of days gone by, we will never have it again. Long live the beautiful old homes of the past. Thank you for caring and sharing the video.
donthavetime4that
Right, because as long as someone today expresses concern for the people who were oppressed 150 years ago, then those dead, oppressed people will somehow be better off. Totally logical.
In responce to MrRocketBrain, yes most of these Southern mansions were built with slave labor as well as craftsmen from all corners of the world. Lets not forget that the White House & the Capital building in Washington DC were also built with slave labor! This country was built with slave labor and NOT just in the South-lets get over it and try to save the architectural treasures we have left before they are gone forever....
Get over it! 😳
The photo is from a book called Ghosts Along the Mississippi and features the photo and photographic artistry of Clarence John Laughlin. He often liked to use models to create ghostly images. It's an amazing book.
Beautiful video!! What a sad and heartbreaking loss!! I'm obsessed with Louisiana plantations!! I swear in a pervious life I lived down there!!!
donthavetime4that 😂😂😂😂 nope my grandparents aren't even from the US, nice try tho
Me too in a previous life
It's heartbreaking that such a beautiful place is gone, simply heartbreaking!!!
Aww this made me so Sad, Belle Grove Should of been preserved, its part of our history.., Our Tax dollars Should go to Preserve these Mansions, instead of Wasting Trillions on lost wars.. etc...
well I beleive in preserving our past,, and history of our nation, you probley arnt from USA..I love the study of our past..
+Gershom Ben Dovid But without the past, there is no future. And as I saw inscribed on one of the walls at Auschwitz: 'If we don't remember the past, we are bound to make the same mistakes.'
***** Yes, but Germany made the mistake of supporting Hitler. But then again, some Germans had no choice, just like my Grandfather, as well as Pope Benedict.
We Faught on the Wrong Side dude..Look what the fuck we have Now..
I believe Belle Grove was still being lived in in the early 20th century - 1900s, 1910s and the 1920s. But a house that big, I think they could only get by paying the house, and not really keeping up with the proper maintenance that was needed, judging from photos from around that time. It was in the 30s that it became abandoned and shortly after, a leak or two that went unchecked spread through the back wing of the mansion and wreaked havoc on it until it finally collapsed. Then the fire in the 50s finally did the rest of her in. So tragic that such an architectural masterpiece of the South could not have been preserved, but it was simply the circumstances surrounding the post Civil War South and especially her abandonment in the 20th century.
She was beautiful. Simply beautiful. A tragedy that she is gone now.
I was writing about the architecture of her , the aesthetic, there is nothing about the human condition that existed inside that I miss.
+sharon jones the house did not enslave, the owners did. Blame them, them alone for what they did. But a structure is only owned by people and is not the cause of the ignorance of such people. But these houses stand as testament to a past that should never be forgotten, and also as a tribute to the craftsmanship of those slaves who built them.
I first saw Belle Grove in a photo exhibit of Edward Weston photos at Indiana University. "Ghosts..." is under lock and key in the Fine Arts library though I have a copy purchased for a few dollars from the Red Cross Book Fair. Belle Grove appears in color in the 1952 LIFE on which Marilyn Monroe appears for the first time on the coveer of that magazine. Belle Grove was actually pink. Jayne Mansfield might have liked that as pink was "her" color! A real "Pink Palace" for Jayne!
I have read that same book..I too could not forget this beautiful home. I wish the ruins were still there so i could visit. I live in the South and have seen many Plantations..But this one seems to stay with me : )
Beautiful, but haunting. Sad to see such a beauty gone.
Those Corinthian columns/pilasters are straight out of Heaven. Beautiful!
I guess it goes to show that an exceptionally beautiful building is exceptionally haunting when it's in a state of disrepair.
Absolutely awesome video!!! I love these southern plantations such beautiful architecture and design, these places should be preserved forever!! Atleast there is still pictures!
What a tragic loss! Too bad some church or school did not buy the building and preserve it, as has been done with many other great mansions. If I was a Silicon Valley billionaire I would reconstruct this splendid home in Beverly Hills or Atherton, instead of the freakish monstrosities they build today. What has happened to modern architecture? Has everyone forgotten what grace and beauty look like?
This is so very beautiful! I love the Music! What is it from? sounds like an aria from one of today's Operas! Thank you for giving us a glimpse of the past and showing us what the Belle Grove plantation looked like! My family is from Mississippi and New Orleans, so I am interested in the beautiful old homes! God Bless!
The house wasn't built by slaves but by Italian craftsman. maybe they made the bricks but that is all. Please get your facts together.
Oh wait they worked the fields to pay for the building! That’s all! Facts!🙄
There is wonderful information in a book by Harnett Kane. Tells about the family and history.
What a hauntingly beautiful video. It's a shame she suffered years of loneliness and neglect
they should've took care of that Grand Mansion
Great pictures! I'd never seen the staircase before, nor
the ironwork on the balconies. The photo with the man looking out from the gaping hole where one wing had collapsed gives a good idea of the scale. Those ceilings must have been 15 feet tall.
They were
I am with you, I must have had a previous lifetime in the South. Something happened in Aug. 1980. A black child rode his bike out in front of a CTA bus. I knew CPR so I went to see what i could do.
My mother's black neighbor was ran up to me absolutely terrified ! "Don';t you go out there Miss Abigail ! It ain't safe for you !" I was stunned ! But his words had a ring from the past, and I listened to him,
The child died , I can still hear his mother's screeams of anguish.
Very glad you re-uploaded this. Absolutely LOVE this house; so sad not more pictures of the interiors exist, though. I hate the fact that no one ever thought to fully document the house photographically. Or maybe that's why we have the power of imagination in the first place, to ponder what might have been and fill in the blanks ourselves?
We don't know what those poor slaves who helped build it, and worked at that plantation went through. Maybe a relative of those tortured set it on fire after hearing stories, and seeing drawings of what the family went through. Can't say I blame them.
CajunSweetTart So you’re 1) assuming a family member of a former slave set this plantation on fire and 2) advocating violence and destruction as the answer to past wrong doings? (I haven’t seen any evidence to suggest your claim is accurate in any way whatsoever).
Please keep your political ideology and agenda to yourself. This video and the people watching it aren’t advocating for slavery, they’re mourning the loss of a beautiful architectural and cultural historic site.
Why would someone want to destroy their ancestor's craftsmanship? If my ancestor spent months using his talents on creating something, the last thing I would want to do is to spit in his face by destroying his work. And you agree with that stupidity?
@@ednakelley814 You have a good point. But some slave owners were nicer than others. Some were just spawns of the Devil himself. And like I said, some drawings and stories of what went on there could make someone want to do what they did. These are stories passed down through generations. I'm from south Louisiana, and a lot of my black friends don't like to think or talk about what their great great grandparents went through.
@@CajunAdrienne That's true. There are parents who beat their children but that does not mean all parents beat their children.
Some saw, and still see it, as an excuse to moan and groan claiming it as a sign of oppression. However, they don’t see, how in Southern America they were provided medical care, shelter, clothing, and a better diet than they would have received in an Africa state.
Bull. What do you say that we give you a chance to be a slave for a year or so.
Sembra una villa palladiana...mi ricorda la Malcontenta sulla riviera del Brenta.
Peccato aver perso un simile tesoro!!!
So sad, --- this gorgeous house made it through the Civil War and then was burnt!!!... :(
No...this old mansion is gone now. It burned down in the 1950's.
This was a beautiful look back, Preservation is SO important. Thank you
Beautiful architecture but i believe these “treasures” end up being lost through karmic events. You can’t do horrible things to people and expect to be honored w beautiful memorial. Sad.
I am so grateful that you left this video up after 13 years , as this my first time seeing your channel . Very good video & a wonderful story , even though a bit sad . Thank God there are still photos !!
So sad that such magnificance and splendor are just left to rot. This was a beautiful video and the music was so fitting.
I wish that the walls of these beautiful house could talk how much would they tell us!!!!
It wouldn't be nothing pretty
Many of the old mansions in Louisiana have been restored to their former glory. Unfortunately, too many did not survive or still stand in extreme disrepair. These old homes are extremely expensive to restore and, once restored, are very expensive to upkeep. You have to be very rich to restore and maintain these mansions and quite often, they are in abandoned areas where no one wants to live. Still, it's very sad to see these relics of American history rot or burn to the ground...
Omg! I could buy and ristore her. I love Lousiana, im a writer and i wish live with my family there.
there's nothing left anymore except a couple of the columns.
there's nothing left anymore except a couple of the columns.
How sad, just as well, we don't have Queens in America, wait we have Michelle ! Called LOSING our History & FREEDOM ! I would have LOVED to at least visit her ....... :(
+Gina Diefenbach Shut yo mout Gina, don't speak unless you're spoken to.
Shove it !
This would never have happened in Europe. Shameful Legacy.
Cough cough, Ireland
Maybe the fire was blessing in disguise. The mansion was probably in a dangerous state of disrepair. I would rather that glorious house be consumed by fire than someone be hurt or killed there.
Yes, there is something about that house that just won't let you forget.
When did they finally tear it down ? Does anyone know what happened to parts of the house that did manage to survive ?
Beautifully done!
Such a tragic loss, too bad it couldn't have been saved. Bet it was stunning in its heyday!
I am pleased to meet you too ! I got stuck being born in the North this time around. Even so, my heart has always been in the beautiful South. What was it that Rhett Butler said ? "Magnolias and moonlight !" Ah, what a picture that conveys.
I live in a house built in 1859,pre war. I looked up what Ladies wore in the days. No wonder they stayed thin, hauling around huge steel hooped dresses must have been a real workout !
wonderful video, thank you
Can anyone identify the music and singer? The singer sounds like Monserrat, but I would really love to know the name of the music and composer. Thank you
The music is perfect for this painful demise of Belle Grove. Painful to build on the backs of slaves ( and Italian artisans) and painful to watch her " death".
Can anyone tell me the name of this music/ opera?
WHO is the woman sitting inside the house among the ruins at about 6:05? And when was that photo taken?
She's from a photo in a book called "Ghosts Along The Mississippi." I think the uploader is using her to represent the house itself in a haunting way.. 'Tis herself at 6:05.
A former resident of BG wrote about how when his family moved in the portrait of an unknown man had been left hanging in the house. The new residents called him "the guardian of the house". I'm thinking about writing a ghost story told by the ghost of a fictional BG. The story would be called "The Guardian of the House".
Too bad some church did not buy this place. It would have been an excellent religious retreat. Unfortunately, these splendid homes were built on the backs of shameful slave labor. If I was a billionaire I would love to recreate this splendid home.
What a beautiful and sad tribute. You have truly conveyed to us what a profound loss this is to all of us. Thank you.
Imagine if Alexander & Caesar had known how many nations would be inspired to copy them thru the centuries.
Tears of loss
Why can’t they convert places like that into apartments, luxury resort, school, office?
thoroughly enjoyed this.
Spectacular tribute! ❤
Belle Grove and Nottoway were mirrors. Nottoway white and slightly smaller. Nottoway still stands
what a magnificent site to behold
loved the music
What a hauntingly beautiful video. It's a shame she suffered years of loneliness and neglect
This is truely, beautiful
Queen of the South
These losses make me feel like there has been a death in the family. So deeply sadden me...
I can't be absolutely certain but the vocalist in this video sounds like opera singer, Montserrat Caballe. This is a very moving tribute to such an architectural masterpiece that is now lost to eternity. Thanks for posting!
Our country and states waste so much money on unessessary things instead of preserving our past treasures!!!!
OMG ! I came across the same book in our library ! I feel the same way as you do !
What a tragic loss. You are right about having a feeling of being haunted by the mansion. I felt the same way.
serpentarius51 day
so beautiful. so sad it is gone
The arsonist just needed to feel as if he were as important as The Queen but he knew he could never be so......
before we condemn a place through slavery which is a bad thing we do not go round destroying roman things just be cause they used us [im from uk] as slaves but thay feed us to the lions and you lot from usa just remember what you did to the Indians so you from usa are double bad or is it a case of do not do as i do do what i say . that said i like this video thx
leslie phipps
Actually, Leslie, your lot is responsible for the deaths of way more native Americans than later US citizens are. European diseases brought here by French, British, Dutch and Spanish colonists killed millions upon millions of Indians, not to mention the fact that Europeans murdered and/or enslaved a large number of Native Americans long before the US existed.
Honey our Forefathers learned from Great Britain and other civilizations on what and how they did what they did. So maybe just sit down
Magnificent
It looks to me as if the bulk of the house is newer in architectural style and construct than the left wing. It has what might at one time have been a turret and its windows are arched. Is there any record of the house having been a re-construct, at least in part?
To the best of my knowledge the house was built all at the same time. I first learned about Belle Grove at a photo exhibit at a museum and have read the book "Ghosts Along the Mississippi" in which the mansion is discussed and have read about Belle Grove here and there in other books but haven't read anything about re-constructing or adding on. It appears that Belle Grove was built all at once with its unusual asymmetrical floor plan and variety of decorative features. I don't know if it any original floor plans or architectural drawings still exist but maybe someone could create them based on the photographs of the house. I've seen some but not of the whole mansion. Someone once made an interesting comment that Belle Grove was more of a Victorian house than a Southern plantation house. I suppose that would be because the asymmetrical layout is like a Queen Anne-style house. What an amazing house Belle Grove must have been. I once read a 1940's novel called "Victoria Grandolet" that might be called Southern Gothic and I think the plantation mansion (called Clouds) may have been based on Belle Grove.
Andrew Brendan
You're way ahead of me in your knowledge. All I did was look at the pretty, and at the pretty sad, pictures and make some observations. Thanks for sharing your info.
Thank you for this awesome video. I wept at the thought of what was lost ;(
Do you both cry for the slaves that were dehumanized to build and maintain this house?
You are damn right I do. I also think that these beautiful mansions should be kept up, if only to remind us of the past.
Mary Austin Nothing romantic about this house or worth crying over. Its a house built on the blood of others.
Nancy La Selva That's silly...as if letting a beautiful building rot away will somehow change past wrongs.
Nice, but too bad they dont fix this one up.
That picture look familiar to me from an exhibit of Edward Weston photos at the Indiana University Fine Arts Museum. I'm not positive but I think that particular photo is not from Belle Grove but from another Southern home, maybe in New Orleans and after a fire, maybe taken in the late 1930's to mid-1940's. The woman's identity is unknown to me though libraries or online information may provide more information about the lady and the house.
Haunting~
Awesome video! I will be honest though, the photo of the person lying on debris scared me half to death lol. Other than that I truly enjoyed this!
why do homes like this always fall to ruin ? and ultimately burn ?
is anything left from its today?
Some pieces that were stolen from the abandoned ruins, such as column capitols and plaster moldings and other various moveable (readily stolen) items have been documented over the years but the main body of the house is, like so many of the great houses of Louisiana, is gone.
4pointedstar is something of its left today? if those things were stolen, the must be lost for ever.... is anything left now in place where house once were?
alexxxxxx23 Yes, the live oak trees are still there along with the columns which are buried where the house once stood.
+Gershom Ben Dovid There are already houses built there jackass.
***** At least the illegals are happy to do it, some of them are desperate to earn a living.
Just heartbreakingly beautiful and tragic
...how grand and beautiful evil can be.
Lol give me a break. You don’t know what evil is and this wasn’t evil.
SO the brick and stone structure itself is responsible for slavery? What an idiot
WHY would family not have been handed this queen down generation to generation and taken each step to maintain her, What a sickening lose
I love this film so much sad and beautiful.....can anyone please name the music and singer so haunting......I like to imagine all the goings on?
david williams i used soundhound app and it says the music is by El Greco Movement IV by Vangelis. I loved the music as well.
howlaniedoesit Thank you so much for letting me know,I didn't realise Vangelis was so prolific and diverse.I can now wallow in glorious depression!
;)
The vocalist is opera soprano, Montserrat Caballé.
Is this what it looks like today? Or is it completely gone?
I read 'seventy five rooms' too, in 'Ghosts Along the Mississippi'. What sort of spaces were counted as rooms? Every hallway, closet, and bathroom? I realize the scale was massive, and so there would have been warrens of rooms in the ground floor and attic. But still...
no actual rooms. Dens, libraries, offices, bedrooms, guest rooms, servant quarters, day rooms, sewing rooms, Mostly bedrooms though. People back then had parties for large groups of families that lasted days sometimes weeks.
It's only been 8 years, but...maybe this will offer some insight and still be of interest to you.
www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=Drawing%3A%20la0099&fi=number&op=PHRASE&va=exact&co%20=hh&st=gallery&sg%20=%20true&fbclid=IwAR2aSDG67DaIYe31biNLsYnw9T3LCTgJoM6PuJKKRzk0S4QwBqS7eHZ2pA0
Belle Grove plantation mansion...... The Breakers mansion of pre-Civil war era.....
Can it ever be restored? And what was the name of that song? I love it..
Maria Callas's voice is like a sad angel.
:)
Does anybody know what this music is (still at the beginning of the video).
The music is by Vangelis and is titled El Greco Movement IV. The vocalist is opera soprano
Montserrat Caballé.
Hurray! The wicked queen is deleted! I hope the slaves spirits that suffered under the owners get their revenge! Built on the backs of slaves
Creepy 😳
I'm glad to see it rotting away because it's a vestige of an evil time. Good bye antebellum south, you reaped what you sowed.
The antebellum south was a time of great architecture society. This house that you speak so poorly of was an architectural and aesthetic masterpiece. When you think of the south, all you think of is slavery. Well guess what?! Everyone had slaves then!! Don't you think you are any better because you live in the north or the west.
+lyricaladaud Monticello was built with Slave labor. You can't blame a house for it's history. No one can hope to duplicate these mansions today.
+Gershom Ben Dovid Not all slave owners treated their slaves violently. Some did not even want slaves, but they inherited them, and therefore wrote on their will that they were to be freed upon their death. For example, George Washington did that.
+Gershom Ben Dovid well if this is the case, then the United States are doomed. We took the land that rightfully belonged to the Native Americans by force, and not only where we content with taking the land, we also wanted to make them extinct.
***** There is not much treat with the Illegals coming in to the US from Central and South America, however they are still illegal, so they should be sent back and given the chance to come back legally. In Europe on the other hand, the so called 'refugees' that are migrating pose a more serious threat. Some of which are not do not even classify as refugees as they do not seek refuge in the first safe country they get to, but instead move to the countries with richer economies. Some of these migrants either do not realise, or perhaps do not care about the laws in the countries which have generously just given them refuge. For example, in Germany, Austria and Sweden, the amount of sexual assaults have dramatically risen since the migrants arrived. Not to mention that there is the serious threat of some of them being terrorists, and attacks like in Paris are most likely going to become much more frequent. This is a risk that Europe should not have to take.
I love seeing monuments to inhumane cruelty rot.
A brick and mortar structure did not commit slavery, man did. Plus this are not monuments. These are usually museums or a home to a modern family.