Belmont University

Belmont Mansion - Adelicia Hayes first marriage, to a wealthy businessman, lasted seven years, in which their four children all died by age eleven. In 1849, her second marriage resulted in the building of the Belmont mansion; it was built in the style of an Italian villa set in elaborate gardens. In fact, Adelicia opened the estate for the citizens of Nashville, as there was no public park available. Her second husband died in the Civil War, and their twin daughters died of scarlet fever. Her third marriage took place at Belmont Mansion. However, she sold Belmont in 1887 to move to Washington D.C. She died in D.C. later that year and was brought back to Nashville to be buried. The Belmont mansion is now the center of Belmont University and of course the mansion has strict security due to random acts of collegiate vandalism. Security guards have reported seeing Adelicia floating around and even setting off the motion detector a time or two.

A psychic was secretly brought in once, and she reported that Adelicia was afraid her home wouldn't be there much longer due to the campus renovation and expansion. The psychic also said Adelicia was looking for her children. The psychic didn't know anything about Adelicia's many dead children. - January 2006 Update /Additional information: A 1999 Alumnus reports Adelicia is still around the mansion, but she never does or causes any harm. She has been seen numerous times at different places throughout the mansion and it's grounds. It has also been known and reported that on more than one occasion, she has set off the motion detectors in the middle of the night or other times the buildings are empty, and the security office has to go check things out and re-set the alarms. During any expansions or renovations, the trustees as well as those in charge at Belmont are very careful not to disturb or mess up anything related the Mansion, as it is a historical landmark as well as Adelicia's home. (A lot of the original furnishings and artwork are displayed in the mansion.) If you go to www.belmontuniversity.edu, you can read the history of the mansion as well as the university, which was an all girls college for many years. One of it's most famous graduates was Grand Ole Opry star Sarah Cannon, a.k.a. Minnie Pearl.