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 A
national treasure,
Biltmore Estate’s importance to
Asheville cannot be
understated, and as one
of the
major attractions in Western
North Carolina warrants a chapter unto itself. A visit to Biltmore
Estate, in the opinion of the author, is a must for anyone coming to
Asheville.
Although it is not formally part of the present
Biltmore Estate,
Biltmore Village is included here since it was originally
conceived of by George Vanderbilt. The architecture of the original
village buildings, especially the Cathedral of All Souls, clearly
reflects the spirit of Vanderbilt’s vision.
 Biltmore
Village:
When George W. Vanderbilt began building Biltmore Estate near
Asheville in the late 1880s, he planned a picturesque manorial
village to be built just outside the entrance to Biltmore Estate.
Constructed in the early 1900s, the Village was primarily the work
of Richard Hunt, Frederick Law Olmsted and Richard Smith. Today,
Biltmore Village is a charming community of shops, restaurants and
galleries offering world class shopping in an historic setting. Be
sure and take time to park your car and take a walking tour of the
many shops housed in the original historic buildings.
Planning began in 1889 and by 1896 the streets
were laid in a fan shape. At the front of the railroad depot,
Olmsted (who was instrumental in developing the village plan) placed
a plaza, a simple diamond-shaped area framed by larger commercial
buildings. At the opposite end of this axis, the Church of All Souls
dominated the view as the tallest building in the Village. These
primary elements of the central spine of the Village still dominate
the scene today.
All other streets were laid out in short lengths,
with views terminated into lots at the end. The result is that views
are contained within the Village so that the “outside world” does
not intrude into the setting. All Souls Church (now Cathedral of All
Souls), parish house, estate office and the railway station were
then built. Buildings were added to the Village until about 1910,
and shortly after Vanderbilt’s death, the Village was sold. It was
declared a National Historic District and a Local Historic District
in 1989.
Buildings of special historical interest in Biltmore
Village are the Cathedral Of All Souls, the Administration Building
at 1 Biltmore Plaza, the Depot, The Samuel Harrison Reed House at
119 Dodge Street and the cottages throughout the main section of the
village. Located at 7 Biltmore Plaza is the Biltmore Village
Historic Museum, a free, nonprofit museum. Its purpose is to share
information about the Village from 1889 to the present through
displays of pictures, maps, antique postcards and artifacts.
Biltmore Village is also noted for its Christmas
festival that surrounds the enacting of Charles Dickens’ “A
Christmas Carol.” This enchanting festival includes concerts,
lighting displays and arts and crafts exhibits.
 Biltmore
Estate:
A visit to Biltmore is an event, so you’ll want to give yourself at
least 4-6 hours to explore the house, grounds, and winery. You’ll
find numerous shops throughout the estate, all with an uncommon
selection of special gifts, accessories, and mementos of your visit.
Don’t forget to allow time to browse them all.
Like the estate itself, Biltmore’s restaurants
offer a delicious blend of American and European flavors. Dining
choices range from the distinctly American fare of the Stable Café
to the seasonal buffets of the Deerpark Restaurant.
Every trip to Biltmore, no matter the time of year, is
a new and exciting experience, whether you come for the breathtaking
Festival of Flowers in the spring or the celebrated Candlelight
Christmas Evenings. The beauty of Biltmore Estate is ever-changing,
with new wonders and delights appearing every season. In the
springtime, the gardens explode with brilliant color, calling for
the celebration of the spring Festival of Flowers. Summertime brings
lush greenery to the hillsides, deep shade in the cool,
wooded groves, and Summer Evenings Concerts performed on the South
Terrace. December brings the splendor of an elaborate 19th century
Christmas to every corner of the decorated mansion. Finally, winter
is a time when guests can enjoy the special presentations regarding
many of the preservation projects taking place in the house.
Many people dream of living in a house as grand as
Biltmore House but few people get to realize their dreams the way
George Vanderbilt did in 1895, when construction of his new country
home was
 completed.
George Vanderbilt’s dream first began to take shape in 1887, when he
visited Asheville on holiday. Enchanted by the remote majesty of the
Blue Ridge Mountains, he decided to make Asheville the site of his
country estate. Commissioning architect Richard Morris Hunt, he set
out to create a mansion modeled after the châteaux of France’s Loire
Valley. They began to collect the fines t building materials from all
over the United States. It took an army of stonecutters and artisans
six years to construct Biltmore House, which is today the largest
private home in America, situated on more than eight thousand acres.
George Vanderbilt filled his 250-room mansion with
treasures he had collected during his world travels. Works by
Albrect Dürer, John Singer Sargent, and Pierre Auguste Renoir cover
the walls. Exquisite furniture and oriental rugs fill each room. And
Minton china graces elaborate table settings. Guests of Mr.
Vanderbilt had their choice of 32 guest rooms, and could pass the
time in the Billiard Room, Winter Garden, Tapestry Gallery, or
countless other sitting rooms and be entertained in the Gymnasium,
Bowling Alley, or indoor swimming pool.
Ever mindful of his guest's comfort, Mr. Vanderbilt
equipped his house with a centralized heating system, mechanical
refrigeration, electric lights and appliances, and indoor
bathrooms—all unheard of luxuries at the turn of the century. Today,
Biltmore House visitors can see the house virtually as it was in
George Vanderbilt’s day because its sculptures, paintings,
furnishings, and household items have been carefully preserved.
Biltmore Estate
Information:
Website:
Biltmore Estate
Location: South
Asheville, adjacent to
Biltmore Village
Telephone: General Information, 800-543-2961, 828-274-6333
Corporate Offices, 818-255-1776
Individual Ticket Sales: 800-411-3812
Group Ticket Sales, 828-274-6230
Inn on Biltmore Estate, (800) 858-4130, 828-225-1600
Hours: Biltmore Estate is closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
but open on New Year’s Day. Biltmore Estate also has a number of
special events including Summer Evenings Concerts and Candlelight
Christmas Evenings (early November through Christmas, taking place
after normal hours.) Reservations are required.
Estate Entrance Hours (Subject to change without notice): 8:30 a.m.-
7 p.m. Admissions
gate closes at 4 p.m.
Biltmore House front door closes at 4:30 p.m.
Admission Gate and Welcome Center: 8:30 a.m. -4 p.m..
Biltmore House Hours: January-December daily 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Fees: Prices vary seasonally and depending on method of
purchase (Online or at gate). 2011 prices are quoted. Adults $69.00,
Youth 10-16 $34.50 Children nine and under free when accompanied by
paying adult.
Admission Tickets Includes: Self-guided visit of Biltmore
House, all-day access to gardens and Antler Hill Village,
complimentary wine tasting and guided tour at the Winery, dining and
shopping opportunities and free parking.
Outdoor Activities: Stop by the Outdoor Center in Antler Hill
Village to check the many outdoor activities available at Biltmore
Estate. These include Carriage Rides, Horseback Riding, River Float
Trips, Biking, Hiking, Segway Tours, Sporting Clays, Fly-fishing
School and Land Rover Driving School. Estate outdoor activities are
available by reservation to estate daytime guests, Biltmore
Twelve-Month Passholders, and Inn on Biltmore Estate guests. Call
800-411-3812 for more information
Allow: Four to six hours minimum.
Nearby:
Thomas Wolfe Memorial,
Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa,
Biltmore Village
Antler Hill Village and Winery:
Antler Hill Village is a casual place extending the Biltmore
experience, from the fun and relaxing Winery to exhibits at The
Biltmore Legacy to delectable pub fare and ale at Cedric's Tavern.
You can also enjoy live entertainment on the Village Green, explore
farm life in the early 1900s at the Farm, and get ready to explore
our 8,000-acre backyard at the Outdoor Adventure Center. The
village's name comes from Antler Hill, the "fine high ridge" where
the Inn on Biltmore Estate is located. From the Civil War into the
1930s, the ridge was the site of Antler Hall, a residence and social
center for many estate families. Main features at Antler Hill
Village include:
Winery: Guests enter the Winery from Antler Hill Village
where they walk underground through the old dairy's original tunnel,
designed to immediately engage all of the sense into the winemaking
process. As part of the tours offered at the Winery, guest can enjoy
wines in the Tasting Rooms. On display also at the Winery is Edith
Vanderbilt's 1913 Stevens-Duryea Model C-Six. This rare piece is the
only car George Vanderbilt purchased that remains in the estate's
collection.
The Biltmore Legacy: Discover the many sides of Edith
Vanderbilt, George Vanderbilt's wife, or learn how the Cecils
preserve Biltmore's legend of gracious hospitality. This facility
includes exhibits filled with slices of estate life, including
archival letters, photos and drawings illustrating how the
Vanderbilts lived. A small theater features a film narrated by Dini
Cecil Pickering that shares the family story from the Vanderbilts
today.
Village Green and Bandstand: The centerpiece of Antler Hill
Village, the Village Green has a gently sloping area perfect for
people watching, listening to live music each afternoon, or relaxing
with a snack or picnic.
Outdoor Adventure Center: Outdoor activities available at
Biltmore Estate includ Carriage
Rides, Horseback Riding, River Float Trips, Biking, Hiking, Segway
Tours, Sporting Clays, Fly-fishing School and Land Rover Driving
School. Tickets are available at the Outdoor Adventure Center, as
well as outdoor gear and clothing.
Antler Hill Farm: The Farm offers a glimpse into the
agricultural past of Biltmore Estate. Traditional farming
demonstrations take place there, including authentic blacksmithing
by local crafts persons. The Farmyard house animals -sheep, goats,
chickens, cows and horses that children can see up close and
personal. The Kitchen Gardens showcase fragrant herbs and vegetables
used in Biltmore's restaurants.
Cedric's Tavern: Named after George Vanderbilt's beloved St.
Bernard, Cedric, this warm, relaxing pub reflects the less formal
side of Biltmore dining and entertaining. Specialties include
shepherd's pie and fish and chips.
Tours
& Seminars:
Audio Guide to Biltmore House:
Storytelling audio guide that leads you room-by-room sharing stories
of occupants.
Biltmore House Architect's Tour: Guided 60-minute tour that
offers a closer look at the design and construction of Biltmore
House by going into areas not on regular house visit. Stunning views
and photo opportunities from rooftop and balconies.
Biltmore House Butler's Tour: See how Biltmore House
functioned, past and present, and learn about the work of the
domestic servants during this 60-minute guided tour, which takes you
into unrestored rooms and mechanical areas not open to the public on
the regular house visit.
Vanderbilt Family & Friends Tour: This new guided tour spurs
your imagination about staying at Biltmore with the Vanderbilts as
your hosts. Tour bedrooms not on the regular house visit outfitted
with clothing and accessories from the 1900s as your hear stories
from your host about customs of the time and the fascinating people
who visited Biltmore.
Premium Biltmore House Tour:
Tour
the house for two hours with a guide assigned to you exclusively.
Includes areas seen in the Butlers Tour, Architects Tour, and House
Tours.
Legacy of the Land Tour:
Take a motorcoach tour of the estate and learn about the history of
the land, structures, and former residents. Visit areas not usually
open to guests.
Winery Behind The Scenes Guided Walking Tour: Guests are
guided on a walking tour of the Winery production areas. See and
learn the difference between making red wine and white wine, as well
as the bottling process. The tour ends in the Champagne finishing
room where guests learn how true French style sparkling wines are
made.
Farm Guided Walking Tour: Take a tour of what everyday life
was like on the estate at the turn of the century. Meet friendly
farmyard animals, a blacksmith, a woodworker, and try your hand at
churning butter. Stroll through the stunning Kitchen Garden.
Farm Wagon Rides: Tour departs from the Farm's Kitchen Garden
entrance in Antler Hill Village.
Red Wine & Chocolate Seminar at Winery: Discover why
chocolate and red wine is a match made in heaven. Please register at
the Winery Portal area in Antler Hill Village.
Biltmore Estate Lodging:
Inn on Biltmore Estate: Superb is the one word to describe
the Inn on Biltmore Estate. Opened in 2001, it is the newest
addition to George Vanderbilt’s turn-of-the-century retreat. The
213-room luxury
 accommodation
provides guests with an opportunity to enjoy Vanderbilt-style
hospitality firsthand. Located on the east side of the estate above
the Winery, it affords spectacular views of Biltmore House. At
165,000 sq. ft., the Inn offers banquet meeting rooms, two executive
boardrooms, 213 exquisitely appointed guest rooms and suites, a
150-seat dining room, library, lobby bar, exterior swimming pool and
fitness center. Amenities offered to guests include walking and
hiking trails, carriage rides, horseback riding, mountain hiking and
river float trips. The design of this world-class facility is in
keeping with gracious resorts of the turn-of-the-century, and
elements and accents from the magnificent Biltmore House are
everywhere. Many design materials and elements reflect other estate
structures incorporating fieldstone stucco and a slate roof similar
to that found on the house. The large lobby fireplace, the inn
library and Indiana fieldstone reception desk all further reinforce
the perception that one is truly in a creation inspired by the
vision of George Vanderbilt. Landscaping reflects the style of
landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead and his overall plan for
Biltmore Estate.
Address: One Antler Ridge Road, Asheville NC 28801
Telephone: 800-858-4130, 828-225-1600
Biltmore Estate Dining:
Restaurants:
Arbor Grill:
(Antler Hill Village) Savor al fresco dining beside the
wintery. Delicious food, wine and the natural beauty of Biltmore
come together at the Arbor Grill to give you an ultimate Biltmore
experience. Live musicians entertain Friday through Sunday. Open
year round for lunch and dinner, 12:00 - 8:00 p.m., weather
permitting.
Bistro:
(Antler Hill Village) Open daily for lunch and dinner. The
menu includes soups, salads, wood-fired pizza, homemade pasta,
desserts, a children’s menu, and entrées featuring estate-raised
beef, lamb, and veal. Located at the Winery, the Bistro opens
year-round from 12 -8 pm. 828-274-6341
Cedric's Tavern:
(Antler Hill Village) Offering satisfying pub fare
alongside robustly flavored American and global cuisine presented
with Biltmore flair. Open daily for lunch, dinner, and late night
entertainment.
Deerpark Restaurant:
Originally part of the estate’s farm operation, Deerpark is open
late March-December 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Deerpark offers delicious
southern specialties served buffet-style in an outdoor atmosphere.
To make arrangements for group dining, call 828-274-6260.
Stable Cafe:
(Stable courtyard next to Biltmore House) Formerly the Biltmore
Estate carriage house and stables, the Stable Café is open from 11
a.m. to 5 p.m. The menu includes rotisserie chicken, Biltmore beef,
fresh salads, burgers, desserts, and a full selection of drinks
including wine and beer. Open year-round from 11 a.m. -4 p.m.
828-274-6370.
The Dining Room:
(Inn
on Biltmore Estate) The Dining Room at the Inn on Biltmore
Estate with breakfast, lunch and dinner available to inn guests. The
restaurant features estate-raised products and a regional cuisine
paired with Biltmore Estate wines.
Light Bites:
Bake
Shop:
(Stable courtyard next to Biltmore House) Serves espresso, gourmet
coffees, herbal teas, and freshly baked goods daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Conservatory Cafe:
(Conservatory) Good news for garden lovers—you really can spend the
whole day wandering the gardens and greenhouses, and when you're
ready for refreshment, the Conservatory Café is right there in the
open air with Biltmore wines, frozen daiquiris, light snacks and
deli sandwiches.
Courtyard Market: (Stable courtyard next to Biltmore House)
Specializing in Sicilian-style thin crust pizza, great hot dogs,
snacks, beer, wine, and cold beverages.
Creamery: (Antler Hill Village) Ice cream, gourmet coffee,
cupcakes, deserts and drinks.
Ice Cream Parlor:
(Stable courtyard next to Biltmore House) Located in the stable
courtyard next to the house, the Ice Cream Parlor serves specialty
ice cream, yogurt treats, beverages, and picnics for two. Open
year-round 11 am.-5 p.m. seasonally.
Smokehouse:
(The Farm in Antler Hill Village) Carolina barbeque, quick
sandwiches and light snacks at the Farm.
Wine Bar:
(Winery in Antler Hill Village) Biltmore wines accompanied with
light far.
Biltmore Estate Shopping:
A Christmas Past:
(Stable area near Biltmore House) Offers an assortment of
Christmas ornaments and music.
A Gardener’s Place: (Conservatory lower level)
Features estate-grown plants, gardening accessories, books and
gifts.
Bookbinder’s: (Stable area near Biltmore House)
Filled with books relating to the Vanderbilt family and the Gilded
Age.
Carriage House: (Stable area near Biltmore House)
Carries gifts, decorative accessories, and Biltmore Estate wines.
Confectionery: (Stable area near Biltmore House)
Offers a delectable array of sweets.
Cottage Door: (The Inn on Biltmore Estate) Unique children's
items, gourmet snacks, chocolates and amenities such as newspapers,
magazine and toiletries.
Gate House:
(Just
outside main entrance to Biltmore Estate). Features Biltmore Estate
reproductions, decorative accessories, and a full selection of fine
estate wines. The only estate shop accessible without ticket
purchase.
Marble Lion: (The Inn on Biltmore Estate) Sophisticated
apparel and luxury items.
Mercantile:
(The
Barn at the Farm at Antler Hill Village) Appalachian crafts, dry
goods and old-fashioned candy.
Outdoor Adventure Center: (Village Green in Antler Hill
Village) Explore the many different outdoor activities offered at
Biltmore Estate, plus purchase clothing and sundries.
Toymaker's:
(Stable area near Biltmore House) Features old-fashioned
toys and games.
Traditions:
(Village Green in Antler Hill Village) Offers a graceful mix of
products inspired by envisioning how Edith Vanderbilt would
entertain her guests today—carrying forward her renowned hospitality
and sense of style. Decorative home accents including tabletop
accessories and home décor that blend perfectly in today’s homes,
plus pottery and jewelry crafted by local artisans.
Wine Shop:
(Winery in Antler Hill Village) offering fine wines, gourmet
foods, kitchen accessories, and other gifts.
 Equestrian
Center:
Bring your own horse and explore more than 80 miles of estate
trails—the same paths used by the Vanderbilts and their guests at
the turn of the century. Enjoy wide, well-marked trails through
pristine forests, green pastures, and along the banks of the French
Broad River. Choose from five different 10–30 mile loops. Several
trails include optional jumps and are suitable for carriages.
Horseback riding is also offered for visitors who do not bring their
own horses. For more information call the
Estate Equestrian Center at 828-225-1454.
 The
Gardens:
George Vanderbilt commissioned Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of
New York’s Central Park, to create the stunning backdrop for his
château. The resulting gardens and grounds are as spectacular as the
house itself. A feast for the eyes, the ten acres of gardens also
feature a remarkable array of flowers—many blooming through most of
the year. From the orderly, manicured grounds framing the house to
the lush forestland covering the mountains, the estate was carefully
planned and designed by Olmsted’s judicious hand. Today the grounds
are still exquisitely maintained, and you are invited to explore
them at your leisure.
 The
Winery:
Your visit to Biltmore Estate is not complete without a visit to the
winery, which is located in the Estate’s original dairy barns. Here
you will find a charming and relaxed atmosphere. While there, you
may view the production areas and see the careful attention that
goes into producing Biltmore’s award-winning wines. After deciding
on your favorite wines during the complimentary tasting, a
delightful shopping experience awaits you in the Wine Shop, where
you can purchase a wide selection of Biltmore wines.
 Lodge
Gate
The entrance to Biltmore Estate is through the Lodge Gate opposite
Biltmore Village. Both its bricks and roof tiles were made on the
Estate. Beyond the Lodge Gate, the approach road winds for three
miles through a deliberately controlled landscape. The road runs
along the ravines instead of the ridges, creating a deep natural
forest with pools, springs and streams. Around the last turn, the
visitor passes through the iron gates and pillars that are topped by
early 19th century stone sphinxes, and then into the expansive court
of Biltmore House.
 Statue
of Diana
Located inside a small temple at the top of the hill beyond the
Rampe Douce at Biltmore Estate is a statue which represents Diana.
Diana was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, twin sister of Apollo and
one of the twelve Olympians. As protector of wild animals, deer were
especially sacred to her, which is particularly appropriate for
Biltmore, with its large native deer population. Diana is usually
portrayed with a bow and arrow and quiver, as she is here. The dog
next to her in the statue could represent fidelity or chastity.
 The
Entrance Lions
Guarding the main entrance at Biltmore House are two massive carved
stone lions that survey visitors with magnificently serene
countenances. Carved of Rosso di Verona marble that is from near San
Ambrogio Valpolicello in Italy, these lions are believed to date to
the late nineteenth century and were not put in place until late
1899 or early 1900.
 Biltmore
House
George Vanderbilt commissioned two of America’s most renowned
designers to help plan his estate. His friend Richard Morris Hunt,
the first American to receive an architectural degree from the Ecole
des Beaux Arts in Paris, was the architect of Biltmore House, and
Frederick Law Olmsted was chosen to lay out the gardens and parks
surrounding the house.
For his house, Mr. Vanderbilt chose the period of the
great 16th century châteaux, known as the Francis I style. In 1895,
when the house was formally opened, it was named Biltmore from Bildt,
the name of the Dutch town from which the family’s ancestors came
(van der Bildt), and “more,” an old English word for rolling, upland
country.
Biltmore House became a favorite home for Mr.
Vanderbilt and his wife, Edith Stuyvesant Dresser and their only
child, Cornelia. Upon Cornelia’s marriage to John Francis Amherst
Cecil, it became the Cecils’ residence.
To build Biltmore House, beginning in the summer of
1890, a thousand workers were steadily engaged for six years. A
three-mile railway spur from the present Biltmore Station had to be
built to carry materials to the site. Hundreds of workmen from the
local area and artisans from all over the country and Europe came to
carve and fit limestone that came from Indiana. So massive are some
of these limestone blocks that one in the retaining wall weighs over
three tons. So great was the project that a brick manufacturing
facility was established on the estate grounds to satisfy the need
for building materials. One of the greatest private houses in
America, Biltmore House, once seen, will never be forgotten.
 The
Tea House
The Tea House in the southwest corner of the South Terrace was an
addition landscape-architect Frederick Law Olmsted advocated
throughout the construction of Biltmore House. He viewed it as a
much-needed focal point and an ideal spot from which to contemplate
the mountains.
The Italian Garden
Designed by Olmsted, the Italian Garden is
located to the east of the lower terrace adjacent to Biltmore House.
Its three formal pools are part of a design concept that dates back
to the 16th century. These gardens have an architectural purity in
which the plantings are secondary to the design. Nature is
completely controlled and the gardens serve as an extension of the
house. The outline of the three pools, grass areas and the paths are
all part of a symmetrical design. The nearest pool contains the
sacred lotus of Egypt. In the second are aquatic plants and in the
third, water lilies.
 The
Conservatory
The Conservatory was used to provide citrus fruit, flowers, and
plants for Biltmore House during Vanderbilt’s time. It is located at
the far end of the four-acre Walled Garden, the lower half of which
contains the Rose Garden featuring 159 of 161 All-American Rose
selections as well as more than 2,300 other roses of the finest
varieties. The Conservatory, restored in 1999, serves the same
function today as it did in Vanderbilt’s time: providing cut flowers
and ornamental plants for the house and growing bedding plants for
the estate’s gardens.
 The
Winery Clock Tower
One of the highlights at Biltmore Estate’s Winery is Richard Morris
Hunt’s European winery clock tower. Since the winery was previously
a dairy, the central clock tower with its “candle-snuffer” roof
originally had only three working faces; the side toward the pasture
featured a painted-on clock, as the grazing cows did not need to
know the time.
The
Winery
The Winery, opened in 1985, followed George Vanderbilt’s original
concept of a self-supporting European estate. The 96,500 square-foot
facility is located in buildings designed by Richard Morris Hunt as
part of the dairy operation on Biltmore Estate. The winery complex
with its half-timbered woodwork, pebbledash plaster and decorative
brickwork is reminiscent of a rural landscape of the 19th century.
Today the buildings house state-of-the-art wine making equipment,
cellars for wine storage, an elaborately stenciled tasting room, and
the spacious Wine Shop. The winery is also home to the Bistro, which
offers excellent continental Bistro-style fare.
 Deerpark
Restaurant
Deerpark Restaurant is part of a series of handsome outbuildings
designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt in the 1890s for George
Vanderbilt’s farm operations at Biltmore Estate. Originally a dairy
barn, Deerpark has been renovated into a unique open-air restaurant
in a beautiful pastoral setting. The historic architectural
detailing includes pebbledash plaster, half-timbered woodwork, and
decorative brickwork. The name Deerpark is taken from a nearby area
of the estate which George Vanderbilt set aside as a deer preserve.
 Vignette:
George Washington Vanderbilt, III
William Henry Vanderbilt’s youngest son, George, was born in the
Vanderbilt farmhouse in New Dorp, Staten Island, New York on
November 18, 1862, the youngest of eight children. Little interested
in his father’s business affairs, Vanderbilt was influenced instead
by the collection of art and antiques in his father’s home.
A quite shy person, he began collecting books and
art objects at a young age. After his mother died, George inherited
the family home at 640 Fifth Avenue in New York City and all the art
objects within it, including the large collection of paintings his
father had assembled. He showed no interest in the social world of
the Vanderbilt family, instead preferring the adventure of travel
and the world of books.
After visiting Asheville in the 1880s, which was
then a fashionable resort, he decided to create a home for himself
away from the noise and pace of New York City. During the five years
of the construction of Biltmore House, he was a bachelor. However,
on a trip to Europe in 1896 he met Edith Stuyvesant Dresser and on
June 1, 1898, they were married in a civil ceremony in Paris,
followed the next day by a religious ceremony at the American
Church. Their only child, Cornelia, was born on August 22, 1900.
While George Vanderbilt is well known for his
creation of Biltmore Estate, he also accomplished a number of
important good works in his lifetime. He established the first
school of scientific forestry management practices in the United
States and he also brought modern farming techniques to the
relatively rural area surrounding his estate. Together, the
Vanderbilts started Biltmore Estate Industries in 1901. In this
apprenticeship program, young people were instructed in skills to
produce furniture, baskets, needlework and woven fabric for resale.
George Vanderbilt died in 1914 and was buried in
the family vault on Staten Island. In the memorial service held at
All Souls Church in Biltmore Village, the following remarks were
made:
“Courteous in manner, dignified in deportment, kind in heart and
pure in morals, he was beloved by his friends, honored by his
acquaintances and respected by everyone...”
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