We had the opportunity to visit the Vanderbilt Estate in Asheville, North Carolina around Christmas, which allows you to see all of the seasonal decorations. They have reduced their time-entrant requirement by a significant factor. Due to COVID-19 screening and distancing, if you miss your time, you are out! So, be early.
Tickets are pricey, but allow you to visit the house, greenhouse, barns, and the Antler Hill Village, and get a free tasting of Biltmore wine! A bit of history about the estate.
George Vanderbilt was the grandson of the industrialist and philanthropist Cornelius Vanderbilt. He had made his money in shipping and railroads. George visited Asheville, North Carolina for the first time in 1887, where he fell in love with the Blue Ridge Mountains.
He bought the land in 1888, and in 1889 begins to build the largest residence in America: 4 acres of floor space, 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, and 250-rooms within the French renaissance chateau. It took 6 years to complete, with an entire town developing around it to house the craftsman and workers. It was officially opened on Christmas eve 1895, completely decorated and festive in every way!
This was the 125-year anniversary of the event, and so they completely decorated the house in a similar fashion (every year they used completely different decorations for the trees, garlands and other festivities).
Vanderbilt married Edith Stuyvesant Dresser, a descendant of Peter Stuyvesant, the first governor of Dutch colonial New York, in 1898, and after honeymooning in Italy, they began to live at Biltmore. Their own child, Cornelia, was born in the Louis XV room August 22, 1900.
Only 14 years later, at age 51, George died. Edith continued his legacy of philanthropy, selling approximately 87,000 acres of the estate to the United States Forest Service for less than $5 an acre. In 1971,
William Cecil (son of Cornelia) planted the first vines at Biltmore, and not satisfied with the bottling, went to France and hired a sixth-generation wine master, Philippe Jourdain, to be Biltmore’s first winemaker. They have sold wine ever since.
The house was not crowded and was beautifully decorated for the holidays. The art, tapestries, wall coverings, window drapes, and carpets were most elaborate. We found out that during current renovations and refurbishments, the original companies that made the drapes, carpets, etc., were still in business, with the house’s patterns on file, to truly re-create the pieces perfectly!
We enjoyed seeing the full-length bowling alley, the indoor swimming pool, a bachelor’s wing with gym (including a rowing machine and needle showers to stimulate blood flow) and pool rooms, along with the kitchens, walk-in refrigerators, and the oldest running Otis elevator still in operation in the world!
Truly a spectacular opportunity to enjoy the architecture and workmanship of a bygone era.
