Pictures from Inside
the Main House
Belle Meade Floor Plans (PDF)
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The Entrance Hall was
restored to the 1893 decorating color scheme. The horse portraits
hanging here were of the great horses that were bred here, a legacy &
bloodline to most of the race horses of today |
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The cantilevered
staircase at the end of the Entrance Hall was added in 1850 - amazing
architecture & craftsmanship - this is looking up to the 3rd floor. |
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The ruby color windows
above the front door is a result of adding gold to the molten glass - very
expensive. The woodwork & doors throughout the house were poplar
which were grained to give the illusion of French walnut and oak |
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The
walls of the this elegant double parlor are done in robin's egg blue & a
ceiling of sweet-gum. |
A
portrait of John Harding, the Belle Meade founder, hangs in the parlor |
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The
dining room was a lady's sitting room - the rule of dinning was that all
victuals would be on the table, as old-fashioned meals were known for. |
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This is the plantation
office, where the affairs of the plantation were handled |
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Iroquois, the winner
of the English Derby in 1881, which came to Bell Mead in 1886 became the
head stud. After his death in 1899, these hooves were removed and
sent to Tiffany's in New York and made into inkwells.
The Iroquois
Steeplechase, held in Nashville on the second Saturday in May, honors the
memory of this champion race horse. |
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Now the Man's room,
the library or what is commonly called the gentleman's parlor. You
will notice all rooms had 14' ceilings to let the heat rise. The
windows at each end of all downstairs rooms are actually doors, which can
be opened to allow the breeze to circulate thru the house for cooling. |
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