Blog Posts

A Presidential Pardon

11/5/2018

When the Bellamy’s left their newly built house on Market Street in 1862 to escape the Civil War and Yellow Fever epidemic, little did they know that they would not officially return for over two years, in the fall of 1865. After leaving Wilmington, the Bellamy’s lost their house due to the Confiscation Act of July 17, 1862, which “authorized in rem procedures against the property of Southern rebels and their sympathizers” and “stated that the properties seized were to be used for supporting the Union cause in waging its war” (Kochan). It was thanks to Dr. Bellamy’s efforts after the war to obtain a presidential pardon from President Johnson that the family regained their property and house. Yet, what did it take to get his pardon after the war? The troubles that the Bellamy’s went through are in part due to the reconstruction efforts of President Andrew Johnson.

Johnson was caught between the two sides that had appeared due to the war--the union supporters and the Secessionists. He himself was a Democrat from Tennessee, and in his government positions, “generally adhered to the dominant Democratic views favoring lower tariffs and opposing antislavery agitation” (“Andrew Johnson”). Yet, after Lincon’s election in 1860, Johnson broke away from the Democratic party when he voiced his dissent against Southern secession. When Lincoln eventually selected Johnson to run as his Vice President in 1864, it was merely to gain the support of “loyal ‘war’ Democrats” (“Andrew Johnson”). No one thought that he would be anything other than Vice President of the United States.

But then Lincoln was assassinated, and suddenly Johnson found himself president of a divided nation that needed to rebuild itself, with a Congress intent on doing what it determined was best for reconstruction, no matter what the new president thought. However, there was one power that President Johnson had, which he used as an attempt to pull the country back together: presidential pardons. These pardons were an attempt to bring the secessionists back into the Union, while also appeasing the Republicans who called for even harsher punishment. Johnson’s pardon gave clemency to many white Southerners, excepting those who fell under one of the fourteen exceptions listed in his Amnesty Proclamation decreed on May 29th, 1865. In addition, the pardon restored all property (except former slaves) and rights of a US Citizen to the former Confederates.

As for the pardon process itself, it involved a number of steps before an individual could obtain one. Johnson first “pardoned all who would take an oath of allegiance, but required leaders and men of wealth to obtain special Presidential pardons” (“Andrew Johson” whitehouse.gov). These leaders and men of wealth had to make a trip to Washington D.C. or send a representative in their stead. However, it is possible that these individuals were more successful if they appeared themselves to request a personal pardon from President Johnson (“Restoring the Union”). These men were additionally required to also swear an oath of allegiance to the Union and promise to uphold the 13th amendment which abolished slavery.

While we don’t know everything about John D. Bellamy’s pardon process, the aforementioned steps to obtain a pardon are likely the same that Dr. Bellamy had to go through himself. As Dr. Bellamy fell under the 13th exception to President Johnson’s Amnesty proclamation, that “All persons who have voluntarily participated in said rebellion, and the estimated value of whoso taxable property is over twenty thousand dollars” (“President Johnson's Amnesty Proclamation”), he was an individual who had to receive a personal pardon. We know from records that he began the process of obtaining his pardon in July 1865 and continued into August and early September when he finally received it. Dr. Bellamy and his family did not move back into their home until late September or early October of 1865. It would not be improper to surmise that he was traveling back from getting his pardon during the gap in events. Else, if he had sent a representative to get his paperwork in order, this time would account for the paperwork being sent to Dr. Bellamy. Despite the fact that this time period is murky in that the exact events and processes that transpired were not recorded, we know for sure that Dr. Bellamy did indeed receive his pardon from the president and was able to finally settle back into the home that he had built for his family five years earlier.

Written by Bellamy Mansion Intern and UNCW English Major Kasey Baker

Works Cited:

"Andrew Johnson.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Oct. 2018, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Andrew-Johnson.
“Andrew Johnson.” The White House, https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/andrew-johnson/
Foner, Eric. “Reconstruction.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Jan. 2018, https://www.britannica.com/event/Reconstruction-United-States-history#ref226039.
Kochan, Donald J. “B. The Confiscation Act of 1862 and Civil War Forfeitures.” Mackinac Center for Public Policy, 1 July 1998, https://www.mackinac.org/1278.
“President Johnson's Amnesty Proclamation.; Restoration to Rights of Property Except in Slaves. An Oath of Loyalty as a Condition Precedent. Legality of Confiscation Proceedings Recognized. Exception of Certain Offenders from this Amnesty. By These Special Applications for Pardon May be Made. Reorganization in North Carolina. Appointment of a Provisional Governor. A State Covention to be Chosen by Loyal Citizens. The Machinery of the Federal Government to be Putin Operation. AMNESTY PROCLAMATION.” The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/1865/05/30/archives/president-johnsons-amnesty-proclamation-restoration-to-rights-of.html.
“Restoring the Union.” Lumen Learning (OER Services), https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-ushistory2os2xmaster/chapter/restoring-the-union/.

0 Comments

Keeping Up With The Bellamys: Textiles and Fashion of the Civil War Era

11/5/2018

1 Comment

Need a new shirt? You can go to any of a hundred different stores in modern Wilmington or even simply buy on online and have it shipped right to your door. But in the mid-1800’s, getting some new threads was not as easy as it is today, even for a wealthy family like the Bellamys. Though we do not know much about the clothing that the Bellamy family wore, we can use written historical records and resources to gain a better understanding of how they acquired the clothing they did have.

First up is the foundation of any piece of clothing, historic or modern- the material. The Bellamy family had their own source for cotton and wool as they owned a plantation in Brunswick County. Ellen Douglas Bellamy, the youngest daughter of John and Eliza Bellamy, mentioned these resources in her memoir Back With The Tide. “We had provisions of all kinds, raising cotton, spinning and weaving our cloth, both cotton and wool, for we had a large flock of sheep,” (p. 14) at Grovely Plantation where John Bellamy kept 82 enslaved workers who did the “raising,” the “spinning,” and the “weaving.” While cotton is the crop most people associate with the antebellum South, plantations in the Wilmington area, like Grovely, mainly grew food products like peanuts, rice, and corn, as well as raising livestock. Cotton and other materials brought in through Wilmington’s busy port were often in the form of already woven fabrics or finished clothing ready for purchase, ranging from rough textiles like “gunny cloth” to refined French cashmere.

There are some records of fabrics being produced directly by the enslaved workers of Bellamy household, once again as told in Ellen Bellamy’s memoirs:

“One of our women, Mozella, was such an expert spinner that her yarns were too fine and even for our looms. Mother took me with her to Drs. Drew’s, a first rate weaver, file miles from us, and got her to weave a bolt of beautiful white flannel from Mozella’s yarn. It was used then, and long afterwards, for skirts for all our family and kin [...]. We tanned the leather and made our shoes. Richmond, one of our slaves, cut his knee and thus was disabled for doing accustomed work of cutting wood; so Pa apprenticed him for a time to a Mr. Hewett, a shoemaker in Wilmington, and Richmond became quite an expert. His shoes would bear inspection by the most fastidious. My sister would make the uppers of little shoes from old pants or scraps of heavy cloth for my baby brother, and Richmond would sole them” (p. 14).

Ellen Douglass Bellamy, circa 1860.

Those in Wilmington without enough money to own a slave but enough to commission a dressmaker or a seamstress to create a garment had many options, as newspaper ads from 1850-1865 show. After the Civil War ended in 1865, many former enslaved women with seamstress skills also began advertising themselves in local newspapers alongside other seamstresses. These ads usually wouldn’t give clues as to the race of the advertiser, leaving the details of their identity to local knowledge.

The inhabitants of the Bellamy Mansion and its longest resident, Ellen Bellamy (1852-1946), witnessed many changes in fashion and the production of it during their lives. With the introduction of the Singer sewing machine in 1851, the production of garments became much easier. While there are no records of the Bellamy household owning a sewing machine, the Singer sewing machine did have a presence in Wilmington, judging by this ad from 1859.

Singer sewing machine ad from The Wilmington Daily Herald, published Friday, July 15th, 1859.

As the Bellamys were wealthy and could afford it, their dresses were often made with numerous folds, full floor-length skirts, and miles upon miles of ruffles. This is evident in the pictures of the Bellamy family which display the family’s fashion choices.

Two women, identities unknown but most likely Bellamy family or relatives.

Mary Elizabeth "Belle" Bellamy, circa 1860.

One part of 19th century fashion the Bellamy women embraced was that of lace collars, as seen in the picture of Mary Elizabeth “Belle” Bellamy above. As with other fashion production in the mid-1800s, the manufacturing of lace became more mechanized in order to produce enough to fulfill demands, but some lace was also still handmade, mostly through methods of bobbins, tatting, or crochet. Accent pieces that used lace were usually in the form of detachable collars that laid over the dress neckline and cuffs that were either detachable or sewn onto the end of sleeves (Origins of Lace).

While there are no clear records of lace use or production in the Bellamy household, it is safe to assume that it existed, especially since we have photos of family members wearing lace collars as seen in this article. There are also contemporary records of lace and lace collars being sold by merchants in Wilmington, ads touting both “real” and “imitation” laces, meaning handmade and machine-made lace respectively (Origins of Lace).

Ad published in The Wilmington Daily Herald on Tuesday, October 11th, 1859.

Ad published in The Tri Weekly Commercial on Saturday, September 16th, 1854.

The culture of fashion and textiles in America changed rapidly throughout the lifetime of the Bellamy family, heralding the beginning of the clothing industry we are familiar with today. While some of the fashion of the era may seem old and antiquated, there are parts of it that survive in our style even today and connect us to the past.

Written by Bellamy Mansion intern and UNCW English Major Caitlyn Dark.

References
Bates, Christopher G. “The Early Republic and Antebellum America: An Encyclopedia of Social, Political, Cultural, and Economic History.” First edition, Routledge, 2015.
Bellamy, Ellen Douglass. “Back With The Tide.” Edited by Janet K. Speaker, Reprint edition, Bellamy Mansion Museum of History and Design Arts, 2002.
Gerard, Philip. “A House Divided.” Our State Magazine, Our State Magazine, 28 April 2011, https://www.ourstate.com/bellamy-mansion/.
“Ladies' Antebellum Clothing - Fabrics.” Historic Northampton Museum and Education Center, 2018, historic-northampton.org/virtual_exhibits/antebellum/fabrics.html.
“The Origins & History of Lace.” The Lace Guild, 2017, https://www.laceguild.org/craft/index.html.

1 Comment

Ghosts at the Bellamy Mansion?

10/24/2018

2 Comments

Elegant Antebellum architecture, grand wrap-around porches, rich cultural history, and . . . lively ghosts from long ago? Not something usually associated with the Bellamy Mansion Museum, yet stories from visitors, guests, and part-time employees beg to differ. Even featured in books such as Ghosts of Old Wilmington by John Hirchak and Haunted Wilmington by Brooks Newton Preik—from which the following stories come—the Mansion has had visitors reporting that they saw something supernatural. Perhaps, though, these stories are similar to the skeleton that William “Willie” Bellamy once placed around the house to scare others; spooky and unnerving, but ultimately just entertaining tales that connect us to the past.

Creepy old photograph of the Bellamy Mansion

Of all the mansion's many floors, it is the top floor, the Children's Floor, that gives guests the uneasiest feelings. Visitors say that they feel uncomfortable or even ill upon reaching the top floor. Many have no wishes to linger any longer than necessary. In addition, it is from the top floor that guests “find themselves mysteriously drawn into the Belvedere atop the house,” or even the feeling of something, or someone, “urging them up into the Belvedere” (Hirchak). However, it should not be forgotten that the top level contains the bedrooms of the youngest Bellamy children. As it was a private space where guests would not roam, the top floor was designed with dark grain wood floors and walls and was more sparsely decorated. In addition, it is more of an enclosed space with limited natural light due to the fact that it is located in the roof of the mansion. These characteristics are likely what lend the “creepy” feeling that some guests and visitors experience, as not everyone is okay with small and dimly lit locations.

Actually, the top floor was once the happiest floor in the mansion according to the memories of Ellen Douglas Bellamy, who lived in the home until her death in 1946. The Bellamy children spent a great deal of time there, playing games and putting on plays performed upon the storage platform they turned into a stage. It was not a dark or spooky place to avoid back in 1861, rather it was likely the brightest and happiest place in the whole mansion.

Ellen Bellamy as a Child

Perhaps the eeriest stories involve the member of the Bellamy family who lived in the house longer than all others—Ellen Douglas Bellamy. As one story goes, as an elderly woman, Ellen would often read the newspaper before bed, and the black ink would rub off onto her fingers. When she turned off the wall sconce, the ink was transferred onto the wall, and over time this residue built up. Nothing unusual, except for the fact that it is said one can still see the smudge marks reappear near the sconce today, even after multiple repaintings of the room.

This story holds some truth, as Ellen Bellamy was a well-read and educated woman. She loved to read the newspaper, especially in her later years when Ellen’s health kept her mainly in her bedroom. It was in this southwest bedroom that Ellen wrote her book, Back With the Tide, recalling her earliest memories from when the family first moved into the mansion, their evacuation to Floral College at the start of the Civil War, and the subsequent return to their home.

As for the ink smudges? The mansion’s bedroom level is comprised entirely of white walls. With the many visitors that the Bellamy Mansion has—adults, teens, and young children—all exploring the house on a guided tour with a docent or on a self-guided audio tour, it would not be remiss to say that some guests may be seeing the fingerprints of previous visitors who strayed too close to the white walls.

Bellamy family members posing for the first photograph taken of the mansion in 1873.

Maybe one of the most well-documented paranormal incidents occurred in 1990 while filming was taking place in the mansion. The film crew was in the Library, and the report goes, "We had locked the door behind us and were completely alone in the house when suddenly we heard the heavy front door open and slam shut with a loud bang. A cold blast of air rushed through the closed door up the stairs and into the Library . . . our papers sailed in every direction. Within seconds, we were out of there . . . we heard the Library door slam shut . . . followed by an angry pounding on [the door]" (Roberts).

It is possible to debunk part of the story. With the mansion's design, was the gust of wind simply from a difference in pressure created by other doors or windows being open, or even the wind coming from one of those openings? Was the film crew truly alone, or did an employee enter the house through the front door unseen? And, in their haste to flee the room, perhaps the pounding they heard was from something else entirely?

John and Eliza Bellamy's gravestone in the Bellamy family plot at Oakdale Cemetery.

So why do stories about the Bellamy Mansion being haunted persist? It is true that around a half dozen Bellamys indeed died in the house. From all accounts, they all peacefully passed away in the home, and their funerals were held in the mansion at 503 Market Street-see the excerpt from Mary Elizabeth Bellamy Duffie's 1900 obituary below. One theory as to why some people spend their leisure time seeking out sites associated with death and those reported to be haunted is the theory of "thanatoursim" or "dark tourism." Defined by A.V. Seaton as being, “motivated by the desire for actual or symbolic encounters with death,” this phenomenon has been steadily gaining popularity since the latter part of the 19th-century. Scholars surmise that as death and dying became more removed from Americans' lives with the modernization of hospitals and the use of mortuaries and funeral homes, individuals began to seek out encounters with death, even ghosts, in an attempt to come to terms with their own mortality.

The Wilmington Herald Article announcing the death of Mary Elizabeth "Belle" Bellamy

The Wilmington Herald Article announcing Belle's funeral will be held at the Bellamy Mansion

In the end, is the Bellamy Mansion truly haunted by spirits of the past, or are the stories simply products of active imaginations set free in the 157-year-old antebellum house? It seems that you’ll have to visit the Bellamy Mansion Museum to judge for yourself.

Back with the Tide, Ghosts of Old Wilmington, and Haunted Wilmington can be found in the Bellamy Mansion Gift Shop for purchase.

Written by Bellamy Mansion intern and UNCW English major Kasey Baker

References:
Hirchak, John. Ghosts of Old Wilmington. Charleston, Haunted America, 2006. Print.
Preik, Brooks Newton. Haunted Wilmington. Wilmington, Stuart House Publications, 1995. Print.
Roberts, Nancy. Ghosts from the Coast. Chapel Hill, The University of North Carolina Press, 2001. Print.

2 Comments

After Hurricane Florence

10/19/2018

0 Comments

Belvedere roof after the storm

In September, Hurricane Florence descended on North Carolina’s southeastern shore. The storm battered the Wilmington area including the historic downtown. The Bellamy Mansion Museum was one of the many historical homes that sustained significant damage.

The mansion’s roof, which had just been through repairs two weeks before the hurricane, suffered the most damage. A large portion of the roof peeled away during the height of the storm, allowing rain to pour into all five levels of the mansion.

The water soaked into the plaster walls and caused extensive damage, softening the plaster and producing conditions ripe for mold growth. The water also soaked into the plaster’s wood lathe structure, causing the wood to swell and the subsequent movement to shift and crack the plaster.

Water damage to third floor

The water damage extended through all five floors of the historic home with most of the water ending up pooling on the mansion’s carpets and wooden floors. The wood floors began to curl up due to water and the carpets were soaked.

Other parts of the mansion grounds also sustained some damage, though not as extensive as the main house. The most obvious damage was in the gardens where the 148-year-old heritage magnolia trees lost large portions of their top canopies, but all five weathered the storm relatively well.

The museum was closed for sixteen days after the hurricane. During this time, the museum experienced an estimated revenue loss of $18,000-$20,000, counting lost admission fees, two canceled weddings, and the cancellation of the final Jazz at the Museum concert.

Before & after photos of damage

Restoration efforts are underway at the Bellamy Mansion Museum thanks to continued volunteer efforts and the skills of local restoration experts. The wood floors, carpets, and plaster are now dry and mold free. Roofing work, plaster repair, and painting are all ongoing. Currently the damage is estimated at around $40,000, but that figure is expected to rise as work continues. Due to the museum’s high insurance deductible of $272,000, most of the repairs will be paid for directly by the museum.

The Bellamy Mansion Museum appreciates the continued support of community members, local businesses, and other organizations. The museum has been open since September 27th and welcomes people to come see the restoration process in action.

If you would like to support the Bellamy Mansion Museum in the wake of Hurricane Florence, there are several ways you can help. Once way is to donate by mail, phone, or online at www.bellamymansion.org/donate. Another way to is to join the museum as a member of Friends of the Bellamy Mansion, where membership fees help fund the museum and the various free events hosted by the mansion. Finally, you can help by spreading word that the museum is open and come visit us yourself!

Some of the upcoming events at the Bellamy Mansion Museum include the Jingle Belles Holiday Tea and the Christmas Stroll Through the Past. If you’d like to learn more about these events and more, please visit www.bellamymansion.org/upcoming-events.

Written by Bellamy Mansion intern and UNCW English Major Caitlyn Dark.

0 Comments

An Untold Story: How Gun Violence Affected the Bellamy Family

2/26/2018

0 Comments

Emmett Bellamy, undated portrait

It was March 31, 1952, when Emmett Hargrove Bellamy and his assistant, Lloyd S. Elkins, boarded the seventh-floor elevator of the Charlotte Law Building in Charlotte, North Carolina. Suddenly, a gunman, later identified as Albert Raymond Reinhart, 50, stormed the elevator and opened fire using a .38 caliber revolver. Elkins was injured in the shooting, but Bellamy was killed from a gunshot wound to the stomach. Bellamy was 61 years of age and Elkins, just 25.

Emmett H. Bellamy was born in Wilmington on February 12, 1891, to John Dillard Bellamy, Jr. and Emma May Hargrove. Bellamy attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received his law degree from Columbia University. Additionally, Bellamy served in the military during World War I and was honorably discharged with the rank of First Lieutenant.

Bellamy during college, 1912

Upon his retirement from the military, Bellamy practiced with his father’s law firm, John D. Bellamy & Sons, based out of Wilmington. In addition to his work as a lawyer, Bellamy was a prominent political figure in North Carolina. The Democratic lawyer was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 1921 and to the Senate in 1923. Bellamy also served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention from 1940 to 1944.

At the time of his murder, Bellamy had retired from politics and was practicing law in Charlotte. During police questioning, Bellamy's murderer, Albert Reinhart, was quoted as saying he was “incensed” at Bellamy over the handling of his case. Reinhart, a hotel owner from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, traveled to Charlotte to "show down" with Bellamy regarding the real estate deal in which he believed Bellamy had "taken advantage of" his elderly mother.

The High Point Enterprise, May 17, 1952

During the preliminary hearing, Reinhart made an insanity plea, but was ruled sane enough to stand trial upon examination by two Duke University doctors. In addition to a murder charge against him, Bellamy's assistant who was wounded in the shooting, filed a $100,000 damage suit against Reinhart. Reinhart was eventually found guilty of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison.

Emmett Bellamy is buried alongside his wife, Lillian Frances Maxwell, in Oakdale Cemetery in Wilmington, North Carolina.

http://politicalgraveyard.com/families/19514.html
http://cdm16072.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16072coll5/id/334/

Written by Bellamy Mansion intern and UNCW English major, Sydney Simmons

0 Comments

Forever Cemented in Our History

2/16/2018

0 Comments

When people tour the Bellamy Mansion, one of the first things they notice when they enter the house is the elaborate plaster moldings in the more public parts of the house. The house, designed with Greek Revival and Italianate styling, was the product of the hard work and labor of both enslaved skilled carpenters, and local, freed black artisans.

The skilled and unskilled enslaved workers in Wilmington were hired out and whatever wages they earned were given directly back to their masters. Unfortunately, we do not know the names of all of the black artisans who worked on the house. We do, however, know a great deal about one of these men thanks to his journal and the extensive work of his great-grandson, William B.
Gould IV.

William B. Gould was born November 18th, 1837, to an English man and a slave woman in Wilmington, North Carolina. He was owned by Nicholas Nixon, who was a successful peanut planter and prominent member of the Wilmington Community. Around 1859, Gould began his work as plasterer and mason under the employment of Dr. John D. Bellamy for the construction of the Bellamy Mansion. Alongside other slaves and freeman, Gould created beautiful works of art within the molding of the house.

It was common practice for those who hired out slaves to clothe, feed, and shelter them for their duration of their work. So, it is more than likely that Gould resided in the slave quarters during his time at the Bellamy Mansion. As a credit to his hard work, Gould signed his name into the plaster of the house; forever cementing his place in the Bellamy Mansion’s history (pictured above). This is incredibly significant, because following a series of laws passed in 1830 it was declared illegal to teach slaves how to read or write in the state of North Carolina. It is probable that Gould learned how to read through the church. Nixon was Episcopal and they were notorious for looking the other way when it came to slave literacy. Peter Hinks writes, "perhaps the most common avenue to literacy for blacks was instruction by a white person who considered it their religious duty to teach their slaves how to read Scripture (2). Christopher Hager supports this claim, saying, "many slaveholders wished to make exceptions [to slave literacy laws] for religious instruction (usually by white preachers)" (114).

On September 21st, 1862, Gould, and seven other men, escaped off of Orange Street and into the Cape Fear River. Six days later they were picked up by The USS Cambridge and recorded as “contraband of war.” Gould began his three-year journal on September 27th, 1862, following his daily life in the United States Navy. After the Civil war he settled in Dedham, Massachusetts with his wife, Cornelia Read, and had eight children, six boys and two girls. He joined the Grand Army of the Republic in 1882 and held almost every position possible including the highest position, Commander. William B Gould IV, Gould’s great-grandson, wrote a book that includes Gould’s journals called Diary of a Contraband: The Civil War Passage of a Black Sailor. In this book he writes about the history surrounding his great-grandfather’s life and discusses the chronology of Gould’s diary.

Gould IV, William B. Diary of a Contraband: The Civil War Passage of a Black Sailor. Standford University Press, 2002.
Hager, Christopher. Word by Word: Emancipation and the Act of Writing. Harvard University Press, 2013. ProQuest Ebook Central,
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uncw/detail.action?docID+3301209.
Hinks, Peter P. To awaken my afflicted brethren: David Walker and the problem of antebellum slave resistance. Penn State Press, 2010.

Written by Bellamy Intern and UNCW English major Moriah Yancey

0 Comments

Volunteer Spotlight: the Rise and Shine Group!

2/12/2018

0 Comments

Angie (far right), with members of Rise and Shine.

With over 200 volunteers, the Bellamy Mansion Museum is able to operate daily. From conducting tours to working the cash register, the work the volunteers do at the Bellamy cannot be understated.
This month, we're shining the light on Angie Yelverton. Angie, along with her Rise and Shine group, have been volunteering at the Bellamy for 5 years. On the first Monday of each month, Angie and her crew make their way to the Bellamy and give it a cleaning from the inside out. Earlier this month, Angie spoke out about about her mission here at the Bellamy and what the Rise and Shine group has in store for the future.
Angie, a Virginia native and Virginia Tech alum, has been living in Wilmington for roughly 33 years. Angie says her desire to volunteer at the Bellamy Mansion arose when she kept driving by the home everyday, not knowing much about it, but wanting to get involved somehow. Angie's idea to create a volunteer group to clean the mansion came about when she spotted some dust on a banister as she was helping take town Christmas decorations, following the Bellamy's annual Christmas Stroll. And thus, the Rise and Shine group was born.
From roughly 9AM until noon, the Rise and Shine group, normally consisting of 6 to 8 people, get right to work cleaning the mansion. Even with a decent sized group, the Bellamy is no quick, in-and-out cleaning job. According to Angie, the most difficult and time consuming sections of the mansion to clean are the downstairs and basement.

Angie Yelverton, founder of the Rise and Shine group.

As a former Forestry and Wildlife major, Angie has long had a passion and mission to preserve. Angie said the most rewarding part about volunteering at the Bellamy is being able to preserve and upkeep such a historic and beautiful place. The Rise and Shine group takes pride in being able to play a role in preserving one of Wilmington's most storied and admired landmarks. That being said, when will the Rise and Shine group hang up their cleaning supplies and call it a day? "When I'm dead, I guess," Angie said with a laugh. As long as the Bellamy Mansion is standing, you can be sure the Rise and Shine group will be around to keep it looking brand new.

The hard work our volunteers do here is always appreciated. If you'd like to join the volunteer team here at the Bellamy Mansion Museum, feel free to give us a call or visit our website: www.bellamymansion.org/volunteer-interest-form.html.

Written by Bellamy intern and UNCW English major Sydney Simmons.

0 Comments

Brick from Bellamy Slave Quarters Featured in Civil War Memorial

11/8/2017

0 Comments

In Waterloo, New York, tucked along the Cayuga Seneca Canal, lies the American Civil War Memorial. The Memorial, constructed in 2008 by sculptor and author Pietro del Fabro, serves to honor the sacrifices made by citizens of Waterloo as well as both Union and Confederate soldiers and sailors that lost their lives during one of America’s most arduous times- the American Civil War.

The North South Cenotaph features stones from each of the 36 states that were in existence at the end of the Civil War. Pietro used a handmade hearth brick from the Bellamy slave quarters to represent the state of North Carolina in the memorial. The Cenotaph pictured above rests on a base of Indiana silver buff limestone. The brick from the Bellamy is located on the top south side of the cenotaph. What an amazing way for history to be displayed! We were lucky enough to be paid a visit by del Fabro himself in 2016, who was excited to photograph where the brick came from. Be sure to follow the link to the Memorial’s website and read the description of the Bellamy brick:
http://americancivilwarmemorial.com/NSCenotaph.html .

Pietro del Fabro authored a Civil War novel Savages Station that follows three stories that move back and forth between Civil War times and present-day America, opening up little-known aspects of the conflict and revealing new viewpoints into the major and minor characters of the era. You can follow a link to the book’s website here: https://savagesstation.com/ .

Pietro del Fabro (left) stands beside his completed sculpture. Laundry room hearth and fireplace in the Bellamy slave quarters. The brick was from one of the four fireplace hearths in the slave quarters.

Written by Bellamy intern and UNCW Communication Studies major Savannah Russell.

0 Comments

Four popular medicines sold in Robert Bellamy's pharmacy

9/25/2017

0 Comments

We here at the Bellamy Mansion Museum recently acquired a great bit of Bellamy history: medication bottles from Robert Bellamy’s pharmacy.

Bellamy and Son Drug Company

Robert R. Bellamy

The bottles, branded with the Bellamy name, are from Robert Bellamy’s Bellamy and Son Drug Company here in town. The business, began in 1885, was located at the corner of Front and Market Street, and operated until its sale by Robert’s grandson sometime after 1950.

While some of the bottles are missing their labels, a few remain which provide insight into some of the popular medicines of the time: quinine, cathartic pills, Godfrey’s Cordial, and white pine compound syrup.

The quinine (pictured right) is a powdery substance that was used as an anti-malarial medication. Mixed into food or drinks, it has a bitter taste and was (and still is!) used widely to give tonic water its signature flavor. Quinine is derived from the bark of the cinchona tree, a flowering plant native to South America. At one point during the 1800s, demand for quinine became so great that prices soared to an at-the-time preposterous $6.63 an ounce.

The cathartic pills (pictured left) were essentially laxatives. These pills were used to “cure” stomach ailments by simply flushing out the digestive system. One advertisement for Ayer’s Cathartic Pills states they were a “remedy for costiveness, jaundice, indigestion, headache, dizziness, transient attacks of numbness, biliousness, and all other diseases resulting from a disordered digestive apparatus.” Coated with sugar to make the taste more pleasant, these pills contained ingredients such as extracts of colocynth and jalap and pulverized gamboge – all plants with natural purgative properties – and chloride of mercury, more commonly known as calomel.

The Godfrey’s Cordial (pictured right) label tells us each fluid ounce of this cordial contains 1.3-5 grams of opium and 5.5% alcohol. Also known as “Mother’s Friend,” Godfrey’s Cordial could be given to children as young as one week old, and had a sedative effect that made it a medication of choice for mothers and nurses dealing with fretful, fussy babies. This narcotic was freely prescribed and very commonly used to manage a wide variety of ailments in children without a lot of regulation. As a result, Godfrey’s Cordial and similar medicines have been linked to a high infant mortality rate in the 19th century.

Lastly, the mentholated white pine compound syrup (pictured left) was the 19th century equivalent to modern day cough syrup. There seems to have been a number of companies making this medication at the time, but the bottle we have says this mixture was prepared specifically for Robert Bellamy. Containing ingredients like chloroform, alcohol, three kinds of tree bark, and of course, pine tar, this medicine was an expectorant used to soothe “coughs, colds, bronchitis, sore and inflamed throat[s], hoarseness, and loss of voice,” and had the added perk of a mild sedative effect upon consumption.

These are just four examples of the many interesting drugs Robert sold in his pharmacy; just like today, there were a variety of medicines available for nearly any conceivable ailment – though whether or not they were all safe for human consumption is another question. In any case, Robert “[devoted] his closest and constant personal attention to the details of his enterprise” and was regarded as one of the most prominent and successful physicians in Wilmington during his working years.

Researched and written by Bellamy intern and UNCW Professional Writing/Philosophy major Chantai Thomas.

0 Comments

Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Beth!

9/22/2017

1 Comment

Volunteering is a gift that keeps on giving. Here at the Bellamy, we thrive thanks to our dedicated staff of over 200 volunteers. Volunteer tasks range from giving guided tours, greeting visitors at the front desk, lending a hand with special events, and even gardening. We love to see the passion our volunteers have for what they do, and one person who brings this passion to life is Beth Mentesana!
Beth has been lending her time here at the Bellamy since she and her husband moved from Pennsylvania five years ago. Before their move, working full time in the communications field and being married to a college basketball coach didn’t leave her much time to volunteer. She grew up watching her parents be very active in their community and her mother was even a docent (a tour guide) at a Revolutionary War house in New York. Beth decided she wanted to try her hand at volunteering herself when she moved to Wilmington and had a little more time on her hands. She says, “Everyone falls in love with downtown, and at some point, you become aware of the historic houses here.” Beth is a docent on weekends and she especially loves when there are children present. She reflects on giving tours: “Thanks to all the information we have, you can really paint a story on true facts and there’s something about that- it’s like you transport yourself back in time. I get so engrossed in the whole thing it doesn’t matter if anybody’s there or not! That’s the fun of it.” She also lends her talents in taking part in composing and editing our volunteer newsletters that are sent out via email every week. She enjoys featuring topics that vary from the architecture of the house to the stories of the Bellamy’s and the slaves that called this place home.
One of Beth’s favorite memories is when she helped with the fifth-grade pilot program where fifth graders from across New Hanover County are cycled through and given tours. It’s very important to Beth that children get the opportunity to see history unfold before them. “The story of the back of the house is as important as the house itself and the family that lived in it. For children, I think they might learn about it in a textbook but when they come here and they hear it, it helps bring it alive for them. It’s critical these young minds see what happened in this country” she shares. She appreciates the freedom she has while volunteering at the Bellamy and how relaxed and comfortable the environment is. She loves that she can come here to give a tour and be whoever she wants to be. She also loves dressing up for the annual Christmas stroll. Check out one of her outfits from years past in the fun picture down below! If Beth could meet one of the Bellamy’s, she would have to choose Ellen. The stories in Ellen’s memoirs of her spirited antics as a little girl are something Beth would love to have seen. We are so thankful for Beth and all she contributes and so happy that she has such a love for what she gets out of volunteering.
We are always looking for volunteers to add to our family! Check out the volunteer form on our website, give us a call, or stop by and get your part of the gift that keeps on giving!