Did you ever wonder which is the largest privately-owned home in our country?

 

By David McClelland

 

We live Michigan where there are many very large and very valuable homes. But, did you know that the largest, privately-owned home in the United States is known as "The Biltmore House." We vacation on Hilton Head Island and on the drive down, we pass through Ashville, N.C. and see the exit to The Biltmore. We plan visit it soon and I did some research in preparation. I want to share that with you.

 

The Biltmore House is a French Renaissance architecture revival Chateauesque-style mansion near Ashville, North Carolina, built by George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895. At that time, the Vanderbilts were worth $200 million, which was a huge fortune. Biltmore House is 175,000 square feet and features 250 rooms. It has 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces and three kitchens. This is about equal to 88 average size homes. It has a 700,000 gallon indoor swimming pool. It is really more like a castle. It has an 8,000 acre back yard. It is still owned by one of Vanderbilt's descendants and stands today as one of the prominent remaining examples of the "guilded age" and of significant gardens in the "Gardens al a francaise" and English Landscape garden styles in the United States. It was opened to the public in 1930.

 

In the 1880's, at the height of the Guilded Age, George Washington Vanderbilt, youngest son of William Henry Vanderbilt, began to make visits with his mother to the Ashville area. He loved the area and the climate and vowed to make his own summer estate in the area which he called "little mountain escape" just as his older brothers and sisters had built opulent summer homes in places such as Newport, Rhode Island and Hyde Park, New York. His idea was to replicate the working estates of Europe.

 

He commissioned prominent New York architect Robert Morris Hunt who had previously designed homes for other prominent Vanderbilt family members. The estate included its own village, today known as Biltmore Village, and a church, today known as Cathedral of All Souls.

 

Why is it called The Biltmore House? Biltmore is taken from two names. "Bildt," the region in Holland where the Whitney family originated, and "more," an old English word meaning upland rolling hills.

 

The Official 2010 North Carolina Travel Guide has this to say about Biltmore:

Spend a day or a week exploring the wonders of Biltmore. Your first stop: America's largest home – 250 room Biltmore House – showcasing newly restored rooms filled with treasures and memories of George and Edith Vanderbilt's home. Step outside to appreciate century old gardens that are spectacular in every season. Savor award-winning vintages of the Winery. Grab a quick bite or relish gourmet cuisine at estate restaurants. Enjoy the 8,000 acre backyard on bike, raft, horseback or Segway. Browse unique shops and see how Biltmore's inspiration carries into today with the opening of the Antler Hill Village in the spring of 2010. For a complete escape, treat yourself to the luxurious four-star inn. Open daily. Begin planning your Biltmore getaway by calling 877-Biltmore or online at biltmore.com.

 

We plan to visit The Biltmore and I hope that I may have wetted your appetite for a visit as well. It promises to be visit that is well with the trip. Enjoy !!!