A CLOSER LOOK AT HISTORY
Step into Belmont Mansion
The magnificent 19th-century estate at the heart of Tamera's Belmont Mansion Novels
Belmont Mansion Then . . . and Now
A painting of Belmont Mansion circa 1860s—and as portrayed in the Belmont Mansion novels.
Adelicia Acklen's beloved Belmont Mansion rises on the hill in the distance. Directly to the left sits the Art Gallery which Adelicia decided to tear down following the death of her second husband, Joseph Acklen. In the foreground we see the Water Tower, which still stands today and is known as the Bell Tower on the Belmont University campus.
Directly in front of the Water Tower is Adelicia's 'Crystal Palace'—the glass conservatory (greenhouse) where Adelicia's gardeners nurtured over 2,000 different varieties of plants and trees from all over the world. The conservatory is featured prominently in A Beauty So Rare—and the underground watering system described in the novel is all true!
In the middle of the picture we see the circular gardens, the gazebos, and the marble statuary dotting the landscape. To the far right is the Bear House—where the bears were kept, of course. There was also a large aviary on the property, because Adelicia loved birds. And there's the Bowling Alley, also featured in A Lasting Impression. View in Belmont's collection →
The earliest known photograph of Belmont Mansion, taken by a Union soldier from the top of the water tower during the Civil War. Close observation reveals a staged shot, complete with the horse and carriage, a child on a white horse, and several people in the foreground.
Belmont Mansion as it stands today—awaiting your visit! The fountain gracing the front grounds is Adelicia's original, installed in the 1800s. And notice the distinctive cupola crowning the rooftop—a beautiful architectural detail that also served a practical purpose, drawing air through the home long before the age of air conditioning.
Adelicia Acklen & Her World
Adelicia Acklen's immediate family (Adelicia seated on far left next to her mother)
Belmont Mansion's grand cantilevered staircase
Adelicia, pictured with her horse Bucephalus, which she named after the horse belonging to Alexander the Great.
The small bronze statue of Bucephalus, which can be seen in the small study at the Belmont Mansion today. View in Belmont's collection →
The Statues of Belmont
As the story truthfully portrays, Adelicia possessed an enormous appreciation for art and was one of the wealthiest women in the United States in the 1860s. Below are some of the statues referenced in the Belmont Mansion novels.
THE SLEEPING CHILDREN by William Rinehart. Possibly Adelicia's most beloved statue, it remains in Belmont's front hall (foyer) today exactly where Adelicia placed it. View in Belmont's collection →
RUTH GLEANING by Randolph Rogers. One of five statues Adelicia purchased on her Grand Tour of Europe in 1865–1866, Ruth Gleaning is the only statue belonging to Adelicia that has never left the Belmont Mansion. Because of its partial nudity, Adelicia's placement of the statue in the middle of the front hall was quite bold for Victorian American society. View in Belmont's collection →
THE PERI by Joseph Mosier. One of five statues Adelicia purchased in New York on her return from Europe in 1865. Adelicia placed The Peri in a prominent position in the grand salon. Per Adelicia's request prior to her death, The Peri was moved to the family mausoleum at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville—and there it remains today. View in Belmont's collection →
THE PERI (circa 1860s), seen here in the center of the grand salon at Belmont Mansion. Notice the black and white wood floor painted in 'faux fashion' to resemble marble tiles. Under the careful direction and dedication of Jerry Trescott, architectural historian, Belmont Mansion has painstakingly restored that floor to the black and white 'tiled' look of Adelicia's day.
SANS SOUCI by C.B. Ives. Sans Souci, French for 'without care,' was placed in the central parlor—where it remains today. View in Belmont's collection →
REBECCA AT THE WELL by C.B. Ives. Adelicia placed Rebecca in the library, just where she still resides today. View in Belmont's collection →
Details from the Novels
FRANKLIN GIRLS by Washington B. Cooper—the portrait that hung in Adelicia's dressing room in A Lasting Impression. View in Belmont's collection →
A plate from one of Adelicia's sets of hand-painted, gold-edged china—the china on which Claire Laurent, heroine of A Lasting Impression, is served her first dinner at Belmont. View in Belmont's collection →
In A Lasting Impression, Tamera references the real book Queens of American Society. She is thrilled to also own a first edition copy (published 1867)!
The picture of Adelicia in Queens of American Society.
In A Lasting Impression, Tamera references a large portrait in the entrance hall depicting Adelicia Acklen with one of her daughters. That portrait was true-to-life but was unfortunately lost to time. Here is a photograph of it (circa 1860s).
One of several gazebos at the Belmont Mansion that students from Belmont University still use today.
The People Behind the Research
My sincere thanks to Mark Brown, Executive Director of Belmont Mansion (30+ years and counting), for his tireless work in answering my questions since our first meeting back in 2008, and for his dedication to restoring the mansion to what it was in Adelicia's day. Mark also read A Lasting Impression in first draft form, after which we met for an almost four-hour lunch where he shared four pages of single-spaced notes and helped me get all the details right. Mark, I'm so incredibly grateful to you, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to showcase the wonderful history of the Belmont Mansion.
Tamera Alexander with Mark Brown inside Belmont Mansion.
Huge thanks also to Jerry Trescott, Belmont Mansion curator and architectural historian, who has answered endless questions about the details of Adelicia's house and who is a kindred historical writer at heart. Thanks, Jerry. I deeply appreciate our friendship—and adore your sweet wife, Beth, who spent many years as Collections Director at Carnton—the historic Franklin, TN estate at the heart of my Carnton novels. Talk about keeping history in the family!
Tamera Alexander with Jerry Trescott at Belmont Mansion.
I had the thrill of meeting a descendant of Adelicia Acklen's, Mrs. Beverly Kaiser. Beverly (who has read A Lasting Impression and 'absolutely loved it!') met me at the mansion one afternoon for a visit and some pictures. It was such an honor to meet her.
Tamera Alexander with Beverly Kaiser at Belmont Mansion.
Tamera Alexander with Beverly Kaiser beneath Adelicia Acklen's portrait.
The Acklen Family Mausoleum at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville, located on the top of the hill on Confederate Circle.
Special Reader Tours
Both Belmont Mansion and Belle Meade Plantation offer special reader tours for fans of Tamera's novels. Belmont Mansion offers the A Lasting Impression tour. Contact Jerry Trescott, Belmont Architectural Historian, at 615-460-5459 to book your tour and learn more about minimum attendees required.
Visit the Belmont Mansion websiteDiscover the full history of this magnificent Nashville estate at the official Belmont Mansion website —where history continues to come alive.
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