For Whom The Bellamys Told

Simply put, interior design is a form of fashion design. As such, it is in a constant state of renaissance to meet current trends in color, pattern, and style. It is also greatly substantiated by the needs of its occupants. Rooms are often enlarged, divided, or added to meet these needs and desires.

On a recent trip to Wilmington, North Carolina, I made a concerted effort to visit the historic Bellamy Mansion. It is amazing. This antebellum masterpiece is a mixture of Greek Revival and Italianate architecture, circa 1861. It was the home of Dr. John Dillard Bellamy and his family. As it is stunning today, one can only imagine how impressive it must have been over 150 years ago.

Walking from room-to-room, I made mental notations of the attention to detail throughout the home. Simply exquisite, even by today's standards. Much of this fine craftsmanship was at the hands of Dr. Bellamy's enslaved laborers. Not only did this staff help create the wealth for with which this mansion was built, but also crafted and maintained the luxury lifestyle this family enjoyed. The house has been painstakingly restored and maintained by Historic Preservation Foundation of North Carolina. Although the house suffered a fire in the 1970's, it has had little abuse or "dastardly remodeling" which homes of this age often suffer.

I began to compare today's interior design agenda with that of this fine home's. Aided by a very kind archivist, Leslie Randle-Morton, I discovered several noteworthy issues:

1) Eliza McIlhenny Harriss Bellamy was John's wife and did the decorating of the mansion herself. This is rather impressive, as formal training in this area of expertise was non-existent in this particular era; therefore, a professional interior designer was not hired or even existed.

2) The walls on the main level were kept white--mostly raw plaster. This was meant to allow the expensive furnishings of silk damask draperies (made in London, England), lambrequins, mahogany furniture (from New York), and Axminster wool carpets (nearly wall-to-wall) to take center stage. It was also a way to reflect the natural sunlight and keep the rooms well lit throughout the daytime hours.

Built within the Victorian period, to have kept the rooms bright and white--without wallpaper, portieres, and excessive pattern--is quite remarkable. Yet, these formal rooms escaped all such decorative trends. Only the entry hall was later given hardwood floors with decorative parquetry. The interior architecture would be considered quite fashionable, even by today's prerequisites of style.

3) The house had an indoor kitchen. It was positioned on the northeast corner of the English basement so it would receive the first light of day. This would allow for early meal preparation. It is also, here, that water was received from the holding tank located directly over the bathroom. Once heated in the kitchen's boiler, the water would be piped back to the bathroom for use in bathing.---Rather clever for this period of time.

Although the kitchen is simply a historic "relic" by today's standards, it was quite cutting edge for its time with an industrial stove, boiler, cupboards, and preparation areas. It is here, that a staff of enslaved laborers would prepare each meal for the Bellamy family. Considering the kitchen's rather meager technology, I can only snicker when I think of the demands for today's kitchens. A few episodes of a cable TV's house network will quickly fill your ears with whimpers of "granite countertops and stainless steel appliances" by nearly every house hunter--no matter the budget.

Interestingly enough, in this particular period of time, although an indoor kitchen was considered luxury, it was still kept separate from the dining room and entertaining spaces. I would say this was due to the minimal environmental control and hierarchy of its laborers. Today, interior vogue seems to desire this room to be integrated into both the dining area and entertaining space, allowing the "chef" to become a part of the entire conversation. This has become one of the most used rooms in the house, not only for meal preparation, but for entertainment and conversation. In this sense, times have certainly changed.

4) The eight bedroom house had one interior bathroom with a running hot water sink, a shower-bath, and a toilet. In a time period when a privy was nothing more than an outhouse, this was luxury!---Wow, how our "needs" have changed. Current luxury design demands an en suite bathroom for each bedroom---no sharing! Additionally, today's luxury bathrooms are nearly as large (and in some situations, larger) than the associated bedroom.

Although the house was finished in early 1861, by September of that same year, the family had vacated the property for fear of Yellow Fever. Almost simultaneously the Civil War began. This, too, necessitated an absence from the property for nearly 5 years. The Union soldiers, under the authority of General Hawley, had taken the house.  After Dr. Bellamy was able to receive proper clout to regain his assets, the family returned to their home. Life continued for this same family within this home until the final passing of a daughter, Ellen Douglas Bellamy, in 1946.

Without a doubt, interior design and decor are constantly changing; however, the home then, as now, remains a location of potential comfort and sanctuary for its inhabitants. It is a place where laughter, tears, joy, and dreams are realized and stored as memories within its walls.

---no matter the current style.

This was a Moment in America.

The Bellamy Mansion is open for tours year-round. It is a valuable window into America's past that should be experienced by all.