Belmont Manor House

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Belmont
(U.S. National Historic Landmark)

Nearest city:	Ashburn, Virginia
Built/Founded:	1799
Architect:	Unknown
Architectural style(s):	Federal
Added to NRHP:	February 08, 1980
NRHP Reference#:	80004198^[1]
Governing body:	Private

Belmont Manor House, formally known as Belmont Plantation, is a two-story, five-part Federal mansion, was built between the years of 1799-1802 by Ludwell Lee (1760-1836), son of Richard Henry Lee. The land surrounding the mansion, the Belmont property, was handed down to his first wife (also his first cousin), Flora Lee, from their grandfather, Thomas Lee. Located in Loudoun County, Ashburn, Virginia, the Belmont property and the Belmont Manor House are owned Toll Brothers, Inc. (since 1995), where the Manor House serves as the clubhouse in a gated golf community. The property and house are listed in the National Register of Historic Places (80004198), which are preserved by the National Park Service.

[edit] History

This plantation has been passed down and visited by many notable figures in history including President James Madison in 1812. The President was of said to use the plantation as a safe heaven throughout the duration of the War of 1812 since the British attacked Washington, D.C. Another figure that visited the plantation was a General and diplomat La Fayette, who came to the Manor home to visit Ludwell Lee in 1825.

In 1836 the Belmont home was purchased from Lee by Margaret Mercer, a women who's intentions were to transform the house into a women's Christian school. Afterwards the home was bought by Kansas governor Frederick Staunton and the McLean family. The McLean family is highly recognized as the owners of the Hope Diamond.

In 1931, the house was bought by Patrick J. Hurley and his wife. Hurley is widely known as the Secretary of War under President Herbert Hoover's term of office. Only 32 years later was the property bought by IBM Corporation and became there management retreat center. In 1995, Toll Brothers, Inc. purchased the property to build a golf gated community around it, while using the Manor home as a clubhouse.

[edit] Appearance

The Belmont Manor house is sits on the peak of the plantation property and one of the highest points in Eastern Loudoun County. It has many panoramic views of the countryside and the Blue Ridge Mountains. This house was traditionally home comprising of a “rich equestrian tradition,” steeplechase racing, and fox hunting.

The main entrance is encased with a portico with two Doric columns on either side, elaborate and decretive detail throughout. The first floor consists of a large center hall, the foyer, which is encased on either side by two large reception rooms that are all decorated with paneled wainscoting. The reception rooms on the East and West side both have their own fireplace with mantels that said to be gifts to Lafayette in 1825. The stairway is an ornamental structure in the center hall section that is comprised of a “molded handrail and thin, square balusters, three to a step.” On the second floor, there are bedrooms with ornamental federal style woodwork, along with a fancy bath. The appearance of the house itself remains mostly unchanged from when it was built in the beginning of the 19th century. It still stands today in excellent condition with only one major modification and remodeling in the year of 1907.^{[neutrality disputed]}

The only buildings surrounding the Manor house that are still standing today is a small, stone smokehouse. A cemetery sits on the west side of the manor house with the grave of Ludwell Lee.