The Presence of a President

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Biltmore has had the privilege to welcome many notable people through this grand Entrance Hall, but the presence of a president has always been a rare honor.  In recognition of Presidents’ Day, we are remembering those special guests.

President George Washington could not have visited Biltmore in person, but we were honored to serve as a temporary home for his well-known portrait.  The painting was stored here by the National Gallery of Art during World War II.  The unfinished Music Room on the first floor of Biltmore House was refitted with a steel door, bars on the windows, and other protective measures outlined by the gallery staff. On January 8, 1942, 62 paintings (including the portrait of George Washington) and 17 sculptures arrived in Asheville under heavy guard.

The iconic portrait was painted by Gilbert Stuart, an 18th century America’s master portrait artist. In his five-decade career, he produced well over 1100 pictures. Of these portraits, nearly one-tenth are images of George Washington, to whom he was introduced by their mutual friend Chief Justice John Jay. It is interesting to note that each of Stuart’s portraits of Washington, about 100 in all, is based on one of three life portraits of the president.  Happy Birthday Mr. President.

President William McKinley, Jr. visited Biltmore Estate on June 14, 1897.  George Vanderbilt was in Europe at the time and Estate Superintendent Charles McNamee was in London, so Butler Walter Harvey gave President McKinley and his entourage a tour of Biltmore House.

President Theodore Roosevelt visited Biltmore Estate on September 9, 1902.  President Roosevelt met Dr. Carl Schenck, the German forester Mr. Vanderbilt had hired to oversee the Biltmore forestry operation.  He also took a drive across the estate, toured the gardens, and toured the Main Dairy Barn where our Winery is now located.

President Jimmy Carter attended a fundraising dinner on September 22, 1978 at the Deerpark pavilion on Biltmore Estate and spoke to a crowd of approximately 300 guests.

Presidential candidate Ronald Reagan visited Biltmore in early May 1980 as part of a multi-city visit to North Carolina.  Rick King, former vice president of Biltmore House, gave Reagan and his wife Nancy a tour of the home.  Reagan went on to win the presidential election in November 1980.

President and Mrs. Barack Obama visited on April 24, 2010 while on a trip to Asheville and were greeted by the Cecil family for a tour of Biltmore House.

A Birthday for Edith Vanderbilt

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In honor of the 141st anniversary of Edith Vanderbilt’s birthday, we have been reflecting back on the festive days surrounding her arrival at Biltmore in 1898. Since George Vanderbilt had mainly courted Edith Stuyvesant Dresser abroad, estate managers and employees were filled with curiosity about the future Mrs. Vanderbilt. The Vanderbilts were married in a relatively simple ceremony in Paris in June.  While George and Edith were on an extended honeymoon in Europe, the estate made preparations for a celebration befitting a queen.

What would their first impressions be? No one was quite sure what to expect. When the newlyweds’ train arrived at the passenger depot in Biltmore Village, curious onlookers, civil authorities, and hordes of media watched on as Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt boarded a carriage bound for their future home.  Biltmore’s Chief Forester, Dr. Carl Alwin Schenck, shared a vivid description of this momentous occasion in his book Birth of Forestry in America:

“The young couple, our lord and his lady, arrived on a gorgeous afternoon and were welcomed by the officials of the estate at a huge horseshoe of flowers overarching the approach road to Biltmore House. All was cheers and smiles and happiness! Mrs. Vanderbilt! One could not help but love her! Her face…was sparkling with kindness, sweetness, lovability, grace, and womanliness.”

After passing under this emblem of good luck, the Vanderbilts were greeted by estate employees and their families lining both sides of the road. Following an English baronial tradition, each worker held a symbol of his trade and the children joined in welcoming Edith to her new home.  The sheer number of estate employees must have been overwhelming, but there were still many more surprises in store for Mrs. Vanderbilt. A lengthy article from the Asheville Daily Citizen detailed the celebrations once the party had reached Biltmore House:

At night the employees continued the festivities… Shortly after 9 o’clock the men met north of the esplanade and Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt viewed the scene from the roof balcony over the main entrance to Biltmore House.

The Biltmore band, stationed in the tea garden at the top of the vista began an inspiring march, and the men with torches moved in converging lines…to the winding steps of the rampe douce, where the march continued in crossing belts of fire…Suddenly their appeared a glow of light on the ridges of the deer park and within a brief period there was a brilliant illumination of the grounds by colored arc, extending to the lake and through the shrubbery of the winding roads and walks.

The finale of the illumination came in showers of flaming stars from fireworks that exploded in different points surrounding the mansion.  On Pisgah and other prominent peaks of the estate huge bonfires were lighted and beamed their welcome. Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt evinced great interest in the event of the evening and frequently applauded the hearty endeavors of the men who were showing their good will to the bride. At the conclusion of the illumination and until past midnight the employees enjoyed refreshments in the open before the conservatory. 

Dr. Schenck’s memoir makes it clear that the employees offered Edith a grand welcome not only onto estate, but into their lives. Schenck wrote:

“…Mrs. Vanderbilt took a personal interest in every man and woman connected with the estate. … she went to every humble cabin of a forest worker in Pisgah Forest when she was near it; she encouraged the small home industries… at Christmas she had a small gift for every child of every employee of the estate; and  whatever she did or said, she did or said so gracefully that she put at ease whomever she met.”

Mrs. Vanderbilt’s long legacy of grace and heartfelt hospitality is still very much alive at Biltmore. What fun it has been to look back at first impressions, grand celebrations, and the cherished memories of such a special woman who helped to shape and preserve the estate.  Happy Birthday, Edith!

Eugenia and Her Ornaments

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We are fortunate to have treasured stories from people who lived, worked or visited Biltmore throughout our history. These colorful recollections give us real clues to what life was like at the estate. They also serve as the foundation of stories we share with guests who visit us today. Eugenia Hallyburton Chandler shared one recollection of being a child on the estate at Christmas. Her story illustrates both her love of the beautiful holiday decorations and the candor of her youth!

For the youngest members of the estate, treats like special sweets, clothing, games and toys were standard gifts. Eugenia recalled the Christmas parties in the Banquet Hall; where there were “mounds of oranges . . . and this beautiful Christmas tree and I know they had gifts for all the kids.” One year Eugenia was given paper dolls as a gift from Edith Vanderbilt. And as children sometimes will do, she honestly replied that she didn’t like them and asked Edith to give them to someone else.

We have all wondered if that comment caught Edith by surprise, but Eugenia recalls she said “Well, Eugenia, what would you like?”  Eugenia replied, “That ball, right up there.” Pointing to the tree, she had her eyes set on a colorful, shiny glass ball hanging from the tree branches. Quotes like this next one tell us so much about the personality of Edith Vanderbilt. Eugenia remembered, “she called in Donohue [the butler] and she stripped that tree and gave those balls to the children. She knew what they liked.  Every time she went on a trip and came back after that, she would bring me some Christmas balls.”

Our design team enjoys remembering Eugenia and her beloved Christmas ornaments when they decorate the Banquet Hall tree each year. The team hangs hundreds of colorful balls on trees in the house, some inspired by the ones that Edith may have presented to the children. When she became an adult, Eugenia displayed her beloved collection in her home every year until an accident one holiday season. “I had some of the prettiest ones you ever saw until my cat pulled the tree over in the foyer and broke them all,” she shared.  While her story has a bit of a sad ending, we so enjoyed hearing about Eugenia’s fond Christmas memories of Biltmore and her ornaments.

Employee Christmas Tradition

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When Edith Stuyvesant Dresser became Mrs. Vanderbilt in 1898, she added a special note of hospitality to holiday entertaining each year by organizing grand parties for estate employees. She ensured that all the children had gifts specially chosen for them, creating a tradition that we continue today.

According to Edith’s good friend, Anna Wheeler, Edith spent a great deal of time preparing for the holidays. “Mrs. Vanderbilt kept a book in which the individual presents were recorded yearly; her idea was to avoid duplication, but it served another purpose in assisting [her] in the better knowledge of each family.  It was just another example of her predominate kindness and her executive ability.  Mrs. Vanderbilt did the buying, and labeling and wrapping of all those many gifts.  As far as possible they were bought in Asheville soon after the first of October.  One of the west tower rooms assumed the appearance of a Santa Claus storage place.”

In keeping with this holiday tradition, our team was busy packing Christmas gifts over the last week for our annual employee party tonight.  Hundreds of gift bags were carefully stuffed with toys for each age group.  They spend months in preparation, looking for presents for children of our employees.   And while the gift list looks very different than the 1897 list below, the joy of carrying on the Christmas spirit at Biltmore is the same.

A gift list from Christmas 1897 reads:

60lbs cut rock candy
2 boxes of oranges
6 balls
5 red balls
10 baskets
22 rubber toys
1 dozen dolls
2 sets dishes
5 doll carriages
6 chimes
2 clowns
3 horns
1 drum
1 train
1 gun
1 wagon
1 bicycle
1 harp
120 candle holders
5 cakes
12 gallons cream

Ted’s Favorite Places

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Ted Katsigianis has experienced a lot during his three decades at Biltmore. As Vice President of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, he directs a staff that works in traditional agriculture such as forage and field crops, and livestock including cattle, sheep, goats, and poultry. He also works with the Equestrian Center programs. As if that’s not a fulltime job, he’s also in charge of environmental initiatives and sustainability!

The Farmyard in Antler Hill Village is one of his favorite locations at ChickBiltmore because of his personal connection to the area.

“I was heavily involved with the restoration of the Antler Hill Village Barn project and creation of the Farmyard. It’s a pleasure to see guests young and old enjoy interacting with our animals. The children are especially thrilled,” he says. “I enjoy admiring the sheep and cattle in the production pastures, and watching the poultry and baby goats in the Farmyard.”

His other favorite view is found on the estate’s West Side, located across the French Broad River from Biltmore House. The rolling pastures give way to Long Valley Vineyard—one of Biltmore’s earliest vineyards—with Long Valley Lake in the distance. Ted was a member of the team that helped create Long Valley Vineyard, and he’s proud to be a part of estate history in that regard.

“We were breaking new ground for a specialty crop grown in Western North Carolina, and we didn’t have anything to go by,” he explains. “I was in charge of the vineyard for 17 years, and some of our best harvests occurred during this time.”

If you would like to experience the views from the vineyards, we recommend the new Vine to Wine Tour offered on Saturdays and Sundays now through fall. This exclusive guided tour incorporates tastings of our best Biltmore wines while taking you to the vineyards and behind-the-scenes Winery production and bottling locales, finishing with a premium grand tasting and gourmet nibbles. You must have a Biltmore admission ticket or Annual Pass to participate.

Call us at 800-543-2961 to make reservations.

Behind the Scenes: Big Reveal Set For Fall

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Two rooms inside the 250-room Biltmore House – the Second Floor Living Hall and the Salon – will re-open this fall after the estate’s Museum Services team restores them to their appearances as they were when George Vanderbilt opened the home in 1895.

In recent years, the Second Floor Living Hall has been used as an exhibition space; prior to that, it was interpreted as a sitting area. An early 1950s photo offered a glimpse of the original furnishings of this space—gilded sconces, paintings and a suite of oversized Baroque furniture placed around the perimeter of the room. Additional research led curators to determine that the room’s primary function was intended as a picture gallery and formal hallway.

“We’re constantly striving to interpret the house authentically as it appeared during the Vanderbilts’ time,” said Darren Poupore, Chief Curator.

Bringing the room back to its original state includes conserving all the furnishings, recreating elaborate window treatments and making structural changes.

“We discovered that the original upholstery was a gauffraged fabric—a rich wool velvet with a pattern pressed into it—in a striking gold color,” said Poupore. “We had it reproduced in France by Prelle, the same company that made many of our historic fabrics for the Louis XV Suite project.”

Green velvet draperies will adorn windows featuring exact reproductions of four pelmets (or valances). For two years, local textile artist Heather Allen Swarttouw painstakingly embroidered and appliquéd each pelmet to match the originals.

As appropriate for such a prominent space, several notable paintings are being returned to their original locations. John Singer Sargent’s portraits of Richard Morris Hunt and Frederick Law Olmsted and Anders Zorn’s painting “The Waltz,” which have been hanging temporarily in the Salon, will once again hang where George Vanderbilt intended. The restored room will be completed and re-opened September 1st, 2013.

Relocating the paintings from the Salon has led to its reinterpretation, centered on the fact that the Salon was one of the few first floor rooms not completed during Vanderbilt’s lifetime.

“Draperies were placed in the archways to prevent the Vanderbilts’ guests from seeing inside the room,” Poupore said. “It had bare brick walls, a rough subfloor and a structural tiled ceiling without its finished treatment. In the 1920s, Edith Vanderbilt turned it into a Turkish sitting room, but in 1930 everything except the 1920s ceiling treatment was removed and it became a space to display special objects.”

Curators decided to tell the story of how the room has changed through the years. Removal of a wall revealed an original firebox and brick walls. A section of the fabric ceiling treatment is being removed to show the terra cotta tiled ceiling above. Information panels will explain the new interpretation of the room when it re-opens October 1st, 2013.

Learn more about the Biltmore house.

The Royal Bundle Revives a Biltmore Memory

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This week’s arrival of William and Kate’s baby – His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge – has us thinking back to the summer of 1996 when the child’s grandfather, Prince Charles, visited Biltmore.

The occasion? To launch the first American Summer School of the Prince of Wales’ Institute of Architecture.  Biltmore House hosted the school’s students for a week that summer. They studied drawing while immersing themselves in the works of the estate’s designers Richard Morris Hunt and Frederic Law Olmsted.

The idea for hosting the school came after William A.V. Cecil Sr., George Vanderbilt’s grandson, attended a dinner party at the Prince’s Gloucestershire estate in 1995. The Asheville Citizen-Times reported Mr. Cecil said the Prince was interested in supporting good architecture in the aftermath of World War II. The war devastated many historic structures in London, and the city’s reconstruction wasn’t to everyone’s liking. That sentiment, he said, inspired Prince Charles to start the school.

While the Prince was at Biltmore, William and Mimi Cecil hosted a reception for him and his staff on the Loggia of Biltmore House. As the photo shows, the Prince’s visit caught the attention of lots of news photographers and of course, Biltmore guests!

Planning for such a visit during Biltmore’s high season was no small task, having started many months ahead of the June visit. Countless phone calls between Biltmore and Buckingham Palace took place, says Debbie Robinson, who works in Biltmore’s Marketing Department.

Bill Alexander, Biltmore’s Landscape and Forest Historian, was part of the welcome party that day, and with Bill Cecil, Jr., toured the Prince and his party through the gardens and Conservatory. So impressed with the gardens and Bill Alexander’s knowledge about the history of Biltmore and gardening in general, the Prince offered a special invitation.

“He said that I was welcome to visit Highgrove, his country estate in Gloucestershire,” says Bill, noting he’d shared his upcoming plan to lead a tour group through the English countryside with stops at notable gardens along the way. Bill made an immediate change to the group’s itinerary and later that fall, he and his tour group were welcomed by the Prince’s staff at his home. Unfortunately, an emergency took the Prince away from home that day, but his staff received Bill and the group like honored guests, treating them to an elaborate tea held in the Prince’s dining room after a grand tour by the head gardener.

It’s a lovely footnote in Biltmore’s recent history. We hope that Prince Charles is enjoying his new grandson. And our most heart-felt congratulations to William and Kate!

About the Photos

Main photo: William A.V. Cecil Sr. greets Prince Charles at the front door of Biltmore House, Summer 1996. Photo courtesy of the Asheville Citizen-Times, by Debbie Chase-Jennings.

Greg’s Favorite Places

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As head instructor for the Land Rover Experience Driving School at Biltmore, Greg Nikolas has what many people consider an ideal job. Greg drives luxurious and highly capable Land Rovers to rarely seen places on the estate while instructing guests on how to improve their off-road driving skills. The experiences range from 1 or 2-hour lessons on obstacle courses with steep descents, side-tilts, and rock crawls to full-day training in off-road techniques and recovery.

He doesn’t deny that it’s fun—he’s worked for Land Rover for 15 years, including the past 9 years at Biltmore’s program. And while he enjoys the time he spends navigating and instructing guests as they pilot Land Rovers through woods and fields, there are two locations on the estate he considers his favorites.

The first spot is the statue of Diana, located at the top of the Vista that faces Biltmore House.

“The view of Biltmore House from Diana is spectacular. Every time I’m there I think about how George Vanderbilt must have felt seeing his home from this vantage point. This particular view really puts the house’s size and splendor into perspective,” Greg says.

His other favorite is less well-known but just as scenic. Picnic Hill is located on the estate’s west side, across the French Broad River from Biltmore House and Antler Hill Village. There is limited access to this spot; it’s primarily visited by guests participating in a Land Rover activity. Picnic Hill overlooks Long Valley Lake, the vineyards, and provides a unique glimpse of the Inn on Biltmore Estate.

“It is so peaceful and serene there that you could be miles from anywhere. In reality, you’re only minutes from Asheville and the rest of the estate,” Greg says.

“As its name suggests, we use it for picnics on our full-day adventures. And it’s been the scene for more than one marriage proposal!”

Elaine’s Favorite Place

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Elaine Breault’s daily responsibilities often take her all around Biltmore. As operations manager for Lioncrest, Deerpark Restaurant, and Biltmore Catering, she manages the private events, weddings, and conferences hosted at these venues in addition to managing functions off the estate that use Biltmore Catering.

Four years of handling these duties has resulted in Elaine being pretty familiar with locations around the estate. And she has a couple of favorite places–that you may not be aware of–that keep drawing her back time after time.
One area is located behind the Inn on Biltmore Estate; there are hiking trails that Elaine uses for running when she feels like a challenge.

“The trail behind the inn is marked with good signage, and I usually turn right and run by the Brooder House, which used to be a chicken coop,” she says. “This particular trail also offers great long-range mountain views.”
There’s another location she likes for a completely different reason. The paved path that connects Antler Hill Village and the Lagoon is a favorite for both Elaine and her pit bull/lab mix named Lola. This is a popular trail for dogs and people alike as it passes through fields with the French Broad River nearby.

“Lola loves to walk here because she meets so many other dogs,” Elaine says.

Hope’s Favorite Place

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If you attended a seminar hosted by A Gardener’s Place, you may have met Hope Wright. In addition to her responsibilities as a sales associate in our garden shop, she conducts the free daily seminars on gardening and flower arranging offered throughout the year. Which means Hope is one of the lucky few who can gather materials from Biltmore’s gardens to create beautiful arrangements seen in displays.

Since she’s spent 14 years at A Gardener’s Place, it’s only natural that several of our gardens hold her most preferred locations on the estate.

One of her favorite walks begins at Biltmore House and continues down into the Shrub Garden, bypassing the steps that lead to the Walled Garden. She recommends stopping there to admire the glory of a Weeping Blue Atlas cedar.

As you continue toward the Shrub Garden, take a trail that cuts up to the right. Then turn around to view the many dogwood varieties that thrive here.

“This area is unofficially known as the ‘dogetum’, a take on the word arboretum,” Hope says. “I continue to be amazed at the variety of interesting dogwoods—my favorite is the variegated Weeping Kousa Dogwood.”

The view from this location on the trail is amazing. “You can see a tiny section of the Conservatory through the evergreens, and a fabulous view of the entire Walled Garden,” she says. “I like to sit on the cast iron Victorian bench and take a few moments just to appreciate the scenery.”

In springtime, you can see the tulips in full bloom, but summer also serves up beauty with the Walled Garden bursting with bright annuals. “Take a few minutes to go off the beaten path—there’s always a new sight to behold in every season,” Hope says.

Learn more about our gardens and grounds.