George Vanderbilt's Biltmore

George Vanderbilt's Biltmore. . Welcoming more than 1 million guests each year, Biltmore is one of the most popular historic sites in the country. Its centerpiece is America's largest privately owned home , 250-room Biltmore House, completed in 1895. Biltmore's founder, George Washington Vanderbilt (1862-1914), visited the Asheville area in the late 1880s and was captivated by the climate and mountain vistas, eventually purchasing 125,000 acres for his country estate., Vanderbilt hired the best talent in America to realize his vision for a grand estate. Architect Richard Morris Hunt took inspiration from French chateaux for his designs; noted landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted designed the gardens and grounds. At the heart of the estate was Biltmore House, a masterpiece in American architecture, surrounded by glorious gardens and landscaped grounds; extensive farming operations including a dairy famed for its milk; and the country's first scientifically managed forest on a large scale., Today, Biltmore remains a family-owned, working estate encompassing nearly 8,000 acres offering tours, dining, shopping, outdoor activities, America's most-visited Winery, and a four-star inn., (captions) , This 1892 photo shows some of the men central to the creation of Biltmore (from left to right): purchasing agent Edward Burnett, architect Richard Morris Hunt, landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted ,George Vanderbilt, and architect Richard Howland Hunt., By 1894, nearly 1,000 workers were employed in the construction of Biltmore. Biltmore House is shown here 18 months prior to completion; the house rises above the temporary construction office, masonry and blacksmith shops on the Esplanade., In this 1910 photo, manicured gardens and sweeping vistas of the Blue Ridge Mountains create a stunning setting for George Vanderbilt's magnificent home.