Going to the Biltmore Estate
Going to the Biltmore Estate4th gradeLakeshore Elementary
The Biltmore EstateIt is located in Asheville, NC.
The style of architecture is chateau. A chateau is a French
style of house.It is sort of like a castle.
The Biltmore was only Mr. Vanderbilts summer home.
It was designed to be a self sustaining residence.This means
that the family didnt need to leave the grounds for food, water,
etc.History of the Vanderbilt familyThese slides will introduce you
to some of the background information about the BiltmoreCornelius
Vanderbilt (the Commodore)Vanderbilt was born to a poor family and
quit school at the age of 11 to work for his father who was engaged
in boating.
When he turned 16 he persuaded his mother to give him $100 loan
for a boat to start his first business. He opened a transport and
freight service between New York City and Staten Island for
eighteen cents a trip.
At the time of his death, aged 82, Cornelius Vanderbilt's
fortune was estimated at $100 million. In his will, he left 95% of
his $100 million estate to his son William and to William's four
sons $5,000,000 to Cornelius Vanderbilt II, and $2 million apiece
to William Kissam Vanderbilt, Frederick Vanderbilt, and George
Washington Vanderbilt,III.
Mr. Vanderbilt had 12 other children.
George VanderbiltGeorge W. Vanderbilt, youngest son of William
Vanderbilt and grandson of "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt,
enjoyed visiting western North Carolina for its mild climate and
spectacular scenery.
Born in 1862, young Vanderbilt was educated at local private
schools and at home by tutors.
He proved to be an able student with an active, inquiring mind
and began to read widely at a very tender age. Around the age of
twelve, he began recording each book he read in a series of small
notebooks.
George loved to travel. He made many trips to Europe. He loved
architecture.
During a visit in the mid-1880s, Vanderbilt was inspired by a
view from Downtown Asheville so spectacular that he purchased
125,000 acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains for his summer
estate.
Its in the nameThe area was still so remote that Vanderbilt had
to build a private railway to the site to transport supplies. He
also constructed a village complete with a post office and a church
to accommodate the laborers and their families.
Selecting a name for his estate, Vanderbilt referenced his
family and the mountains of Western North Carolina. The name
Biltmore is derived from Bildt, a Dutch town with citizens of
Vanderbilt ancestry, and more, an old English term referring to
rolling, mountainous countryside. ConstructionConstruction of
Biltmore House was under way in 1889; it was a massive undertaking
that included a mansion, gardens, farms, and woodlands. George
Vanderbilt engaged two of the most distinguished designers of the
19th century: architect Richard Morris Hunt (1828-1895) and
landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903)An architect is
a person that designs buildings.Hunt modeled the architecture on
the richly ornamented style of the French Renaissance and adapted
elements, such as the stair tower and the steeply pitched roof,
from three famous early-16th-century chteaux.A chateau is sort of
like a French castle.
ConstructionThe main gate
This is what it looks like when you come to the main entrance of
the Biltmore Estate.Video clip
The Winter GardenThe family grew plants indoors during the
winter months.
LibraryThe Library in Biltmore House holds approximately 10,000
of Vanderbilt's more than 23,000 volumes.
The Banquet HallThe Banquet Hall is 72 feet long, 42 feet wide
and 70 feet high. It could seat up to 64 guests.
KitchenMost of the cooking was done in the Main Kitchen with
additional work done in the Rotisserie and Pastry Kitchens.
Mr. Vanderbilts RoomGeorge Vanderbilt's bedroom enjoys
spectacular views of the estate in addition to 22k gold leaf on the
walls.
Mrs. Vanderbilts RoomMrs. Vanderbilt's Bedroom is decorated with
sumptuous cut velvet and silk fabrics.
The Breakfast RoomThe room is adorned with velvet and carvings
on the ceiling and walls.
Gardens
The Biltmore Estate TodayBiltmore does not receive any
governmental funding or grants, making it one of the United States'
most significant National Historic Landmarks that is preserved
solely through private funding.Map
Scavenger
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