Which vanderbilt built biltmore

Their homes were no exception to the greater mansion trend, and Biltmore became one of seven different Gilded Age Vanderbilt mansions, including:. While the Vanderbilt estates were all impressive in their own right, none could compare to Biltmore — at , square feet, Biltmore is still the largest private residence in the United States. Originally intended as the home of George W. Vanderbilt II, it was built in the French chateau style in Asheville, North Carolina, an area George had visited with his mother as a young man.

At its inception, Vanderbilt envisioned Biltmore as a self-sustaining enterprise, not unlike traditional English estates. Construction of the massive room mansion and the surrounding estate took six years to complete, and George finally opened his new home to family and friends on Christmas Eve, Soon after, he married Edith Stuyvesant Dresser a descendent of Peter Stuyvesant, the first governor of the Dutch colony in present-day New York in , and the two returned to live full-time at the Biltmore Estate.

Cornelia was subsequently raised on the estate, attending both school and weekly church services in Biltmore Village. Edith subsequently finalized the sale of 87, acres of the Biltmore estate to the federal government a deal George had been working on before his death , which she sold on the promise that the land would remain unaltered. This land went on to become the nucleus of Pisgah National Forest.

Other sections of the estate were sold off as well, including Biltmore Village, and Edith only occasionally stayed in the mansion while her daughter attended school elsewhere. Both boys were born in the Louis XV room of Biltmore like their mother, and were also raised on the estate.

During this time, the Vanderbilts at the urging of the city of Asheville opened up the Biltmore estate for the first time to the public, hoping to generate much needed revenue during the Great Depression. However, the house did not receive many visitors during these years, and by World War II the estate had once again closed to the public. She never returned to Biltmore.

Since the early s, new developments on the estate have included hospitality ventures such as Antler Hill Village in and the Village Hotel, completed in The Biltmore estate continues to be a popular tourist attraction, event venue, and productive working estate today.

The Banquet Hall was the central location for the Vanderbilt family celebrations during the Christmas and New Year periods, with a gigantic Christmas tree and stockings hung from the hearth. Upholding the precedence of a decadent holiday season set by George Vanderbilt continues to be a feature of the Biltmore estate.

Experience Christmas traditions the Vanderbilt way from November to early January and delight in storytelling, singing, candlelight evenings, gingerbread houses, decorative mantels, and festive hearths.

Conservation, Environmentalism and Sustainability From the very beginning, George Vanderbilt and his landscape architect, Frederick Olmsted — the co-designer of Central Park in New York — planned and planted the Biltmore estate with conservation and regeneration in mind. The pedigree of the cattle farmed on the estate trace back to the original herd. The estate also farms, according to Global Animal Partnership guidelines, other livestock such as sheep, pigs, and chickens. In , a magnolia tree planted by George and Edith on the birth of their daughter Cornelia in fell into decay.

In its place stands a second-generation magnolia, self-seeded from the original. Subscriber Account active since. The Biltmore Estate is home to the largest privately-owned house in the United States. George Vanderbilt, a prominent businessman from the late 19th and early 20th century, began constructing the Biltmore House in Located in Asheville, North Carolina, the room home took six years to build.

Asheville is a mountain city known for its scenic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The area's most popular destinations include the Blue Ridge Parkway — a mile road around the mountain's peaks — and, of course, the historic Biltmore Estate. Vanderbilt opened the Biltmore House in Over the next 35 years, the estate played an important role in Vanderbilt's family life. In fact, his daughter, Cornelia, and two of his two grandchildren were born there.

George Vanderbilt died in After his death, his wife, Edith, sold around 87, acres of the estate to the United States Forest Service. In , Cornelia and her husband John Cecil opened the house to the public. According to the Biltmore website , it was opened during the Great Depression to boost the area's attraction.

Since then, there have been various additions to the estate, including the Biltmore Winery , the Inn on Biltmore Estate , and the Antler Hill Village , which features the Village Hotel. The Biltmore Estate, which now spans a total of 8, acres, is covered with gardens designed by American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Source: Biltmore. Source: Zillow , City-Data.