Princess Catherine Murat
Great-grandniece of President
George Washington, the princess
was married to Prince Achille Murat
of France.
Great-grandniece of President
George Washington, the princess
was married to Prince Achille Murat
of France.
BELLEVUE: HOME OF PRINCESS MURAT
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Bellevue - Home of Princess Murat in Tallahassee, Florida
| Belleview - Home of the Princess Murat This modest Florida plantation house was the home of Princess Catherine Murat from 1854 to 1867. |
French Royalty in Florida
Bellevue is a Florida landmark preserved on
the grounds of the Tallahassee Museum.
The beautiful old structure offers modern
viitors the unique opportunity to of stepping
into the home of a princess.
Catherine Daingerfield Willis Murat, a great-
grandniece of President George Washington,
gained her status as royalty through her
marriage to Prince Achille Murat, a nephew of
Napoleon Bonaparte. When Napoleon III
declared an empire in France in 1852,
Catherine Murat was recognized as French
royalty and thereafter was supported by the
Emperor, in whose court she appeared in
person.
Prince Achille Murat fled to the United States
following the second exile of Napoleon and
eventually settled in Florida. He met and
married Catherine in Tallahassee in 1826.
The couple lived in various places and
traveled the world together until Murat's death
in Florida in 1847.
Princess Murat purchased a 520 acre cotton
plantation on Jackson Bluff Road near
Tallahassee in 1854. The Bellevue house, a
modest Florida plantation home of the era,
was the centerpiece of the farm.
Built in around 1840, the frame house had
whitewashed interior walls and a detached
kitchen to rear. It is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places and is described
as an excellent example of "indigenous
Southern architecture."
Princess Murat lived at Bellevue from 1854
until her death in 1867. During that time, she
witnessed some of the greatest changes in
American history. Originally farmed by slaves,
her plantation was transformed during the
War Between the States. Men and women
who had been enslaved laborers before the
war stayed on and worked the land as
employees after its end.
The house remained at its original Jackson
Bluff Road location in Leon County until the
20th Century when it was moved to its
present site. It is now one of the permanent
exhibits of the Tallahassee Museum (once
known as the Tallahassee Junior Museum)
and is a focal point of the museum's "Old
Florida" area.
the grounds of the Tallahassee Museum.
The beautiful old structure offers modern
viitors the unique opportunity to of stepping
into the home of a princess.
Catherine Daingerfield Willis Murat, a great-
grandniece of President George Washington,
gained her status as royalty through her
marriage to Prince Achille Murat, a nephew of
Napoleon Bonaparte. When Napoleon III
declared an empire in France in 1852,
Catherine Murat was recognized as French
royalty and thereafter was supported by the
Emperor, in whose court she appeared in
person.
Prince Achille Murat fled to the United States
following the second exile of Napoleon and
eventually settled in Florida. He met and
married Catherine in Tallahassee in 1826.
The couple lived in various places and
traveled the world together until Murat's death
in Florida in 1847.
Princess Murat purchased a 520 acre cotton
plantation on Jackson Bluff Road near
Tallahassee in 1854. The Bellevue house, a
modest Florida plantation home of the era,
was the centerpiece of the farm.
Built in around 1840, the frame house had
whitewashed interior walls and a detached
kitchen to rear. It is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places and is described
as an excellent example of "indigenous
Southern architecture."
Princess Murat lived at Bellevue from 1854
until her death in 1867. During that time, she
witnessed some of the greatest changes in
American history. Originally farmed by slaves,
her plantation was transformed during the
War Between the States. Men and women
who had been enslaved laborers before the
war stayed on and worked the land as
employees after its end.
The house remained at its original Jackson
Bluff Road location in Leon County until the
20th Century when it was moved to its
present site. It is now one of the permanent
exhibits of the Tallahassee Museum (once
known as the Tallahassee Junior Museum)
and is a focal point of the museum's "Old
Florida" area.
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Beautifully restored to its original appearance
and condition, the home appears much as it
did when it was the home of the princess.
The parlor and bedroom have been restored
to their antebellum appearance. Other rooms
offer exhibits that interpret life for those who
lived on the plantation, both slave and free.
The original kitchen no longer exists, but has
been be reconstructed behind the house. It
offers visitors the opportunity to learn more
about 19th century foods and cooking. A
slave cabin has been reconstructed near the
house to interpret the life of the African
American slaves that lived and worked at
Bellevue.
The historic home can be visited daily at the
Tallahassee Museum. The address is 3945
Museum Drive, Tallahassee, Florida.
The museum is open to the public Monday -
Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., and Sundays 12:30
- 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $9.50
for senior citizens and college students (with
ID) and $7 for kids 4-15. Kids under 3 are
admitted free.
Please click here for more information on the
Tallahassee Museum.
and condition, the home appears much as it
did when it was the home of the princess.
The parlor and bedroom have been restored
to their antebellum appearance. Other rooms
offer exhibits that interpret life for those who
lived on the plantation, both slave and free.
The original kitchen no longer exists, but has
been be reconstructed behind the house. It
offers visitors the opportunity to learn more
about 19th century foods and cooking. A
slave cabin has been reconstructed near the
house to interpret the life of the African
American slaves that lived and worked at
Bellevue.
The historic home can be visited daily at the
Tallahassee Museum. The address is 3945
Museum Drive, Tallahassee, Florida.
The museum is open to the public Monday -
Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., and Sundays 12:30
- 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $9.50
for senior citizens and college students (with
ID) and $7 for kids 4-15. Kids under 3 are
admitted free.
Please click here for more information on the
Tallahassee Museum.
Home of the Princess Murat
Bellevue, the last home of Princess
Murat, can be seen in the "Old
Florida" area of the Tallahassee
Museum.
Bellevue, the last home of Princess
Murat, can be seen in the "Old
Florida" area of the Tallahassee
Museum.
A Florida Plantation Home
Bellevue was typical of the simple
but attractive homes found on many
Florida plantations during the
antebellum era.
Bellevue was typical of the simple
but attractive homes found on many
Florida plantations during the
antebellum era.
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| Copyright 2010 & 2015 by Dale Cox All rights reserved. Last Updated: March 3, 2015 |