Bellefonte is a

ghost town A ghost town, deserted city, extinct town, or abandoned city is an abandoned settlement, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economi ...

in Jackson County,

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

, United States, near the site of the Bellefonte Nuclear Generating Station. It is located roughly two miles southeast of

Hollywood, Alabama Hollywood is a town in Jackson County, Alabama, Jackson County, northeast Alabama, United States. In 2020, the census showed a population of 914 residents. Hollywood is considered a suburb of Scottsboro, Alabama, Scottsboro, the county seat. Th ...

History

Bellefonte was settled in the early 19th century and incorporated on December 15, 1821,A Digest of the Laws of the State of Alabama: Containing The Statutes and Resolutions in Force at the end of the General Assembly in January, 1823. Published by Ginn & Curtis, J. & J. Harper, Printers, New-York, 1828. Title 62. Chapter LXIII. Page 839
"An Act to Incorporate the Town of Belle-Fonte, in the County of Jackson.—Passed December 15, 1821." (Google Books)
/ref> when it had nearly 200 residents. Its name was a subjective description consisting of the French words "belle", meaning "beautiful," and "fonte", meaning "fount." It was the Jackson County

seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but may also refer to concentrations of power in a wider sense (i.e " seat (legal entity)"). See disambiguation. Types of seat The ...

from 1821 to 1868, when it was relocated to Scottsboro. During the 1820s, a courthouse and church were constructed. A post office was established in 1830. By 1844, the population had grown to 400. The town suffered severe damage during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

. The post office was closed in 1859. Bellefonte was used as a supply depot and mustering site during the

Cherokee removal The Cherokee removal (May 25, 18381839), part of the Indian removal, refers to the forced displacement of an estimated 15,500 Cherokees and 1,500 African-American slaves from the U.S. states of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama to ...

. The relocation of the county seat in 1868 drew off business and people from town. This town rapidly lost population, dropping off the census rolls by 1880. The town was abandoned by the 1920s. All that remains of Bellefonte today are the cemetery, the chimney of the local

inn Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway. Before the advent of motorized transportation, they also provided accomm ...

, and piles of scattered bricks.

Demographics

Bellefonte was listed on the 1860 and 1870 U.S. Census rolls. In 1860, it was the most populous (and only) incorporated community in Jackson County with 181 persons (of whom 173 were White, and 8 were "Free Colored"; no slaves were recorded.)

References

Ghost towns in Alabama Populated places in Jackson County, Alabama Populated places established in 1821 Populated places destroyed during the American Civil War 1821 establishments in Alabama {{US-ghost-town-stub