Built in 1799 by Ludwell Lee, whose father was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, the Belmont Manor House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. James Madison called the Belmont property home, as did a number of other notable figures of the 19th and 20th centuries, including the McLean family, owners of the famed Hope Diamond. The area is also home to a rich equestrian tradition, including steeplechase racing and fox hunting, that dates from early colonial times.