Hanging around the house for days on end, even though we have plenty to do, makes us a little stir crazy. One of our Covid-19 family members suggested a trip to the Biltmore House and Gardens in Ashville, NC, since they’re hosting an exhibit featuring Downton Abbey. So for those of you who have never been here, and for those of you who want to see the house again, here are a couple of posts you may find interesting. Most of the information is from the tour booklet, and that information is in quote marks.
today’s first view of the house
“George Vanderbilt officially opened Biltmore House on Christmas Eve, 1895, after six years of construction. It was a family home for George, his wife Edith, and their daughter Cornelia. In 1924, Cornelia married the Honorable John Francis Amherst Cecil, and they lived and entertained at Biltmore.
“The Cecils opened Biltmore to the public in 1930, responding to requests to increase area tourism during the Great Depression, and to generate income to preserve the estate.
Today, Biltmore remains a family business, with the fourth and fifth generations of Mr. Vanderbilt’s descendants involved in day-to-day operations. Along with more than 2,000 employees, they continue Biltmore’s mission to preserve this national treasure.”
After parking in one of the lots, we had this nice 8-minute walk to the house.
Gifford Pinchot was the designer of the Biltmore gardens. When he came here in 1891, he began with a blank slate to create the Biltmore Forest, which was the beginning of practical forestry in America.
At the other end of the grassy area in front of the house is this stone structure criss-crossing itself. The reason? This is the entry to the grounds beyond for horses and their riders.
These small steps were for the benefit of the horses so they could easily navigate the brick pathway, especially on wet days.
Our tree-covered pathway is next to the road for the horse-drawn carriages and then for automobiles.
Always nice to see someone you know in a picture.
lunch in the stable
To the side of the house is the stable that was home for the horses for the Vanderbilt’s. The clock high up in the center of the building was how everyone kept time when the estate was first built since no one would have had their own timepiece.
Inside the stable, the storage rooms are now used for shops. The cafe is at the end of the hallway.
Inside the restaurant are the horse stalls. Did you notice the windows? Each one could be opened for ventilation. Clever.
The cafe specializes in what they call Appalachian food that draws from local German, Italian, West Africa, and Cherokee communities. Whenever possible, estate-raised products are used in the meals. We’ve enjoyed lunch here every time we’ve visited Biltmore.
out front
George Vanderbilt’s 250-room French Renaissance chateau is considered to be a marvel of architecture and artistry. At the time it was recognized as “America’s Largest Home” and required 6 years of construction by 1000 workers ranging from local laborers to internationally known artists.
In the middle of this view between the 2 large sections is a glass roof for the inside Winter Garden that we’ll see soon.
To the left of the entry are slanted windows that follow the stairs that go to the 2nd and 3rd floors.
The entry way is flanked by 2 large lions. Such ornate work on the outside of the house.
first floor
As we walk around the public rooms on the first floor, I’ll include the descriptions from the brochure we were given.
entrance hall
“This grand space welcomes you to Biltmore House.”
The public rooms make a circle around the main floor and end up back in this entry hall.
View of the entrance hall looking toward the front door.
winter garden
“A glass roof illuminates the fountain sculpture Boy Stealing Geese by Karl Bitter.” During the Christmas season, different choral groups sing for the visitors as they walk around.
This time while walking through the house we were drawn to the various ceilings. In this case, the light wood fits in well with the glass roof.
billiard room
“House guests played dominoes and billiards and enjoyed refreshments in this richly paneled room.”
“The custom oak billiard tables were made in 1895.” Did you notice the ceiling? Such ornate work.
The door in this room opens up to the Banquet Hall.
banquet hall
“This impressive room with a seven-story-high ceiling and Flemish tapestries from the mid-1500s was the scene of evening parties and celebrations.”
The curved arch ceiling drew our eyes upward.
Above the bookcase filled with pitchers George had found on his travels overseas is a balcony where musicians could sit to entertain the guests. Now a pipe organ is in the balcony, and it serenades guests during the Christmas season.
During Christmas, a huge tree decorated with enormous ornaments is in front of the bookcase.
The Christmas tree sits where this rug is. All of the animal heads came from George’s travels.
“Guests of the Vanderbilt’s enjoyed elegant dinners that began promptly at 8 p.m. Often the highlight of a stay at Biltmore, these elaborate, ceremonious affairs featured up to 10 courses, as many as five different wine pairings—illustrating George Vanderbilt’s interest in fine wines—and live musical entertainment.”
The tapestries on the walls are beautiful. This slightly open door in the center of the picture leads to the Breakfast Room.
breakfast room
“Guests of the Vanderbilts were served both breakfasts and luncheon here.” The ceiling and border just underneath it compliment the colors in the room. What does seem “off” are the blue and white tiles around the fireplace.
Portraits on the wall are of George’s family.
salon
“Architect Richard Morris Hunt intended this room to be a salon, or formal sitting area in the French style.
Another view of this salon.
The billowing cloth cover over the ceiling makes the room seem more middle eastern. The cloth actually covers a plain, cement ceiling.
hallway ceiling
The hallway ceilings had such an interesting design that encourages visitors to look up.
music room
This room wasn’t decorated when the Vanderbilts lived here and has only been available for viewing since the mid-1970s. During WWII, art work from the National Galleries was brought here for safe keeping. Guards kept visitors moving since this room was off limits.
“To the right of the fireplace is a rare collection of 12 Meissen porcelain apostle figures and 12 candlesticks.”
Stenciling was done on the wood before the ceiling was finished.
loggia
Is this a new term for you too? I would have called it a covered porch area that connects one room of a home to another. Wikipedia pretty much agrees with my description but also says that it’s like an “out-of-door sitting room.”
With the French doors opened, the Vanderbilts and their guests would enjoy this delightful outdoor space overlooking the beautiful countryside. When we’ve been here before, outdoor furniture showed us how guests could have sat outside enjoying tea in the afternoon.
This room and walkway has beautiful views of the Biltmore property and the Blue Ridge Mountains beyond.
We asked one of the docents about these gargoyle-looking stone structures along the loggia and elsewhere on the outside of the house. We learned that gargoyles are used to divert rainwater away from the house. When not constructed as a waterspout and only serving an ornamental or artistic function, the correct term for such a sculpture is a grotesque, chimera, or boss.
The docent told us that of the 1000 workers hired to built the house, 60 were stone masons who specialized in these grotesques and other stone decoration.
library
“Of all the rooms in Biltmore House, the Library best reflects George Vanderbilt’s personality and passion for books. An avid reader from childhood, he began recording the names of each book he read in a journal at age 12, and he continued the habit throughout his life. This room contains nearly half of his 22,000-volume collection, which ranges in subject from American and English fiction to world history, religion, philosophy, art, and architecture.”
Notes in the booklet for the house said that the romance between George and Edith blossomed over a shared love of reading and travel after friends introduced them. They wed in Paris in June 1898. After a 4-month honeymoon abroad, they arrived at Biltmore in October, and Edith became the new lady of the house.
Since I’m a reader too, this is such an inviting room for me.
and more books
I thought this half stairs was an interesting invention for getting books. Other ladders were available for books that are higher up.
And again, such an interesting ceiling.
This chess set was once owned and used by Napoleon when he was in exile. It had been a gift to George.
tapestry gallery
“In this 90-foot long room, the Flemish tapestries on the wall are part of a 1530s set known as The Triumph of the Seven Virtues.
A lovely sitting room for family and guests.
one of the tapestries
The portrait on the left is George’s mother. George is in the middle and was painted by John Singer Sargent. Edith is on the right and was painted 12 years after her marriage.
The wall opposite the tapestries is part of the loggia. Did you notice how thick the walls are?
The ceiling in this gallery reminded us of the ceiling in the Music Room. Since this room would have been used by the Vanderbilts, maybe the restorers of the Music Room got the idea for the ceiling from this room.
stairway to upstairs
This curved stairway is to the side of the Entrance Hall just inside the front door. It looks plain now with the cement stairs, but the distances between the steps made them easy to climb.
As plain as the stairs look in the previous picture, the chandelier that goes all the way to the ceiling is absolutely beautiful as the stairway winds around it to the 2nd and 3rd floors.
We’ve finished the 1st floor with the public rooms. Now let’s go up, down, and around.
