The History Room
George Washington Vanderbilt II (November 14, 1862 – March 6, 1914) was an art collector and member of the prominent Vanderbilt family, which had amassed a huge fortune through steamboats, railroads, and various business enterprises. He built a 250-room mansion, the largest privately-owned home in the United States.
It took 1,000 men six years to build the house. In 1888 he began purchasing land that eventually amounted to 125,000 acres. Construction began a year later by what is reported as 1,000 talented craftsmen, and Biltmore House opened to the family at Christmas 1895.
Biltmore House had underwater lights in its indoor swimming pool at a time when many homes were still lit with candles, oil and gas lamps. Electricity was in its formative years during the home’s construction, so Biltmore architect Richard Morris Hunt decided to wire the home with both Alternating Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC), since at the time no one knew which would become the standard. The latest technology extended all the way to the Vanderbilts’ 70,000 gallon swimming pool.
The architect of the estate’s gardens also created Central Park. Frederick Law Olmsted had co-designed public parks throughout the country, starting with the iconic one in New York City. Now considered one of the fathers of landscape architecture, Olmsted was hired by Vanderbilt to develop the 8,000-acre gardens and grounds.
Biltmore is home to the most-visited U.S. winery. Biltmore’s winery came about after William A.V. Cecil, Vanderbilt’s grandson, planted grapes on the property in 1971. Disappointed with his first vintage, he brought a sixth-generation winemaker from France to North Carolina. In 1983.
The Biltmore House spans more than four acres of floor space, including 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms and 65 fireplaces. It was – and still is – America’s largest home with 250 rooms, ranging from the glass-roofed winter garden to the banquet hall and its 70-foot ceiling to the vast library, home to Vanderbilt’s 23,000-volume book collection.
Photo gallery;
http://www.biltmore.com/visit/photo-gallery
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geor..._Vanderbilt_II
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanderbilt_family
Have toured the house a number of times, at Christamas it's especially made up. I'll try to post some personal stories I know of the House through the day.
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Originally Posted by DGUtley
