Biltmore Estate: The Most Distinguished Private Place

by John M. Bryan

"The most distinguished private place" - that is how, in 1893, the great landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted described Biltmore Estate, perhaps the most ambitious private building project of America's Gilded Age. It was only five years earlier that George Washington Vanderbilt purchased the first parcel of what would become his 125,000-acre estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Along with Olmsted, he commissioned the preeminent architect of the day, Richard Morris Hunt, to design the estate. The house, modeled in part on the chateaux of the Loire Valley, has become one of the greatest and most important in American architectural history. Its 255 rooms, with spectacular and finely crafted interiors, opulent furnishings (some designed by Hunt), and furniture and decorative arts objects collected by Vanderbilt from all corners of the world, have made it a rich national treasure. The estate served as the cradle of the profession of forestry in America. With Olmsted's advice and expertise, it became the first working model of a scientifically managed forest and played a critical role in the creation of our national parks. This meticulously researched book accompanies an exhibition organized by The Octagon, the Museum of the American Architectural Foundation; it chronicles Biltmore from inception, development, and construction through its Christmas 1895 opening celebrations, and into the present. Original architectural drawings, sketches, plans, presentation drawings, nineteenth-century photographs, and vibrant new color photography complete this portrait of a great landmark. Today Biltmore Estate belongs to George Washington Vanderbilt's descendants, who have opened the house to the public and have made it one of the most visited in America.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Travel, Architecture

160 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15, 1994

Reviews

[Anna Bear · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book through the Book Club program provided by the Biltmore Estate for their employees, and I definitely enjoyed the inside look led by the head curator in the discussions. Because this was written in 1994, there are some discrepancies and some incorrect information in the book, but all in all, it gives you an idea of the amount of work and money and time it takes to create something like the Biltmore Estate.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides a thorough description of the construction of Biltmore House and Gardens. Pictures taken during construction not only illustrate how massive an undertaking this house was, but give the reader a glimpse into the life of those talented workers. This book mostly focuses on the impressive details of the house with pictures of Richard Morris Hunt’s drawings and sketches. The book includes pictures of the inside of the house as you can see them today.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dear friend moved to North Carolina a year ago, so this seemed like a good book to read with an eye toward a future visit. Whether or not you know anyone in the area, it's really entertaining, especially for anyone interested in design and construction. The illustrations were good, but I'd have loved to see more.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning a bit more detail about the Biltmore Estate, however, I felt the book left me wanting more. While it certainly did a good job recapping the construction details of the home it didn't provide very much details of the interior. Specifically I was hoping for more of a walking tour of the home or floor plan of everything that was put into a house with so many rooms.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I work there. It's the most wonderful job in the world. And this book greatly added to my knowledge of this wonderful Estate.
I've already begun to add some of the info from this book into my presentation during the Architects Tour.
Wonderful, informative read.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A coffee table book focused on the architects of Biltmore. Hunt and Olmsted are the two most well-known, but Bryan also examines those who spent the most time in the day to day site work. The book follows construction from their earlier work on Vanderbilt's other properties through the designing and planning stages to actual construction and semi-completion. The book includes a good mix of pictures, from planning drawings to finished photographs.

[Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating, though the book was a bit pretentious but more could you expect when reading about the Biltmore?

[Kerri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as reader friendly as some other books on the topic bit I did learn a new thing or two.

[Treena Brannock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful Estate the history and people involved. Enjoyed it.

[Julie Ridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

We bought this book to help fill in the missing pieces of our trip the the Biltmore Estates. We wanted to be able to read more about how the Vanderbilt's lived in the 1890's.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting look at the work that went into making this beautiful home.