She rises through the mist of the Blue Ridge Mountains, near Asheville NC stands strong against the hillside as she has for over 100 years.
Biltmore Estate was the brainchild of George Washington Vanderbilt. Heir to an immense family fortune, he had first arrived in western North Carolina at a time when wealthy Americans were constructing temples of opulence, often known as cottages in places like Newport, Rhode Island.
Captivated by the area’s natural beauty Vanderbilt soon had selected a site for his year-round home and top architect of the day, Richard Morris Hunt to design it. Hunt was a favorite of the late 19th century’s Gilded Age often incorporating flamboyant architectural detailings and materials to match his clients’ nouveau riche tastes.