Bluegrass to Blue Ridge 5-11-21 (Asheville, NC)



Today is all about the Biltmore…the home and grounds.


Matt, a local guide, joined us on the bus as we left the Biltmore Inn.  He shared with us the history of the Estate and how George Washington Vanderbilt, the grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt, came to build in North Carolina.  The largest privately owned home in the US, it is still owned by descendants of George V. 


The estate at one time consisted of 125,000 acres, but following his unexpected death in 1914, his wife completed the sale of 87,000 acres to the federal government.  This parcel is currently  included in the Pisgah National Forest as a condition of the sale was that it remain in its’ natural state for all to enjoy.


The grounds surrounding the estate were designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, famous for designing Central Park in New York City.  In addition to formal gardens and landscaping surrounding the house, a large portion of the land was planted with 3.1 million trees.  White pine, white, oak and hemlock were cultivated as commercial timber and as a source of income to support the home.  A conservationist, Vanderbilt hired Carl Schenck to manage the timber and  establish the first forest education program in the US .  The location of the original Biltmore Forest School in now part of the surrounding National Forest; the estate currently partners with local universities to continue research related to forest management on the Biltmore property.


The house itself, designed by Richard Morris Hunt, was done in a Chateauesque mansion style.  If you are a fan of Versailles, you will feel right at home here.  Construction lasted from 1898 to 1995 and incorporated the most modern technologies available at that time, including electricity and refrigeration.  The home was built using Indiana limestone and even today, a portion of the Indiana quarry is reserved for use by the estate for replacement of the current facade if needed.


Boasting over four acres of floor space and over 250 rooms, the tour is self guided, and can be enjoyed at your own pace.  The whole tour takes 90-120 minutes and does require climbing several flights of stairs in order to see a large portion of the home.  The tour ticket also includes access to the gardens which can be enjoyed both before and after your scheduled tour time.  There are ample restrooms and on site food and beverages are available, so if you have not been before, plan on spending the day or at the very least, a half day.


George Vanderbilt traveled the world and his home is filled with many items from his travels.  He also made several trips abroad just to purchase decor as the house was under construction.  Many of the current furnishings include tapestries, carpets and decorative objects from 15th to early 19th century.


After lunch at the Season’s Restaurant and a quick visit to the gift shop in the Biltmore Village, we headed to the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Folk Art Center.  Here we were treated to our second “jam” session.  Focused on Appalachian Folk Music, a local historian, educator, and musician played several different instruments and discussed their importance in local culture and blue grass music in general.  The Scotch Irish loved ballads and dancing, with these being handed down from one generation to the next.  School programs help keep the history alive and growing.


The return to the Inn included a quick tour of downtown Asheville.  We opted to stay in town rather than return to the Biltmore.  Planning ahead, we made plans to meet an old friend who had relocated to Asheville, for dinner.  We had a great time catching up, sharing our current trip, and even discussed an interest in possibly looking into some future travel together.


Pictures 5-11-21


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