I got in trouble on Saturday. But it was for a good cause, honest.
I was overdue for doing a post where I “Flat Stanley-ed” a novel. Many of you enjoyed the other two times I did this, with Sarah Sundin and Tamera Alexander, so I thought I’d bring you a new adventure.
It was a beautiful spring day in Nashville so my BFF Cindy and I headed out to the Belle Meade Mansion with To Whisper Her Name by Tamera Alexander in hand. Her latest series is set at the Plantation so it was just screaming for a Flat Stanley trip.
Walking through the gift shop to purchase tickets we were greeted by a lovely display of Tamera’s books. It was fun to see the Plantation supporting our friend in such a great way. I made sure the display was nice and straight as to attract customers.
John Harding founded Belle Meade Plantation in 1807. He first built a small cabin on the land (which you’ll see in a bit) while the main house was under construction. The Plantation has a rich history in thoroughbred horse racing and breeding. Many of the top race horses in modern history can be traced back to horses that were from Belle Meade including Seabiscuit, Secretariat, and Barbaro. Pretty impressive, huh?
This monument was erected on the land to honor one of the most prized horses that was groomed here, Enquirer. He was purchased by General W. G. Harding in 1879 for $10,000. Cha-ching!
We joined up with our tour group on the front stoop. The house was enlarged and upgraded in 1853 by John Harding’s son, William Giles Harding (if you look closely, you’ll see his name and date engraved on the stonework). You get to know him well in To Whisper Her Name. We step into the lovely foyer of the home and the tour guide tells us that photography is not allowed. He repeats this statement another three times. Um, hello?! How am I supposed to get my pictures? As he’s describing the early history of Belle Meade, I’m plotting in my mind how to sneak pictures. Cindy is just shaking her head because she can see my wheels turning.
As we are leaving the dining room, a location for many scenes in Tamera’s novel, I see my opening. The guide is leading the group from the room so I quietly hang back. Ever so quickly, I place the book on the table and snap a picture. No sooner had my finger pushed the button do I hear, “No photography is allowed.” Busted! I laugh it off and tell the tour guide that I’ll be good from here on out. So, this is the only picture I took inside the house. We proceed with the rest of the tour under the watchful eye of the tour guide.
Outside the mansion we see this lovely quote on a sign by the family mausoleum:
“Warm summer sun, shine brightly here; warm southern wind blow softly here.” – Annie D. Richardson Jackson
I can imagine the characters from Tamera’s book strolling the grounds. Future owners sold off much of the land which totaled around 2,500 acres but you can still get a glimpse at the lush fields and forests that were once there.
One of my favorite characters in To Whisper Her Name is an actual person from Belle Meade. Bob Green was a slave on the plantation since he was a very small child. Uncle Bob, as he was called, was Belle Meade’s head horse groomer. After the Civil War, ledgers show that he was the highest paid employee at the plantation. Cool, huh? The second highest paid employee was Susanna, a former slave who was the head housekeeper. I would love to show you a picture of her that was in the mansion along with the book, but again, “no photography allowed!”
Uncle Bob lived with his family in the original cabin that John Harding built. Can you imagine living with your wife and six children here? Must have been cozy! No one said I couldn’t take pictures in Uncle Bob’s cabin so here are a few from inside. If you’ve read the novel, you’ll know that Ridley Cooper lived with Uncle Bob in this cabin.
Despite being called out in front of 30 other people and embarrassing my best friend, it was a lovely morning at Belle Meade. Hear more about Belle Meade from Tamera herself. She did some great videos where she takes you into more of the history of the plantation. LifeWay currently has To Whisper Her Name on sale for 50% off. Come see us soon!
Oh, and don’t forget to enter our HUGE Duck Commander giveaway we have going on all this week. Click here for all the scoop!