North Carolina Mountains - Beautiful Vistas & Great Retreats!

[skimonkey]

Very interesting read Dave. The picture of the library is fantastic among the other pics that you have posted. The book yoi mentioned certainly sounds like one I'd like to put in my reading list. Love biographies.

Thanks for sharing all this!

 

[scifan57]

Thanks for the pictures giradman. If I lived there, I think I'd need more than one AirPort Extreme to cover the whole house.

 

[giradman]

Thanks for the pictures giradman. If I lived there, I think I'd need more than one AirPort Extreme to cover the whole house.

Hi Scifan.. - I suspect that George V. would have had internet in the house if available -

All 'modern' conveniences of the time were included in the house from the beginning, including electricity and the use of Edison light bulbs - below is a quote from HERE - there is a sub-basement tour which we did a few years ago - both D.C. & A.C. current were part of the original plan - the house is wired w/ lightening to reflect the times (i.e. low wattage and 'darker' than one would expect in a modern house but true to the times). Dave

Biltmore House was wired for electricity when it was constructed and had electrical power from 1895 onward. It was one of the first private homes in Western North Carolina to be fully electrified. Plans for the electrical system included provisions for 288 lighting fixtures and 180 outlets. The electrical contractor, C. O. Mailloux of New York, estimated that 25,000 feet of wiring would be required.

• The original electrical circuitry was designed to operate on either alternating or direct current. The advantages and disadvantages of direct (DC) and alternating (AC) current were still being debated when ground was broken for Biltmore House in 1889.
• Since much of the equipment needed for the technological systems in the house would be located in the Sub-basement, it needed to be in place fairly quickly so Hunt and Vanderbilt settled upon the use of DC current, although they made provision for the use of AC as well.

 

[giradman]

Biltmore Estate - Fall & Rise of an American Treasure!

Well, not sure how much interest this post will generate, BUT just some more history of the house through the first half of the 20th century -

As stated previously, George & Edith Vanderbilt had one child in 1900 who was named Cornelia (in honor of her great grandfather Cornelius Vanderbilt who founded the family fortune, yet another story). George died unexpectedly in 1914 following an appendectomy in Washington, D.C. (likely a postoperative pulmonary embolus - he was just 51 y/o); his will left the estate to his daughter when she 'came of age' - as quoted below (from a Wiki article on GWV), much of the property was sold for financial reasons, leaving just 8000 acres remaining today.

Cornelia married a British aristocrat & diplomat, John Cecil in 1924 - they had two sons, both are still alive in their 80s - their children & now grandchildren run the property. In 1930, Cornelia & John opened the house to the public for their own financial needs and to stimulate an increased interest in deteriorating tourism in the Asheville area, yet @ the start of the Great Depression - these were indeed difficult times. About the same time, Edith's attorney, Junius G. Adams (more on him HERE) was placed in charge of the estate and through wise management, including the development of a dairy and eventually a winery (more in a later post), Biltmore survived and prospered and is, I guess, an American success story!

Below just a few pics - the newly wed couple, i.e. Cornelia & John Cecil and remembrance of the dairy which no longer exists - Dave

After his death, George's widow sold approximately 86,000 acres (350 km2) of the property to the United States Forest Service at $5 an acre, fulfilling her husband's wishes to create the core of Pisgah National Forest. She sold additional land as finances demanded; today, about 8,000 acres (32 km2) remain. Edith Dresser Vanderbilt later married Peter Goelet Gerry (1879–1957), a United States Senator from Rhode Island. Cornelia Stuyvesant Vanderbilt (George and Edith Vanderbilt's only child) married British aristocrat, John F. A. Cecil, a descendant of William Cecil in 1924. Her sons, George and William, eventually inherited the property. George Cecil, the older of the two sons, chose to inherit the majority of the estate's land and the Biltmore Farms Company, which was more profitable than the house at the time. The younger son, William Cecil was thus left with Biltmore House, and is credited with preserving the chateau which (though still privately owned) has been opened to the public.

.

 

[giradman]

When did I become aware of the Biltmore House?

Again just a side story which in part relates to the lawyer, Junius G. Adams of Asheville. I grew up in northern Ohio/southern Michigan near the west end of Lake Erie. After high school, I attended the University of Michigan for 7 years (3 undergrad & 4 medical school). In August 1968, at the start of my sophomore year in medical school, I rented a single bedroom in a house just off campus - probably the two most important events occurred in my life at that time. First, my future wife (a social work student) rented a room in the adjacent house (she was from New Jersey), and a fellow rented the attic bedroom in the same house as me - we shared the bathroom.

The 'fellow' was Junius G. Adams, III, known as 'Jay' - he was obtaining a PhD in genetics - we developed an instant attraction and were best friends for the next 3 years - at the time, I knew little of North Carolina and had never heard of the Biltmore House. He married first, and Susan & I in July 1970 - probably in late 1970 (or early 1971 before my graduation), we took a car trip together to Asheville, NC - his hometown; his parents lived in Biltmore Forest (a residential property started by Edith Vanderbilt who insisted on having potential purchasers dine w/ her at the 'house' for a perusal, I guess - ) - SO, Jay grew up in Biltmore Forest near the great house and his grandfather was indeed the famous Junius G. Adams mentioned in my previous post - this trip sealed my decision to leave Michigan (in agreement w/ Susan) for a change in the weather and the locale - I've never regretted (and have relished) in that decision made way back in 1971! Dave

 

[scifan57]

I just finished reading the technological tour of Biltmore you linked to in an earlier post, it was very interesting. Thanks for the link.

 

[giradman]

I just finished reading the technological tour of Biltmore you linked to in an earlier post, it was very interesting. Thanks for the link.

Hi Scifan.. - glad that you enjoyed - that is an excellent link (check out item 7 there on the hot water, plumbing, & bathrooms, if not already read).

In general, for those who might be visiting the Biltmore House, leave some time to take one or several of the additional tours, such as the grounds ('Legacy of the Land') and the basement tour that covers (and shows) the electrical, heating, & water management of the house. Dave

 

[giradman]

Biltmore Winery - History & Visiting!

Well, just a final post from our recent trip about the Biltmore Winery - a summary below from their Website - the original winery is in the 'converted' dairy which is open to tours (there are other buildings for wine production & storage). The winery is the most visited one in the USA (see pics below of tasting room, the winery, and Mr. Cecil).

"Today, Biltmore offers more than 50 different wines and produces 2 million bottles each year." (Source) - the Biltmore Winery was one of the first NC wineries (the state has now over 100 wine facilities), but is unique not only in the number of wines being made but sourcing grapes from areas other that North Carolina, such as California & Washington State - this accounts for the LARGE and varied assortment of wines produced, including three sparklers made in the traditional French champagne method.

So, if you are planning a trip to the Biltmore Estate and enjoy wine, then certainly tour the winery, do a tasting (standard & paid options), and buy some of the wines you enjoy! Dave

Biltmore Winery - History Summary

1970s (early) - William Cecil (grandson of George V.) envisions a winery
1970s (later) - Cecil travels to France & hires Philippe Jourdain, a 6th generation wine maker
1983 - Original dairy converted into the ‘new’ Winery under William Cecil’s son, Bill
1984 - Biltmore Winery bottled its first wines (1983 reds from NC grapes)
1985 - Winery opens to the public.
1986 - Bernard Delille (native French) is hired as the assistant winemaker
1995 - Jourdain retires and Delille is promoted to Winemaste
1999 - Sharon Fenchak is hired and later becomes assistant winemaker
2001 - Biltmore Winery sells one million bottles of wine annually
Today - Most visited winery in the USA & selling wines in at least 30 states

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[suenc]

Thanks for the comments - indeed, the Biltmore House is the largest privately owned 'house' in the United States - construction started in 1889 and the house was opened by George W. Vanderbilt on Christmas Eve 1895 (still not completed) - he was still a bachelor @ the time (married Edith in 1898 and they had one daughter, Cornelia in 1900).

The house was quite modern for the times (designed by Richard Morris Hunt) w/ steel/brick construction and an Indiana limestone facade - there are a number of 'behind the scenes' tours including one on the construction & architecture which is well worth doing. The house is 178,000+ square feet w/ 250 rooms, including 43 bathrooms; the ones on display included a LARGE tub w/ hot & cold running water and a flush toilet (like the original ones designed by Thomas Crapper - hence the name!).

On the legacy of the land tour (there is also a gardens tour) the genius of Frederick Law Olmsted becomes evident - he manipulated thousands of acres of land and eventually had over 3 million trees planted. His plans for the ponds and the estate's water supply were ingenious and still befuddle visiting landscape architects; as just one example, the water for the house was kept in huge reservoirs hundreds of feet higher and was delivered by gravity in ever reducing pipes so the pressure generated at house level was over 90 psi which was enough to deliver water to the highest floors of the structure.

For those interested, I would strongly recommend the book 'Lady on the Hill' - this tells the story of Cornelia's marriage, her two sons (both alive & in their 80s), their children who now run the property; AND, how the estate was kept going though the '30s into the '50s/'60s w/ the help of many including a lawyer named Junius Adams (now that is yet another story which eventually led to my introduction to Biltmore house through his grandson).

Some more pics added from the web - the sun room and the banquet hall are your introduction to the place on the audio house tour, then you are led up to the second and third floors; the tapestry hall & library are also impressive. Dave
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[suenc]

Amazing place. Not air conditioned, don't know how they survived with those heavy clothes.

 

[suenc]

When did I become aware of the Biltmore House?

Again just a side story which in part relates to the lawyer, Junius G. Adams of Asheville. I grew up in northern Ohio/southern Michigan near the west end of Lake Erie. After high school, I attended the University of Michigan for 7 years (3 undergrad & 4 medical school). In August 1968, at the start of my sophomore year in medical school, I rented a single bedroom in a house just off campus - probably the two most important events occurred in my life at that time. First, my future wife (a social work student) rented a room in the adjacent house (she was from New Jersey), and a fellow rented the attic bedroom in the same house as me - we shared the bathroom.

The 'fellow' was Junius G. Adams, III, known as 'Jay' - he was obtaining a PhD in genetics - we developed an instant attraction and were best friends for the next 3 years - at the time, I knew little of North Carolina and had never heard of the Biltmore House. He married first, and Susan & I in July 1970 - probably in late 1970 (or early 1971 before my graduation), we took a car trip together to Asheville, NC - his hometown; his parents lived in Biltmore Forest (a residential property started by Edith Vanderbilt who insisted on having potential purchasers dine w/ her at the 'house' for a perusal, I guess - ) - SO, Jay grew up in Biltmore Forest near the great house and his grandfather was indeed the famous Junius G. Adams mentioned in my previous post - this trip sealed my decision to leave Michigan (in agreement w/ Susan) for a change in the weather and the locale - I've never regretted (and have relished) in that decision made way back in 1971! Dave

When we first moved to NC I thought I was moving to a foreign country or Gone With the Wind at the very least.

 

[suenc]

Thanks for the comments - indeed, the Biltmore House is the largest privately owned 'house' in the United States - construction started in 1889 and the house was opened by George W. Vanderbilt on Christmas Eve 1895 (still not completed) - he was still a bachelor @ the time (married Edith in 1898 and they had one daughter, Cornelia in 1900).

The house was quite modern for the times (designed by Richard Morris Hunt) w/ steel/brick construction and an Indiana limestone facade - there are a number of 'behind the scenes' tours including one on the construction & architecture which is well worth doing. The house is 178,000+ square feet w/ 250 rooms, including 43 bathrooms; the ones on display included a LARGE tub w/ hot & cold running water and a flush toilet (like the original ones designed by Thomas Crapper - hence the name!).

On the legacy of the land tour (there is also a gardens tour) the genius of Frederick Law Olmsted becomes evident - he manipulated thousands of acres of land and eventually had over 3 million trees planted. His plans for the ponds and the estate's water supply were ingenious and still befuddle visiting landscape architects; as just one example, the water for the house was kept in huge reservoirs hundreds of feet higher and was delivered by gravity in ever reducing pipes so the pressure generated at house level was over 90 psi which was enough to deliver water to the highest floors of the structure.

For those interested, I would strongly recommend the book 'Lady on the Hill' - this tells the story of Cornelia's marriage, her two sons (both alive & in their 80s), their children who now run the property; AND, how the estate was kept going though the '30s into the '50s/'60s w/ the help of many including a lawyer named Junius Adams (now that is yet another story which eventually led to my introduction to Biltmore house through his grandson).

Some more pics added from the web - the sun room and the banquet hall are your introduction to the place on the audio house tour, then you are led up to the second and third floors; the tapestry hall & library are also impressive. Dave
.
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The bathrooms, however, were no bigger than the tiny master bath in our house. Ours does have a shower, though.

 

[giradman]

Biltmore Estate - July 2015 Visit

Susan & I just returned from a trip to the North Carolina Mountains around Asheville - we stayed at the Inn on the Biltmore Estate which has the famous Biltmore House - our 45th anniversary - map below shows the gardens and walks to the Bass Pond - pics around the pond, including the bridge used in the film described (and linked) below. Other images of the gardens (a mixture of my own & some from the web), including the small waterfall at the far end of the pond (about 20 ft or so).

Next set of images of the various gardens shown on the map - on the way to the pond, there are numerous different trees, shrubs, and bushes to see and making for a scenic walk, e.g. a cypress tree w/ the 'knees'. Final set of images from the 'south terrace' of the house - on several, I used the panoramic feature of my new camera, and especially like the one showing the 'tea house' at the far end of the terrace w/ about a 180 degree view of the mountains in the background.

Portions of the movie The Last of the Mohicans (1992) w/ Daniel Day-Lewis & Madeleine Stowe were filmed on the Biltmore Estate, including a scene of the colonel's daughters crossing the bridge (last image below) - some information HERE for those interested. Dave

P.S. this is a repeat post left in the pictures thread - I added some more photos and just wanted a continuation in this thread.
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[giradman]

OOPS, sorry about that last image in my previous post, i.e. the 'panoramic' view from the south terrance - I meant to use the one shown below - Dave
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[scifan57]

OOPS, sorry about that last image in my previous post, i.e. the 'panoramic' view from the south terrance - I meant to use the one shown below - Dave
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View attachment 66250

They're both nice.