Christmas at Biltmore — Long Story Short

If you haven't noticed already: I love big houses. Now I do not mean big, ugly or big, new houses. I mean big, old, classic, historically significant MANSIONS. Unfortunately, I cannot afford to own one of these homes (yet) so I focus on touring the ones that are open to the public. For my Christmas feature, I wanted to highlight the largest and one of the historically significant homes in America: The Biltmore Estate.

Front Lawn of the Biltmore Estate, courtesy of Biltmore Estate

Just to clarify, the Biltmore House is literally the largest privately owned home in the United States measuring in at nearly 180,000 square feet. I have visited the Biltmore House during the Holidays every year since I was a child. The astonishing scale and beauty of the home ignited my love of Architecture and Design. Back in college, I wrote a research paper about the Vanderbilt family that focussed on their absurd displays of wealth via their homes. The paper was published by my school (humble brag) and highlights other homes built by the family.

Construction of the Estate began in 1889 when George Washington Vanderbilt II purchased 130,000 acres (now known as the Pisgah National Forest) in the mountains of North Carolina near Asheville. George was considered the intellectual of the family and was never required to run the family railway business. Instead, he traveled, bought art, learned languages and generally had the most privileged life an heir could have. George eventually grew tired of living in the collection of family homes and wanted to build an Estate where he could be "Lord of the Manor." Biltmore became exactly that.

Biltmore House circa 1889, courtesy of Biltmore Estate

The home was styled after multiple French Chateaus. The steep roofline, limestone walls, ornate iron and copper work, and imposing scale mimic the Palais Jacques Coeur and the Chateau Blois located in the Loire Valley. The first floor features a collection of rooms housing antiques, art, and collectibles that are worth more than most people's homes. George Vanderbilt, his wife, and their children all have portraits painted by John Singer Sargent hung in the home. Sargent was one of the foremost portrait artists of the Gilded Age and made a name for himself by painting New York's elite. These pieces are juxtaposed with Medieval tapestries and various original prints by Albrecht Durer. The collection is holds its own in the grand space.

Exterior of Stairwell inspire by Chateau de Blois

The rest of the first floor includes a two story private Library that houses George Vanderbilt's book collection, a Dining Hall with a pipe organ, and a the Staircase that spirals up four stories. On other levels of the home one discovers dozens of bedrooms, living spaces, and even a private bowling alley and indoor pool. While the rest of the country lacked indoor plumbing, the Biltmore had a swimming pool: you can't get more bourgeois than that.

The Biltmore House at Christmas is blanketed in lights, bows, and greenery all made by the floral works staff employed by the Estate. The decorations range from a tree suspended upside down in the entry hall, to Douglas Fur garland draped over the iron railings, to Christmas trees in every single room. All in all, the Biltmore's decorations make anyone's homemade wreath look like a pathetic ball of lawn clippings.

If you are ever in North Carolina, making the trip to Asheville to see this world class site is worth it. Tickets sell out quickly during the Holidays, so make sure to reserve them early! If you don't go during the holidays, the home is still stunning and has various festivals and garden events throughout the year that are worth seeing. The Estate also has two hotels, various restaurants, and a winery on site for all of your vacation needs.

Happy Holidays,

Hugh