Many small towns and cities make up the great state of Alabama. Sadly, several of them have also been abandoned over the years and have become ghost towns. There’s something particularly eerie about an abandoned town, a space once thriving with civic life, businesses, and personal relationships, now left by the wayside. One of these towns in particular is Bellefonte. To learn all about Bellefonte, including what remains of this ghost town, take a look below.
Bellefonte, which was incorporated in 1821, is a ghost town that's located in Jackson County, Alabama. It was once a thriving town. However, it burned down during the Civil War and never fully recovered. Bellefonte is also the former county seat of Jackson County, which is now Scottsboro. Sadly, not many people are aware this once bustling town even existed.
As creepy places in Alabama go, this one has really climbed the charts. The years of neglect have brought an unsettling feeling to the town, particularly the cemetery.
Prior to its abandonment and being burned down, Bellefonte had a post office, a courthouse, a jail, a church, an inn, a cemetery, etc. Today, only its cemetery remains.
That in and of itself has the makings of a horror movie — all those vibrant signs of life reduced to nothing but the plots where the dead are laid to rest. Talk about a true abandonment.
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The land Bellefonte Cemetery sits on was chosen because of its high elevation. And in 2006, it was included in the Alabama Historic Cemetery Register.
At such a high altitude, it was at once considered exalted and closer to heaven and also safe from floods and other low-ground natural disasters. Practical and spiritual.
Bellefonte Cemetery has several gravestones. Sadly, many of them have either been vandalized or have fallen into disrepair over the years. The earliest inscribed marker is 1826, which means this ghost town cemetery is nearly 200 years old.
Unfortunately, because of the lack of care given to the site, it's been hard for historians to receive much knowledge from the cemetery remains.
Many people who've visited Bellefonte Cemetery over the years, especially after dark, have also experienced an eerie feeling while walking the grounds. Some have even seen apparitions. So, is the cemetery really haunted? It appears so.
We always assume that the town has been abandoned because we never see anyone, but perhaps it's very much alive and occupied with spirits.
The other thing that remains in Bellefonte is the chimney from the local inn. Sadly, like many of the cemetery's gravestones, it's also slowly deteriorating.
It's hard to imagine a cozy inn building from just looking at the chimney, just as it's hard to picture the exciting town that once stood on this spot.
The next time you're passing through the Scottsboro area, consider taking a detour to visit the ghost town of Bellefonte. There might not be much that remains, but you'll learn a lot of history from reading the plaques and gravestones. And who knows? You might even have a ghostly encounter.
Have you ever been to Bellefonte, Alabama? If so, did you have a paranormal experience? Let us know in the comments below.
Another creepy ghost town in Alabama is Old Cahawba. For information, be sure to take a look at this spooky small town in Alabama that could be right out of a horror movie.
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CC|February 16, 2023
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