Westmoreland Davis, a New York lawyer, had roots in Virginia and purchased Morven Park in 1903. He and his wife were avid equestrians, and they quickly became involved in the Virginia fox hunting community. Davis was a founding member of the Loudoun Hunt and served as Master of Foxhounds. He later made Morven Park into an agricultural showpiece, while his wife developed formal boxwood gardens near the house. He served as Virginia's governor from 1918–1922. He and his wife were the last private owners of the estate, which is now run as a nonprofit organization that raises money to keep the park open to the public.