GREENSBORO, N.C. — As the Bellemeade parking deck in downtown Greensboro comes down, a familiar debate has resurfaced: Is it pronounced ‘Bella-meed’ or ‘Bell-meed’? However you say it, the name “Belle Meade” has a long and storied history in the city, well before it became associated with a street or a parking structure.
In the heart of Greensboro’s historical archives lies the origin of Belle Meade — not a parking deck, but a grand mansion built in the 1860s for Henry Humphrys Tate and his wife, Harriet Eliza Hill.
At the time, Belle Meade stood as one of the largest architectural landmarks in Greensboro. Situated on 15 acres of land, the home felt almost pastoral, despite being located in what is now the center of modern city life, right near the Greensboro Grasshoppers ballpark…