Belvoir (Saffold Plantation)
History
History
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Belvoir was established as a [large forced\-labor cotton farm](/wiki/Cotton_plantation "Cotton plantation") in 1825 by Reuben Saffold II. Saffold was born on September 4, 1788, in [Wilkes County, Georgia](/wiki/Wilkes_County%2C_Georgia "Wilkes County, Georgia"). He was educated there and began a law practice in [Watkinsville, Georgia](/wiki/Watkinsville%2C_Georgia "Watkinsville, Georgia"). He married Mary Evelyn Phillips of [Morgan County](/wiki/Morgan_County%2C_Georgia "Morgan County, Georgia") in 1811\. The couple had 12 children including [Benjamin Franklin Saffold](/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin_Saffold "Benjamin Franklin Saffold"). They moved to [Clarke County](/wiki/Clarke_County%2C_Alabama "Clarke County, Alabama"), [Mississippi Territory](/wiki/Mississippi_Territory "Mississippi Territory"), in 1813, where he participated in the [Creek War](/wiki/Creek_War "Creek War") in 1813\-14\. 

Saffold served in the legislature of the [Alabama Territory](/wiki/Alabama_Territory "Alabama Territory") in 1818\. He participated in the Constitutional Convention and became an Alabama [circuit judge](/wiki/Circuit_court%23State_courts "Circuit court#State courts") in 1819\. 

He established his plantation, which he named Belvoir, in rural [Dallas County, Alabama](/wiki/Dallas_County%2C_Alabama "Dallas County, Alabama") in 1825\. Belvoir translates roughly from [French](/wiki/French_language "French language") to [English](/wiki/English_language "English language") as "beautiful to see." He remained a circuit judge until 1832, when he was appointed to the [Alabama Supreme Court](/wiki/Alabama_Supreme_Court "Alabama Supreme Court"). He served as [Chief Justice](/wiki/List_of_justices_of_the_Alabama_Supreme_Court "List of justices of the Alabama Supreme Court") from 1834 until 1836\.

It remains unclear when the house was built. The Saffolds were still living in a large hewn log house in 1838, according to [English](/wiki/England "England") [naturalist](/wiki/Natural_history "Natural history") [Philip Henry Gosse](/wiki/Philip_Henry_Gosse "Philip Henry Gosse"), who was serving as a teacher for the Saffolds and other area children. Gosse later wrote about his experiences at Belvoir, including his negative impressions of [slavery](/wiki/Slavery "Slavery"), in *Letters from Alabama: Chiefly Relating to Natural History*. Family records indicate that the house was built before Saffold's death on February 15, 1847\. Architectural historians usually date it to the early to mid\-1850s, due to stylistic elements found in its architecture.

[thumb\|left\|Belvoir in 1997, prior to restoration](/wiki/File:Belvoir_Saffold_Plantation_house_01.jpg "Belvoir Saffold Plantation house 01.jpg")
Belvoir changed hands several times after the [American Civil War](/wiki/American_Civil_War "American Civil War"). Cotton production gave way to cattle farming by the mid\-20th century. The Mason family from [Birmingham](/wiki/Birmingham%2C_Alabama "Birmingham, Alabama") used it and the surrounding  as a hunting lodge until it was bought by the McQueen family, relatives of the Masons, for $50,000 during the 1960s. The house was in a state of disrepair by the late 1990s, when it was added as a "Place in Peril" by the [Alabama Historical Commission](/wiki/Alabama_Historical_Commission "Alabama Historical Commission"). The McQueens declined several purchase offers from people they felt were not particularly interested in restoring the house, then sold it to the Collias family of [Boston](/wiki/Boston "Boston") who restored the house to a good state of preservation.


What was life like for enslaved people on Belvoir?