Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-05-29
Belmont 10 Be Scene
OF Leesburg Garden
Club Flower Show
Madison Fled to Historic
Home Of HurIeys When
British Threatened
By JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

DCPdi liils 1lOHl lGS 14-yedI -Olu
precedent of holding its annual
flower show in the autumn, the
Leesburg Garden Club is inaugu-
rating a summer one on Friday,
from to $50 pm, at Belmont
Plantation, historical home of
former Secretary of War and Mrs.
Patrick j. Hurley. The estate is
on Route 7, near Leesburg.
Both the house and garden of
this Colonial mansion will be open
to the public for the benefit of the
vegetable garden of the Loudoun
County Hospital in Leesburg.
The estate is part of the original
Northern Neck or Culpeper grant
from Lord Fairfax to Richard Henry
Lee, signer of the Declaration Of
Independence.
Ludwell Lee, son of Richard
Henry Lee, who built Belmont
in 1900 and lived there until 1886, is
buried in the garden beside the
home which he loved, and where
he entertained President Madison,
James Monroe and the Marquis
de Lafayette in 1925.
Mantle Gift Of Jefferson.
The mantle in the drawing room,
which will hold some of the flower
exhibits, was presented to Lud-
we'll Lee by his friend, Thomas
Jefferson.
AS the guest of Ludwell Lee in
1914. when he had fled the Nations
Capital, upon the advice of Secre-
tary of State Monroe, because its
capture seemed highly imminent by
the British, President Madison for
nearly two weeks directed the Ma
tons affairs from Belmont. At
nearby Rokeby Plantation, the
Governments important documents
such as the Declaration of indie
pendence and the Constitution of
the United States were kept while
Monroe was at Belmont. Thus, for
almost fortnight, Loudoun County
in this vicinity may claim to have
been the de facto Capital of the
United States.
Slaves Held Lighted Torches.
Across the highway, Cotton Lee,
cousin of Ludwell, had built his
home at almost the same time,
naming it Cotton after an earlier
English home of the Lees. Tradition
has 1t, that during a great festival
held simultaneously at both Bel
mont and Cotton for the distin-
guished Frenchman, double line of
slaves held flaming torches to light
the way for the celebrants, as they
passed from one house to another.
The present stone house now stand
ing at Cotton was built in 1881, MOTH
ing remaining of the original Cotton
mansion house but portion of its
foundations.
Shortly after the death of Lud-
well Lee, Belmont was acquired by
Miss Margaret Mercer, who. born
in 1871, was the daughter of Gov.
John Franklin Mercer of Maryland.
Here Miss Mercer conducted a ia
nous school for young ladies until
her death in 1916. One of the free
thinking feminists of her era, she
WOO OIL CoAly duNOCdOC VI Vic
abolition of slavery and built near
by Belmont chapel.
Mrs. Osborn Is President.
Mrs. T. Frank Osborn is the pres
ident Of the Leesburg Garden Club,
under whose auspices Belmont will
be open to the public and Miss
Eleanor M. Chamberlain of Clifton,
Paeonian Springs, Loudon County,
is general chairman of the flower
show.
There will be a sweepstake prize
for the highest number of points
in the show. All classes, which must
consist of not less than three or
more than six varieties to COL
lection, are open to any amateur
flower grower, except the inter-club
competition consisting of flowers
using tones of two primary colors
and the arrangements of white
flowers in white containers suitable
for brides luncheon. The latter is
open only to members Of the Lees
burg Garden Club.
For the tone picture combination
of flowers in two primary colors,
q silver bowl will be presented by
Mrs. Pere Wilmer to Be won three
times by one club. This competition
u open To nj VirRints Rarden cllihg.