Belmont Mansion, Nashville

Belmont Mansion, originally known as Belle Monte, is a historical site in Nashville. Constructed by Joseph and Adelicia Acklen, this mansion was the centerpiece of their expansive summer retreat. It boasted impressive gardens and even a zoo. For the rest of the year, they resided on Adelicia's Louisiana plantations.

Following her first husband Isaac Franklin's death in 1849, Adelicia, who inherited his substantial wealth from slave trading, married Joseph Acklen, a young lawyer from Alabama. They started building Belmont on a 180-acre plot near Nashville, completing it by 1853. This Italian villa-style residence served as their summer home.

Belmont Mansion stands out as one of the South's most extravagant pre-Civil War homes, featuring 36 rooms and spanning 19,000 square feet. Its hilltop location is accentuated by covered balconies and an octagonal cupola, which served both for ventilation and stargazing. The estate also included a T-shaped guest house and art gallery, as well as extensive gardens, an aviary, a lake, and a zoo with diverse species.

In the late 19th century, the estate was sold and has since been used for educational purposes. It transformed from a girls' academy to the first building of Belmont College, now Belmont University. Today, it functions as a museum and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.