Belmont Manor House
Belmont Manor House, also known as Belmont Plantation, is a restored Federal-era mansion in Loudoun County, Virginia, now incorporated into a private golf and country-club community.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Belmont Manor House, formally known as Belmont Plantation, is a two-story, five-part Federal mansion in eastern Loudoun County, Virginia. The house was constructed between 1799 and 1802 for Ludwell Lee, the son of Virginia politician Richard Henry Lee. The surrounding Belmont property had descended through Lee's family, passing to his first wife, Flora Lee, from their grandfather Thomas Lee. Set on one of the highest points in eastern Loudoun County, the property commands broad views toward the surrounding countryside and the Blue Ridge Mountains. The house is significant both as an example of early nineteenth-century Federal architecture and for the succession of owners and uses associated with the estate. It was visited by President James Madison in 1812, reportedly serving as a refuge during the War of 1812 after the British attack on Washington, D.C. The French general and diplomat Lafayette visited Ludwell Lee at Belmont in 1825. Following Lee's death, Margaret Mercer acquired the property in 1836 with the intention of establishing a Christian school for women. Later owners included Alexandria slave trader George Kephart, whose daughter operated a school connected with the estate, and Frederick P. Stanton, a former governor of Kansas. The property was purchased in 1907 by John Scott Ferguson and in 1915 by the McLean family. Edward B. McLean, whose father published The Washington Post, developed Belmont's equestrian associations by adding a horse stable and Thoroughbred training track. The McLeans were also associated with ownership of the Hope Diamond. In 1931, McLean dispersed his bloodstock, and the estate was sold later that year to Patrick J. Hurley, who had served as United States secretary of war under President Herbert Hoover. IBM acquired Belmont in 1963 and adapted the mansion for use as a management retreat. By the 1980s, however, the building had deteriorated substantially and required extensive renovation. Toll Brothers purchased the property in 1995 as part of a plan to create a gated golf community. The company restored the manor and incorporated a substantial addition containing club facilities and restaurants, while maintaining an architectural vocabulary intended to complement the original Federal house. The restored building became the clubhouse for Belmont Country Club. In November 2019, ClubCorp acquired Belmont Country Club from Toll Golf together with six other East Coast lifestyle golf clubs. The manor consequently functions primarily as a private country-club clubhouse rather than as an independent commercial consumer brand. Its historic character remains central to the identity of the surrounding community and club. Belmont Manor House and its property are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Surviving historic elements include Federal-style woodwork, paneled wainscoting, plaster and bas-relief decoration, reception-room fireplaces, a central ornamental stair, a stone smokehouse, and cemeteries associated with the estate, including an African American burial ground.
History
Belmont Manor House was built between 1799 and 1802 for Ludwell Lee on the Belmont plantation in eastern Loudoun County, Virginia. Lee was the son of Richard Henry Lee, and the property had come through the Lee family, ultimately being conveyed to Lee's first wife, Flora Lee, from her grandfather Thomas Lee. The mansion occupies a prominent elevation overlooking Loudoun County and the Blue Ridge Mountains. The estate acquired historical prominence during the early nineteenth century. President James Madison reportedly visited Belmont in 1812 and used it as a refuge after British forces attacked Washington during the War of 1812. Lafayette visited Ludwell Lee at the house in 1825. These associations form part of the property's traditional historical narrative, although the house's architectural importance rests primarily on its well-preserved Federal design and its connection to the development of Virginia's Piedmont estates. After Ludwell Lee's death in 1836, Margaret Mercer bought Belmont with the intention of establishing a Christian school for women. After her death, the property passed to George Kephart, a prominent Alexandria slave trader. Kephart's daughter also operated a school, although it later moved elsewhere and closed after Virginia adopted a free-public-education system in its post-Civil War constitution. The estate therefore reflects both the educational ambitions and the racial and social structures of nineteenth-century Virginia. A cemetery associated with enslaved people remains near the manor, alongside the burial place of Ludwell Lee. Frederick P. Stanton, a former governor of Kansas, bought the property in 1887. John Scott Ferguson acquired it in 1907 and sold it to the McLean family in 1915. Edward B. McLean developed Belmont's equestrian identity by constructing a stable and a Thoroughbred training track. The estate was associated with steeplechase racing, fox hunting, and a broader regional equestrian culture. McLean's bloodstock was dispersed in June 1931, and the property was sold in December of that year to Patrick J. Hurley, who had served as secretary of war during Herbert Hoover's presidency. IBM purchased Belmont in 1963 and converted the property into a management retreat center. By the 1980s, the manor had suffered serious deterioration, including extensive interior damage. Toll Brothers acquired the property in 1995 as part of a plan to develop a gated golf community. The company renovated the original mansion and added new club facilities, including restaurants, in a design intended to remain compatible with the historic structure. The manor thereafter served as the clubhouse for Belmont Country Club. The building's principal architectural features include a portico supported by Doric columns, a central entrance hall, paneled wainscoting, reception rooms with fireplaces, Federal-style woodwork, and an ornamental staircase with a molded handrail and slender square balusters. Historic plasterwork and bas-relief decoration survived despite the property's period of neglect. The original house has been restored to an appearance associated with the early nineteenth century, while a 1907 remodeling is part of its later architectural history. A small stone smokehouse is the only surviving outbuilding identified in the reference material. Belmont Manor House and the surrounding property are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In November 2019, ClubCorp acquired Belmont Country Club from Toll Golf along with six other East Coast private golf and lifestyle clubs. The house currently operates in the context of that private club, combining heritage preservation with hospitality, dining, golf-community, and event functions.
- 2019
ClubCorp acquires Belmont Country Club
[1]ClubCorp acquires Belmont Country Club from Toll Golf in a transaction involving seven East Coast clubs.
- 1995
Toll Brothers begins restoration and golf-community development
[1]Toll Brothers acquires Belmont, restores the manor, and incorporates it into a gated golf community.
- 1963
IBM converts the house into a retreat center
[1]IBM purchases Belmont and adapts it for management retreats.
- 1931
Hurley ownership begins
[1]After McLean's bloodstock is dispersed, the estate is sold to Patrick J. Hurley.
- 1915
McLean ownership and equestrian development
[1]Edward B. McLean acquires the property and adds a Thoroughbred stable and training track.
- 1907
John Scott Ferguson acquires Belmont
[1]Ferguson purchases the estate; the property was also remodeled around this period.
- 1887
Frederick P. Stanton becomes owner
[1]The former Kansas governor purchases Belmont.
- 1836
Margaret Mercer acquires the property
[1]Mercer purchases Belmont with plans for a Christian school for women.
- 1825
Lafayette visits the manor
[1]General and diplomat Lafayette visits Ludwell Lee at Belmont.
- 1812
James Madison visits Belmont
[1]President James Madison reportedly uses Belmont as a refuge during the War of 1812.
Products and positioning
A historic Federal mansion preserved as the architectural centerpiece and clubhouse of a private golf and country-club community.
Historic mansion and clubhouse · 1799
Belmont Manor House
The original two-story Federal mansion built for Ludwell Lee between 1799 and 1802. Its defining features include a Doric-column portico, central hall, paneled reception rooms, fireplaces, Federal woodwork, ornamental stair, and surviving decorative plaster and bas-relief work. Following restoration, it became the architectural centerpiece and clubhouse of Belmont Country Club.
Private golf and country club · 1995
Belmont Country Club
The private golf-community and club operation surrounding Belmont Manor House. The manor functions as its clubhouse, complemented by restaurants and other member-oriented hospitality facilities incorporated during the post-1995 redevelopment.
Brand decisions
2019
ClubCorp acquisition of Belmont Country ClubM&ABackground
ClubCorp expanded its portfolio of private golf and lifestyle clubs on the East Coast.
Action taken
ClubCorp acquired Belmont Country Club from Toll Golf together with six other clubs.
Aftermath
The manor continued to operate as the historic clubhouse within the private club system.
1995
Historic mansion integrated into a golf-community developmentStrategyBackground
Toll Brothers purchased the deteriorated estate while planning a gated golf community around the historic property.
Action taken
Toll Brothers restored the manor and added restaurants and club facilities designed to complement the original architecture.
Aftermath
Belmont Manor House became the clubhouse and historic focal point of Belmont Country Club.
1963
IBM adapts Belmont for management retreatsStrategyBackground
IBM acquired the historic property after its earlier residential and estate uses and repurposed it for corporate management activities.
Action taken
The company used the manor as a management retreat center.
Aftermath
By the 1980s, the house was reported to be in poor condition and needed extensive renovation.
Recent events
- 2019
ClubCorp acquires Belmont Country Club from Toll Golf[1]
M&A
ClubCorp acquired Belmont Country Club and six other East Coast lifestyle golf clubs from Toll Golf in November 2019. Belmont Manor House continued as the historic clubhouse centerpiece.
- 1995
Toll Brothers acquires Belmont property for a planned golf community[1]
M&A · Other
Toll Brothers purchased Belmont and undertook restoration of the deteriorated manor while developing the surrounding gated golf community.
Belmont Manor House restored and adapted as a country-club clubhouse[1]
Other
The restored mansion was integrated with a new addition containing restaurants and club facilities, preserving the historic building's Federal architectural character while giving it a contemporary clubhouse function.
Sources1 sources
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