Bellevue is a historic mansion house at 204 Ben Hill Street in
LaGrange, Georgia, United States. Built in 1853–1855, it was the home of Senator
Benjamin Harvey Hill
Benjamin Harvey Hill (September 14, 1823 – August 16, 1882) was a politician whose career spanned state and national politics, and the Civil War. He served in the Georgia legislature in both houses. Although he had opposed secession, he st ...
, and is one of the state's finest examples of
Greek Revival
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but ...
architecture. Now a
historic house museum
A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that has been transformed into a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a ...
, it was designated a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
in 1973, and is a contributing structure in
Broad Street Historic District.
Description and history
Bellevue is located in central LaGrange, on an oval parcel located at the north end of Ben Hill Street, and flanked on both sides by McLendon Circle. It is a two-story wood-frame structure with a two-story Greek temple front, featuring six fluted Ionic columns with four-sided capitals, and a heavy multi-level entablature below a dentillated cornice. Set within the temple front is a second-floor balcony with a turned balustrade, and a center entrance recessed in an opening flanked by pilasters and topped by an entablature. Ells extend the house, joining it to what was once a separate kitchen building.
Bellevue, originally a plantation estate, was established in 1853 by
Benjamin Harvey Hill
Benjamin Harvey Hill (September 14, 1823 – August 16, 1882) was a politician whose career spanned state and national politics, and the Civil War. He served in the Georgia legislature in both houses. Although he had opposed secession, he st ...
, one of Georgia's leading politicians of the antebellum and
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same 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 ...
era. Its architect is only known by his last name, Taylor, and is one Georgia's finest example of antebellum Greek Revival architecture. Hill (1823–82) was a highly regarded orator and politician, who opposed secession in the years prior to the Civil War. When Georgia did secede from the Union, he served in the Senate of the
Confederacy, and was opposed to
Reconstruction Era
The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...
legislation after the war.
[ His house is now owned by the LaGrange Women's Club, which offers tours of the house and rentals for special events.
]
See also
* List of National Historic Landmarks in Georgia
*
References
External links
Bellevue official site
{{National Register of Historic Places
National Historic Landmarks in Georgia (U.S. state)
Houses completed in 1855
Historic house museums in Georgia (U.S. state)
Museums in Troup County, Georgia
Houses in Troup County, Georgia
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Georgia (U.S. state)
National Register of Historic Places in Troup County, Georgia
Historic district contributing properties in Georgia (U.S. state)
Greek Revival houses in Georgia (U.S. state)