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.
flickr/Whitney Gal 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.
flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM 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.
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.
flickr/Whitney Gal 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.
flickr/Whitney Gal 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.
flickr/Whitney Gal 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.
flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM 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.
flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM
Have you ever been to Bellefonte, Alabama? If so, did you have a paranormal experience? Let us know in the comments below.
flickr/Whitney Gal
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.
flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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Address: Bellefonte, AL 35769, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
Ghost Towns In Alabama February 16, 2023 CC Where are there ghost towns in Alabama? After visiting this eerie part of the state, consider checking out these other ghost towns in Alabama.
Houston Old Cahawba Blakeley Stephens Pikeville Arcola Fort Gaines Historic Site Riverton Prairie Bluff
Where are there haunted places in Alabama? If you’ve got the guts, explore these downright haunted places in Alabama.
Sloss Furnaces - Birmingham, Alabama Highway 5 Ghost - Lynn, Alabama Maple Hill Cemetery - Huntsville, Alabama Main Street Strip - Albertville, Alabama Fort Morgan - Gulf Shores, Alabama Bass Cemetery - Irondale, Alabama Winston House - Tuscumbia, Alabama Gaineswood Plantation Home - Demopolis, Alabama Harrison Cemetery - Kinston, Alabama Moundville Archaeological Park - Moundville, Alabama
The OIYS Visitor Center
Ghost Towns In Alabama
February 16, 2023
CC
Where are there ghost towns in Alabama? After visiting this eerie part of the state, consider checking out these other ghost towns in Alabama.
Houston Old Cahawba Blakeley Stephens Pikeville Arcola Fort Gaines Historic Site Riverton Prairie Bluff
Where are there haunted places in Alabama? If you’ve got the guts, explore these downright haunted places in Alabama.
Sloss Furnaces - Birmingham, Alabama Highway 5 Ghost - Lynn, Alabama Maple Hill Cemetery - Huntsville, Alabama Main Street Strip - Albertville, Alabama Fort Morgan - Gulf Shores, Alabama Bass Cemetery - Irondale, Alabama Winston House - Tuscumbia, Alabama Gaineswood Plantation Home - Demopolis, Alabama Harrison Cemetery - Kinston, Alabama Moundville Archaeological Park - Moundville, Alabama
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
After visiting this eerie part of the state, consider checking out these other ghost towns in Alabama.
- Houston
- Old Cahawba
- Blakeley
- Stephens
- Pikeville
- Arcola
- Fort Gaines Historic Site
- Riverton
- Prairie Bluff
Where are there haunted places in Alabama?
If you’ve got the guts, explore these downright haunted places in Alabama.
- Sloss Furnaces - Birmingham, Alabama
- Highway 5 Ghost - Lynn, Alabama
- Maple Hill Cemetery - Huntsville, Alabama
- Main Street Strip - Albertville, Alabama
- Fort Morgan - Gulf Shores, Alabama
- Bass Cemetery - Irondale, Alabama
- Winston House - Tuscumbia, Alabama
- Gaineswood Plantation Home - Demopolis, Alabama
- Harrison Cemetery - Kinston, Alabama
- Moundville Archaeological Park - Moundville, Alabama