She could now pursue her hobby of horticulture. Dr. Bellamy kept 24 enslaved men between the ages of 18-40 living in 9 slave cabins. I would recommend taking the guided tour because you can really get a feel for how life was lived generations ago. Ten Bellamys moved into the big house while nine enslaved workers moved into the outbuildings. I get it. [1], Through the 1970s and 1980s, Bellamy Mansion, Inc., worked to complete exterior restoration of the main home and the servants' quarters in the rear of the property, and to raise funds for the interior renovations. The whole design was concentric, drawing the life of the slaves inward. I was moved when I walked over the well-worn kitchen threshold in the very footsteps of people who dreamed of a better life someday for their descendants -- including me. Several people gathered to honor the late William B. Gould I, an enslaved plasterer at the Bellamy Mansion who escaped by water in 1862. [1], John Dillard Bellamy, M.D. Although few specific projects have been attributed to him, Taylor family tradition associates him with the construction of the immense Bellamy Mansion. John Jr. attended Davidson College, and the University of Virginia Law School, and eventually became a successful politician in the conservative Democratic Party. We are so thankful a piece of gorgeous history has been restored and preserved for the public to visit! This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Located at 503 Market Street, the 10,000-sqaure-foot Bellamy Mansion was designed by architect James F. Post for Dr. John D. Bellamy. Catherine W. Bishir, The Bellamy Mansion, Wilmington North Carolina: An Antebellum Architectural Treasure and Its People (2004). William B. Gould was born in Wilmington, North Carolina on November 18, 1837, to an enslaved woman, Elizabeth "Betsy" Moore, and Alexander Gould, an English-born resident of Granville County, NC. I suspect that those who had this complaint didn’t want to hear about slaves at all, and therefore any amount of slave talk felt like too much to them. Bellamy Mansion: Descendant of Bellamy slaves. While the fire department was able to put out the flames, extensive damage was done to a large amount of the interior. read more. [1] While studying in South Carolina, she had taken a liking to a nearby home in Columbia that featured a similar design, and so she shared her ideas with Dr. Bellamy and eventually with the draftsman, Rufus W. Bunnell. [3] Drawings for Dr. Bellamy’s new home would be produced through the late summer and early fall months, and in October the excavation of the construction site began and the foundation was laid. DP Veteran. The enslaved plasterer managed to escape from Wilmington with several other enslaved workers on the night of September 21, 1862. Gould probably learned his letters in Sunday school at St. John's Episcopal Church, which he attended, said his great-grandson, William B. Gould … The authentic and unique slave quarters, fully restored as of 2014, serves to depict the conditions in which enslaved workers lived. The house was equipped with running hot and cold water, which was supplied by a large cistern and pump. Of the other three daughters of Dr. and Mrs. Bellamy, Eliza and Ellen lived out their days unmarried in the family mansion on Market Street, while Kate Taylor died as an infant in 1858. [1], After the devastating fire in March 1972, Bellamy Mansion, Inc. faced a whole new set of challenges regarding the restoration of the home. Upon his death, Dr. Harriss left behind his wife, along with seven children and fourteen enslaved workers who were also living at the household. Dr. Bellamy was an extremely wealthy man as indicated by his land and slave holdings. He resumed his practice of medicine to gain the extra money needed to pay off debts brought about by the building of the mansion, the war, and military occupation. Octogenarian” that “According to family accounts, the. T. TheParser. I was surprised at the surge of emotion that choked me up a little when I walked up the front steps and straight through the front door (and if you know what I mean by that, you -- along with everyone else -- should definitely be taking this tour). If a guide decided not to mention slaves, they would have a hard time explaining how anything happened here. It is one of North Carolina’s finest examples of historic antebellum architecture. It was originally a family home for Dr. Bellamy, who also owned two plantations, his wife Eliza, and their 10 children (well, one only lived for 10 …