via Biltmore in Asheville North Carolina

Estate History

George Vanderbilt first visits Asheville, North Carolina in 1887. He considers the area as a possible location for his country home. A second visit to the Blue Ridge Mountains with his mother in 1888 continues to spark Vanderbilt’s imagination. He begins purchasing land for what will become Biltmore.

Vanderbilt’s 250-room French Renaissance chateau is a true marvel, the largest undertaking in residential architecture. Over a six-year period, an entire community of craftsmen comes together to create America’s premier home and the environmental wonderland that surrounds it.