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| Mark D. Ruffner © 2013 |
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| Biltmore Company |
George and his wife Edith Vanderbilt would often have breakfast in the Tapestry Gallery, so named for its three Belgian tapestries, dating to around 1530. The 90-foot room was designed to replicate the long galleries of the great English houses. From this room, they would walk out onto a terrace that faced Biltmore's rear view, below.
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| Mark D. Ruffner © 2013 |
The trees that you see here are not actually original to the property. When Vanderbilt acquired all these acres, it was spent farmland, and very bare. Frederick Olmsted advised Vanderbilt to have gardens around Biltmore, an extensive lawn, and then to plant a forest beyond. So the trees that you see here were planted by George Vanderbilt.
Standing on this terrace and looking to the right, one sees the view that is this post's first image.
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| Mark D. Ruffner © 2013 |
Here's a detail that I enjoyed — the copper cap to the Biltmore roof, with an alternating monogram and family crest of three acorns. I note that Kate Middleton's family has recently designed a similar crest.
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| Mark D. Ruffner © 2013 |
Vanderbilt was interested in all of the most current technology. Realizing that his servants might not own watches (perhaps he could have bought a few), Vanderbilt installed clocks in all of the service rooms and had them all electronically synchronized to this clock, above the stables.
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| Mark D. Ruffner © 2013 |
Today the stables serve as a café, with booths where there had once been stalls.
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| Mark D. Ruffner © 2013 |
Biltmore's gardens are extensive and a long enough walk from the house that I think some guests may have accessed them by carriage. On the other hand, Vanderbilt was keen on exercise; he installed a gym in Biltmore, with rowing machines and showers, and encouraged his guests to take hikes.
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| The Conservatory's Orchid Room | Mark D. Ruffner © 2013 |
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| The Conservatory Potting Room, used today as it was 100 years ago | Ruffner © 2013 |
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| Mark D. Ruffner © 2013 |
These fountains are at opposite ends of the estate, but I enjoy the way that they nonetheless complement each other.
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| Mark D. Ruffner © 2013 |
I'll end with this statue. The photo was shot in the late afternoon under a pergola, and the statue had a beautiful green aura that seemed to glow.
I hope you enjoyed my tour of Biltmore!
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Dear Mark, I noticed that you took all but one of the Biltmore photographs. A wonderful mix of images. You photos tell the story well.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Gina! I only wish that I could have taken photographs of Biltmore's interior. Maybe it's just as well — I would never have gotten out!
DeleteI remember the gardens being extraordinary! I especially love the view that you hint at: behind the house with the rusticated stone base.
ReplyDeleteHi, Stefan - That view really does have the look of a 16th century chateau, doesn't it?
DeleteI've long loved the Vanderbilt crest of the acorns--I've seen it in Newport as well--and considered using acorns as part of a crown as my own personal logo. Eccentric or narcissistic, I'm not sure which.
ReplyDeleteI do love the view of the forest with that little bit of "yard" in between. And I always enjoy a good dolphinfish fountain too.
Thank you for the tour!
I can see that crown now, and I'm actually imagining it as a rather Gothic design, carved out of a stone crest. You must do it!
DeleteDear Mark - Biltmore sits in beautiful countryside which is especially fitting for a property reflecting the Châteaux of the Loire Valley. Are the distant mountains those of the Blue Ridge?
ReplyDeleteYou may recall that I had to look up where Asheville was on Google Maps, but within a couple of days of my doing so, two other bloggers that I follow, also made trips there too.
Dear Rosemary,
DeleteI'll answer your question by quoting from Wikipedia:
"The Great Smoky Mountains are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee–North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, and form part of the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province."
So I believe the view from the Vanderbilt terrace is that part of the Blue Ridge that is called the Smokies. Driving out of Asheville, we saw wisps of fog that do indeed look more like smoke than fog.
I am loving those dolphins!!! Thanks for posting them.
ReplyDeleteHi, Theresa - They're great reference for a Rex Whistler kind of mural, aren't they?
DeleteDo you suppose that's where the term "go take a hike" comes from?!
ReplyDeleteDear Columnist,
DeleteCould be, though from archival photos, it appears that George usually led the way.
One of my favorite homes from the Gilded Age! The magnificent conservatory is so civilized and beautiful. I didn't get to see the stables, so glad you shared a photo. Cake and coffee would be delightful there!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Loi
Hello, Loi,
DeleteI didn't get a chance to eat in the stables, but I think it's a neat idea. I love dining in places that were originally used for a very different purpose. If you ever go to Pittsburgh, there's excellent dining at a converted train station.
Hello Mark, What I notice from your photos is how beautifully kept the house is--it almost doesn't seem like it could be over a century old. Many historic house museums have a somewhat seedy appearance (although that is a look I can also appreciate), but it is nice to see this shining example.
ReplyDeleteHello, Jim,
DeleteThe Biltmore is very well cared for. There is steady work being done by conservators, and I gathered that they had full-time jobs. One expensive project was the remaking of the red and gold velvet wall coverings of Edith Vanderbilt's bedroom by the same French company that had done the work 100 years earlier.
Reminds me I must visit one more time. One of your pictures gives a hint of the view of "Mt. Pisgah and the Rat." Although the locals have forever known what this is, and some from far away as well, by all means you must inform your readers and give them a better view. I have a vintage postcard showing a view of Mt. Pisgah and the Rat made from one of the Biltmore balconies, and it is a lovely view indeed, at any time of year. Yes, I must go home again.
ReplyDeleteHello, JudyMac,
DeleteYou have certainly aroused my curiosity! I'll have to do a little research now!
Gotcha, didn't I. Keep me posted on what you find. My vintage postcard (view is from one of the balconies at Biltmore) doesn't show the Rat quite as clearly as some, but I have a great blogspot to recommend that posts an old vintage card that shows both Mt. Pisgah and the Rat in all their glory, as well as pertinent history. :-)
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