The Biltmore Estate
Vanderbilt came to North Carolina to enjoy the beautiful scenery and weather in 1888. He and a friend rode their horses around the mountains of Asheville and it was this visit that Vanderbilt first told anyone of his wish to build a home in the mountainous surroundings. He wasn’t the first to consider this land as a place for a vacation home because as the railroad was built through the mountains in 1880, the popularity of the area increased significantly. What many don’t know is that Vanderbilt was wanting the land to build a home for his mother since she was often ill with chronic malaria. He also faced the fear of tuberculosis throughout his whole life, so this kind of climate would be very suite him as well.
After a short time, Vanderbilt actually hired McNamee, an attorney, to begin buying portions of land for his new home. His original piece of land overlooked the summit of Mount Pisgah and the ridgeline around a magnificent peak. This land covered all four counties in North Carolina. When Vanderbilt died he owned 125,000 acres that surrounded this home. Vanderbilt hired two architects to build his home and they were to model the home after two other impressive houses. One of these was in Buckinghamshire, England called the Waddesdon Manor. This beautiful house was also a place of retreat and rest for its owner, Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild. Furthermore, Vanderbilt wanted to make his home a place where he could parade many works of art and several styles of furniture just like in this famous European manner. Interestingly enough, the architects of the two houses were friends and exchanged their plans for each house with each other. This is why there are numerous similarities between the two houses, such as the spiraling staircases. The Waddesdon Manor was a model for the grand estate that Vanderbilt long to build, but the Chateau de Blois in the Loire Valley in France was also an incentive for him and his designer.
After a short time, Vanderbilt actually hired McNamee, an attorney, to begin buying portions of land for his new home. His original piece of land overlooked the summit of Mount Pisgah and the ridgeline around a magnificent peak. This land covered all four counties in North Carolina. When Vanderbilt died he owned 125,000 acres that surrounded this home. Vanderbilt hired two architects to build his home and they were to model the home after two other impressive houses. One of these was in Buckinghamshire, England called the Waddesdon Manor. This beautiful house was also a place of retreat and rest for its owner, Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild. Furthermore, Vanderbilt wanted to make his home a place where he could parade many works of art and several styles of furniture just like in this famous European manner. Interestingly enough, the architects of the two houses were friends and exchanged their plans for each house with each other. This is why there are numerous similarities between the two houses, such as the spiraling staircases. The Waddesdon Manor was a model for the grand estate that Vanderbilt long to build, but the Chateau de Blois in the Loire Valley in France was also an incentive for him and his designer.
It is important to note that at first Vanderbilt did not intend for his house to be a museum and open to the public. This was going to be his home in which he would entertain and spend time with family and guests. Vanderbilt had the comfort of his guests in mind when creating his home. For example, although he could not swim, he built a swimming pool in his house for the pleasure of his guests anyways. Also, he built a gym and bowling alley. He also had central heating that moved throughout the house through boilers and cool air circulated through the chimneys in the summertime. Elevators and electricity allowed life in the house to be enjoyable and carefree as well.
Olmstead worked just as hard on designing the outside of the house as Hunt worked on designing the inside of the house. He created a nine-mile drive through the land that eventually ends up at the front doors of the house. However, during this drive, visitors can appreciate the many different kinds of plants, flowers, herbs, and trees. It is a truly a masterpiece that is enjoyed by all.
The estate was opened to family and friends on Christmas Eve of 1895. George’s mother, Maria Louisa Kissam Vanderbilt lived there with him and helped him greet and host when guests came to visit the grand estate. However, three years after the opening of the Biltmore, Vanderbilt met Edith Stuyvesant Dresser in 1898 and shortly married. Edith came from a very prominent family and was quite wealthy herself. They both belonged and socialized in the same proper circles and they both liked to travel between America and Europe quite often. Vanderbilt and his wife had a little girl, Cornelia, in 1900 at the Biltmore Estate and this attracted national attention. Throughout the years, the guests were always plentiful at the house, and the grounds are always kept manicured.
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