Biltmore Estate: America's Largest Home

We have always wanted to visit Biltmore House, and we finally seized the opportunity after our rally in Raleigh. George Washington Vanderbilt II, builder of Biltmore, was the grandson of Cornelius (Commodore) Vanderbilt. He never showed much inclination to be a part of the immense family rail and shipping business, so he inherited only a "daughter's share" of the family fortune--a paltry $12 million. When he was 26 years old, he visited Ashville, NC with his mother and fell in love with the area. He used some of his fortune to purchase 125,000 acres of gorgeous, rolling, North Carolina countryside. Then under the influence of a famous architect, Richard Morris Hunt, he elected to design and construct America's most spacious mansion, breaking ground in 1889 and finally moving in on Christmas Eve, 1895. It was patterned after a French Chateau. Three years later, George married Edith Stuyvesant Dresser, an eastern socialite. Imagine her reaction to her new 250 room home!

The Biltmore Lord of the Manor devoted his brief life to reading over 3000 books, traveling abroad, collecting art, and learning to speak eight languages. Biltmore still boasts ownership of a chess set once owned by Napoleon and purchased by George. He was the quintessential country gentleman whose only job was operating his giant edifice, where he experimented with horticulture and animals. The home had electricity, running water, indoor pool, fitness center, bowling alley, stables, and telephones in 1895 when it opened. The estate was supposed to be self-sustaining, but eventually, maintenance costs, staff expenses, and poor investments began to eat into the quiet, introspective, owner's fortune. He would never disclose how much his dream mansion cost to build. George died in 1914 at the age of 51 as the result of an appendectomy gone bad. Edith sold a lot of the land to help meet expenses, but the grand estate still includes 8000 acres.

The Vanderbilt's only child, Cornelia, was married to British diplomat, John Cecil, in an Episcopal church just outside the gates of Biltmore in 1924. The reception was quite an affair, with 1000 guests dancing to the music of two bands. She assumed responsiblity for the estate until she abandoned her family in the 1930s. Ten years later, Cornelia divorcd Cecil, who continued to live at Biltmore until his death in 1954. She spent the rest of her life in Europe and changed her first and last names to avoid publicity. She died in 1976. Her two sons eventually inherited the estate, and remarkably, it is still in owned by one of them, William, who helped the estate reach profitablility in the 1960s. His son, Bill Cecil, has been President and CEO since 1995. This means that Biltmore has been owncd and/or managed by the same family for four generations

The estate is now profitable with the help of a steady stream of one million tourists 365 days a year. It is in great shape, and more and more of it is being opened to the public. The winery produces significant profit. The picturesque, three-mile drive through the estate, with the grandeur of landscaping, flowers, and a conservatory, along with a breathtaking view of the huge masonry home, are worth the price of the tour. This lovely private mansion is still in it's original condition as are the furnishings. Even the ancient Otis elevator is still functional. If you decide to tour Biltmore House, you will get to see four floors of splendor. Yet, you will sense a feeling of sadness when you realize that such wealth, power, and elegance does little to bring a family happiness.