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We feel so proud when national programs and media recognize our local areas and its history. The Biltmore Estate is a well-known staple in our North Carolina region, bringing in tourists from all over to have a look at George Vanderbilt's architectural masterpiece. The History Channel Club took a deeper look at how and why the Biltmore Estate was created.
"If it hadn’t been for a sick mother, America’s largest private residence might never have been built. In the late 1800s, George Vanderbilt’s mother, Maria, was suffering from a lingering case of Malaria. In order to get treatment, the two traveled to Ashville, N.C. The clean mountain air was touted as an ideal treatment for lung ailments, and the small village was gaining a reputation as a health resort.
With a lot of time on his hands, Vanderbilt traveled the surrounding countryside. Even though much of the land had been largely cleared of usable trees and had been farmed for nearly a century, Vanderbilt had a panoramic view of the mountains. He became enamored with the area, and while he didn’t go to Ashville specifically to build a house, by the time he left the seeds of what would become the Biltmore Estate had been planted...
...The first great achievement was buying the land. Large chunks of property were on the market at an inexpensive price. Using surrogates, specifically his friend and attorney Charles McNamee, Vanderbilt eventually acquired 125,000 acres in four counties. In at least one case, an entire community was relocated to accommodate Vanderbilt’s plans. The old Shiloh neighborhood included approximately a dozen former slaves. It included several homes dotted along what once was the land of their former owner, a church, and a cemetery. When Vanderbilt bought the property, he paid $1,000 to the church. That money was used for a new building and to move the bodies of those who had been buried on the old cemetery...
...As Vanderbilt sought advice for the planning and construction of Biltmore, he hired the best. Architect Richard Morris Hunt was a leader is his field during the 19th century; among his accomplishments were the Tribune Building in New York City and the base of the Statute of Liberty. After much discussion, Hunt designed the Biltmore House in the style of a 16th-century French chateau. Throughout the construction of Biltmore Estate, there existed a sense of mission, positive spirit, and camaraderie...
...Once word got out about the construction, people from across the country started to show up at the site just to get a look at what was going on. Once finished, the mansion contained 255 rooms, 43 bathrooms, 288 light fixtures, and 180 outlets. From the arched gallery on the west side of the Biltmore House, visitors could see more than 50 mountains 5,000 feet or more in height, and most of them owned by George Vanderbilt."
For the rest of this piece as well as snippets edited due to length, you can read the full article here.