Historic Belmont
The Belmont Mansion plays an obvious role in the history of the area, giving the neighborhood its place name. John Winn, who died in 1837, mentions his residence on his 539 acre farm “Bell-Mont” in his will. He acquired the property in 1820 from Charles Bankhead. In pursuance of Winn’s will the house was sold at auction to the highest bidder in November 1847 to Slaughter W. Ficklin. In 1887 Ficklin’s wife and children inherited the house and 551 acres of land. Today the Belmont mansion owned by George W. Seiler and is located at 759 Belmont Avenue. The mansion is situated on one of the neighborhood’s highest points, but is difficult to identify due to its architectural alterations over the years and in its position amongst other “older” homes in the neighborhood. You can see the front of it from Hinton Avenue, through the Methodist church parking lot, and see its roof from the top of the Water Street garage.
Other farms that became part of what is now Belmont-Carlton include “Hoodsville” and “The Grove”
Another element of the neighborhood’s history worthy of note is the 1891 Subdivision Plan, which was the first of in the nation. Two surveyors, Bolling and Woods, laid out the streets in advance of selling land parcels, giving the bulk of the neighborhood its grid form. There are a number of homes, especially around the Belmont Mansion that were built in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s that have unique character and are worth a stroll to see.
Some of the historic businesses in the area include Industries for the Blind on Monticello Road, Henderson’s T-Shirt fatory (now Monticello Vista apartments), Hartman’s Mill near Moore’s Creek at 6th St (now gone), Barnes lumber located at what is now the Carlton Business Park, Charlottesville Lumber (now Better Living millworks at Belmont Bridge), the livestock yards, and the C&O (now CSX) railroad, along with a number of grocers and other stores that have been in operation for years.
A report by James Buck on Belmont’s History (Adobe Acrobat)
