“Cupid’s Richest Captive”— George Vanderbilt’s engagement

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“Cupid’s Richest Captive” was the headline that accompanied the April 1898 announcement of George Vanderbilt’s engagement to Edith Stuyvesant Dresser.

Cupid’s richest captive: George Vanderbilt

Photographic portrait of George Vanderbilt, labeled
Photographic portrait of George Vanderbilt, ca. 1898

At age 36 and the only unmarried son of William Henry Vanderbilt, George was considered America’s most eligible bachelor. Termed “Cupid’s richest captive” by the popular press, the engagement was a leading topic in newspapers of the era.

Edith Stuyvesant Dresser

Edith Stuyvesant Dresser's formal engagement photo, 1898
Edith Stuyvesant Dresser’s formal engagement photo, 1898

In comparison, his bride-to-be was a virtual unknown, although her ancestry included Peter Stuyvesant, the first Dutch governor of New York. Edith and her three sisters were popular members of Newport and New York society, and the “Dresser Girls” had lived in Paris after the death of their parents and grandparents. 

Ten years younger than her fiancé, Edith was friends with one of George’s sisters and several of his nieces. While reporters speculated the couple became acquainted when she attended Vanderbilt’s 1897 London party for Queen Victoria’s Jubilee, it’s more likely the pair met through match-making family members.

Congratulatory correspondence for “Cupid’s richest captive” and his fiancée

Cupid's richest captive: newspaper clipping of the wedding service
Newspaper clipping of the 1898 Dresser-Vanderbilt wedding program; illustrations were probably made from photographs of the couple.

News of the springtime engagement brought letters of congratulations from Vanderbilt’s friends, and we are fortunate to have some of the correspondence in our archives.

Author Paul Leicester Ford, who stayed at Biltmore several times and dedicated one of his most popular novels to George Vanderbilt, penned the following:

“My dear George,
I am very glad. Marriage is quite good enough for you, and is one of the few really fine things you haven’t had in your life. I wish I knew Miss Dresser better, but the mere glimpse I had of her was enough to make me like her, and time will perhaps fulfill my wish. That you both have my every felicitation, and hope for your happiness, need not be said…..It is a pleasure to me to think of you as having this great happiness added to your life. But in the big love, save a little if you can, for your affectionate friend
Paul.”

Portrait of George Vanderbilt by John Singer Sargent, ca. 1890
Portrait of George Vanderbilt by John Singer Sargent, ca. 1890; on display above the entrance to the Biltmore House Library.

Artist John Singer Sargent, considered the most successful portrait painter of his era, was one of Vanderbilt’s favorite artists. Six of his works are in Biltmore House, including a portrait of George that hangs above the Library door. On April 28, 1898, he wrote:


“My dear Vanderbilt
Please accept my warmest congratulations and best wishes for your engagement, and offer my hommages to the lady…I hope to see you on my way back from Venice…
Yours sincerely,
John S. Sargent”

Chauncey M. Depew, who served as New York Secretary of State and president of the New York Central Railway, was a family friend who had known George Vanderbilt all his life. On May 13, 1898, he wrote:


“My Dear George,
Accept my cordial congratulations on your engagement. Possessing as you do every thing to make a happy home, and Miss Dresser so charmingly forming the complement. Surely the future is (illegible) secure for married life as the fates have arranged it for you…
Faithfully yours,
Chauncey M. Depew”

On May 19, 1898, David H. Greer sent a letter to George Vanderbilt, who was already in Paris where his June 1 wedding would take place. Greer served as the rector of St. Bartholomew’s Church, New York, from 1888–1904.


“Dear Mr. Vanderbilt —
I am sorry I cannot be present to offer my congratulations in person in connection with the happy event which is about to take place in your life; but the steamer that takes your sisters over will hopefully carry this note and enable you to receive it before the wedding.

I have thought of you so long in a state of “single blessedness” that it is a little difficult to imagine you in the double blessedness of matrimony. But it is double blessedness, as I know from my own experience, and I am sure you will find in yours.

With best wishes of a bright future for both of you, believe me,
Very sincerely yours,
David H. Greer”

Learn more about the Vanderbilts

George and Edith Vanderbilt at buckspring Lodge
George and Edith Vanderbilt sitting on the front steps of Buckspring Lodge, their rustic retreat on Mt. Pisgah

After the wedding and a four-month Italian honeymoon, the newlyweds returned to Biltmore to begin their lives together. Learn more about them by visiting The Vanderbilts at Home and Abroad exhibition at The Biltmore Legacy in Antler Hill Village, included with your estate admission.

Featured photo: Place de Chalelet and Seine River, Paris, circa 1898. George Vanderbilt and Edith Stuyvesant Dresser were engaged in Paris in April 1898.

Garden Parties Are a Spring Tradition at Biltmore

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Whether you’ve been to Biltmore many times or are just planning your first visit, Spring at Biltmore is a season you won’t want to miss!

A tradition of outdoor festivities

Spring blooms in Biltmore's shrub garden
Colorful spring blooms in Biltmore’s Shrub Garden

Flowers on parade

Spring was always a special time for the Vanderbilts as they enjoyed the beauty of Biltmore’s grounds awakening from winter. The return of warmer weather also brought the opportunity to spend more time outdoors and to host garden parties and festivities for family and guests.

Cornelia and Edith Vanderbilt in a flower-covered carriage, 1905
Cornelia and Edith Vanderbilt in a carriage decorated with flowers for the 1905 Flower Carriage Parade in Biltmore Village

For several years during Cornelia Vanderbilt’s childhood, her family, along with estate residents and members of the local community, celebrated the season with a parade of flower-decked carriages in Biltmore Village.

Wedding bouquets

On April 29, 1924, as Cornelia Vanderbilt prepared to marry the Honorable John F.A. Cecil, the gardens of Biltmore were called upon to play an important role in her wedding. Luckily, the acres of beautifully-landscaped shrubs and blooms were up to the task!

John and Cornelia Cecil wedding party in 1925
Wedding party of John and Cornelia Cecil in the Tapestry Gallery of Biltmore House, 1925

“The flowers for Cornelia’s bridesmaids were ordered from New York, but they did not arrive on the train in time,” said Lizzie Borchers, Biltmore Floral Displays Manager. “So Biltmore’s gardeners came to the rescue, clipping forsythia, tulips, dogwood, quince, and other flowers and wiring them together. They were quite large compositions, twiggy, open, and very beautiful.”

Cornelia’s garden party

Of course, summer was also a wonderful season for garden parties. In August 1925, Cornelia Cecil celebrated her 25th birthday with an open air ball at 9:30 p.m. in the Italian Garden.

At least 300 guests were invited, and party-goers danced to the Charles Freicher Orchestra amidst the splendor of twinkling lights from Japanese lanterns placed in trees and shrubbery and torches flaring in potted plants.

Italian Garden at Biltmore House
The Italian Garden pools shimmer with reflections of Biltmore House. Exotic Victoria water platters, canna lilies, papyrus and lotus thrive here in the summer months.

The Asheville Gazette described this garden party as “among the most elaborate and largest celebrations held at Biltmore House” since the estate was established.

The write-up included details such as “the beautiful array of summer gowns of the many dancers made a scene as beautiful as that of gay moths and fireflies in a fairy garden,” and noted that a buffet supper was served at midnight.

Celebrating Biltmore in Bloom

Today, we continue to honor the Vanderbilt traditions of celebrating spring by bringing the outdoors into Biltmore House. Look for special floral arrangements throughout America’s Largest Home® during Spring at Biltmore.

Plan your spring getaway today

Family walking amongst the tulips at Biltmore Gardens during Spring
Experience Biltmore in full bloom

Our restaurants and shops across the estate celebrate spring, too, with delicious seasonal menus and artful arrangements in each venue, plus special packages at The Inn on Biltmore Estate® and Village Hotel on Biltmore Estate®. Plan your special spring getaway today!

Featured image: Edith and Cornelia Vanderbilt in a flower-covered carriage for a spring parade in Biltmore Village, May 25, 1905

More than a Hostess: Honoring Edith Vanderbilt

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At the age of 25, Edith Vanderbilt married the nation’s most eligible bachelor and assumed her role as lady of America’s Largest Home®, responsible for ensuring the comfort and entertainment of Biltmore’s many guests. And yet, she was so much more than a hostess.

Let’s take a look at some of Edith Vanderbilt’s most incredible efforts and achievements.

School of Domestic Science students
Students of the Biltmore School of Domestic Science, ca. 1901

Biltmore School of Domestic Science

In 1901, Edith Vanderbilt established the Biltmore School of Domestic Science, which trained young Black women in professional housekeeping. The intention behind this initiative was two-fold: to help satisfy the increasing demand for efficient domestic service in the area at the time, and—more importantly to Edith—to help women with socio-economic challenges to become gainfully employed.

Coursework covered the duties of a maid, waitress, laundress, cook, and housekeeper; if a student showed a preference for a special line of work, she was given the necessary training to develop that skillset. Additionally, the school created a network to increase its graduates’ prospects of finding work:

“The graduating classes form a society for houseworkers. The purpose of this society is mutual help, by raising the respect of the general public for such work and workers…Any positions that are vacant if in good families will be reported, and an effort be made to fill them from among the members of the society.” 

– The Home Science Magazine, Volume XX, October 1903–March 1904

Archival documents of Biltmore Estate Exhibition
Archival list of 1906 Biltmore Estate Exhibition prize winners and first and second prize ribbons

Biltmore Estate Exhibition

In order to nurture a sense of community among estate employees and their families, Edith organized the Biltmore Estate Exhibition, also referred to as the annual fair, in 1905. She distributed seeds as needed to all of the employees to ensure everyone could participate in the competitions.

Some of the initial categories included vegetables and herbs, field crops, domestic products such as breads and preserves, needlework, and baskets. Categories later expanded to include flowers, hogs, and poultry as well as a miscellaneous category to include eggs, honey, and various other items. Prizes included ribbons and a variety of garden books.

Though Edith was in London during the 1907 event, estate superintendent Chauncey Beadle wrote to her: 

“Not another day shall pass without a full report to you of the Exhibition, which was celebrated in the grove above the Farm Cottages yesterday afternoon with the most auspicious weather that it was possible to have. The attendance and exhibits were very satisfactory, and, I believe all who participated enjoyed the day, the social intercourse and objects which were displayed.”

Thanks to oral histories, we know that the fairs continued into the 1940s.

Biltmore Dairy Moonlight School students
Students of the Biltmore Dairy Moonlight School, ca. 1920s (Photo courtesy of the McCarson Family)

Biltmore Dairy Moonlight School

In 1914, Edith founded the Biltmore Dairy Moonlight School to teach illiterate estate workers how to read and write. Her larger intention was to attack the underlying causes of economic inequality and disenfranchisement. Classes were taught by Columbia University interns and graduates, who were receiving arguably the best teacher training in the nation at the time.

Edith Vanderbilt personally selected the textbook used at the school and even taught a class from time to time:  

“It is an interesting picture: one of the world’s richest women… teaching dairy workers how to read and write in a horse barn in the mountains of North Carolina.”

– “Aristocracy and Appalachia: Edith Vanderbilt and Her Moonlight School” (2011) by Wilkie L. Whitney

While Biltmore’s was certainly not the first moonlight school, the model Edith pioneered was so effective, it inspired the foundation of many similar programs across North Carolina—all with the support of Edith as their most vocal advocate.

Edith Vanderbilt and Red Cross
Edith Vanderbilt (second from right) and her fellow Red Cross volunteers, ca. 1917–1919 (Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress: American National Red Cross Collection)

Red Cross Efforts during the Great War

When the United States became involved in the first World War, Edith Vanderbilt was splitting her time between Biltmore and Washington, DC—but no matter where she was, she always found ways to support the Red Cross during this turbulent time.

While in Asheville, she sponsored a golf tournament to raise funds for the Red Cross.

“The trophy was the gift of Mrs. Edith Vanderbilt, the rules providing that all entrance fees went to the Red Cross, and that no trophies should be given unless donated.“

– “Carolina Mountains Having Great Season,” The Times Dispatch, 19 August 1917

While in Washington, DC, she volunteered with the Red Cross as part of a Canteen Unit, which provided hot coffee, light refreshments, and mail services to troops at railroad junctions. True to form, Edith was recognized for going above and beyond at her Canteen’s encampment:

“Mrs. George Vanderbilt is quite wonderful, so cool and collected and executive. She took her motor and went off shopping, bought some extra equipment, a table for the tent to hold the telephone, some camp chairs, a rake to rake up the trash, a pump to pump the water into the cauldron, a mail bag, stamps, wire baskets; besides, she organized the post-office.”  

– Presidents and Pies: Life in Washington 1897–1919 (1920) by Isabel Anderson

Edith Vnaderbilt State Fair
Edith Vanderbilt arriving at the first State Fair during her tenure as president, ca. 1921

First Female President of the North Carolina Agricultural Society

In 1920, Edith Vanderbilt was elected the first female president of the North Carolina Agricultural Society as well as the 60th State Fair. Her first address in the role was one for the books.

“Anti-suffragists who have feared woman’s entrance into politics found themselves happy today when Mrs. Edith Vanderbilt made about the smartest 15-minute speech to a joint session of the general assembly heard within the historic walls of the state house in a long time…explaining in the outset that it would be like the modern skirt, to the extent that its length would cover the subject and its brevity attract attention. She was right.”

– “Woman Makes First Address to Legislature,” The Charlotte Observer, 3 February 1921

Under her leadership, the State Fair focused more on agriculture as opposed to sideshows. Edith traveled and wrote widely to promote the event and help attract exhibitors. She also led initiatives to improve the fairgrounds.

She would ultimately be re-elected to lead the 1922, 1923, and 1924 fairs, and then continued to serve on the executive committee following her tenure as president.

Edith and Cornelia Vanderbilt
Edith Vanderbilt (center) and her daughter Cornelia (left of center) greet guests arriving in Biltmore Village, ca. 1924

More than a Hostess

Beyond her duties as wife, mother, and lady of the house, Edith Vanderbilt felt a great responsibility towards her community. She was passionate about education, agriculture, and literacy. She was active in civic affairs at the local, state, and national level. Perhaps most impressive, she used her privilege to support those in need and the causes in which she so strongly believed.

Cheers to this extraordinary woman!

Feature image: Edith Vanderbilt gathering letters from soldiers while volunteering for the Red Cross, ca. 1918 (Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress: American National Red Cross Collection)

Who Runs the House: Downton Abbey vs. Biltmore

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Downton Abbey: The Exhibition ended September 7, 2020. Please enjoy this archived content.

In honor of Biltmore playing host to Downton Abbey: The Exhibition, we’ve recognized some of the similarities—and differences—between these two great houses. Now, let’s take a deeper dive into one of the primary differences of domestic service in American and English households of the era were managed. It all boils down to one simple question: Who runs the house?

Sketch of Biltmore House
Archival sketch of Biltmore House façade, drafted prior to construction, does not include the glass-roofed Winter Garden that was added as plans were finalized

George Vanderbilt’s vision for Biltmore was heavily influenced by the model of similar English estates, much like Downton Abbey; however, the American interpretation of this system had its differences to the British one.

Though they often hired British staff to manage Biltmore House, in the United States it was the standard for the head housekeeper to be in charge over the staff, rather than the butler.

Downton Abbey Bell Board
Bell Board from below stairs in Downton Abbey, as seen in our newest exhibition

At Downton Abbey, it’d be hard to imagine Mr. Carson, the butler, serving beneath Mrs. Hughes, the head housekeeper—though she certainly illustrated that she was more than capable of influencing him.

At Biltmore, head housekeeper Emily Rand King, affectionately known as Mrs. King although she was unmarried, ran almost everything downstairs at Biltmore just as Mr. Carson does at Downton Abbey.

Biltmore House Call Box
Detail of Call Box in the Butler’s Pantry in Biltmore House

“Mrs. King was the boss,” said Winnie Titchener-Coyle, associate archivist. “That’s one of the differences—in the U.S., women could have that high-level managerial role.”

While Mrs. King didn’t oversee the butler’s work per se, she certainly had more responsibilities than that of a head housekeeper in a British household—Downton Abbey’s Mrs. Hughes, for instance.

“Mrs. King administered salaries and had to have her own budget,” Winnie said. “She supervised staff, and she managed household supplies and linens, cleaning supplies and tools.”

Biltmore House Butler's Pantry
The Butler’s Pantry, as seen on The Biltmore House Backstairs Tour

Plan your visit for now through September 7, 2020, to discover Downton Abbey: The Exhibition—on display at both Amherst at Deerpark and The Biltmore Legacy in Antler Hill Village.

We invite you to learn more about the staff of Biltmore House—as well as the staff of Downton Abbey—with our new Through the Servants’ Eyes Tour during your next visit to Biltmore.

Feature image: Servants’ Hall in Biltmore House, where staff could relax and socialize when not on duty

Shedding New Light on Biltmore’s Halloween Room

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There’s no doubt that the unusual wall decor in the Halloween Room of Biltmore House has raised many questions throughout the years. Ongoing archival research and discoveries from our Museum Services team allow us to shed new light on the origins of this brightly-colored room.

Soldiers painted on the walls of Biltmore's Halloween Room
Painted soldiers depicted in Halloween Room mural

Naming the Halloween Room

Witches, bats, and black cats don’t usually come to mind when you think of Biltmore, but deep in the basement of America’s Largest Home®, there’s a cavernous room with brick walls painted in brightly-colored murals depicting an array of such creatures.

The paintings include characters from folklore, a platoon of soldiers, and other imaginative imagery that eventually caused this area to be dubbed the “Halloween Room.”

For many years, the colorful murals remained a bit of a mystery, with some thought that the room was the scene of a 1920s Halloween weekend house party during which guests of John and Cornelia Cecil were invited to make their mark on the walls.

Subsequent research revealed, however, that the paintings were created in December 1925 to prepare the room for a New Year’s Eve celebration–but that still didn’t explain the slightly eerie tone of the murals.

Theatrical program for La Chauve-Souris
Theatrical program for La Chauve-Souris

Uncovering the inspiration behind the murals

Our Museum Services team discovered an obscure connection between the scenes on the walls and an avant-garde Russian cabaret and theatrical troupe called La Chauve-Souris, which translates to The Bat.

The troupe toured America in the 1920s, performing on Broadway in 1922 and again in 1925. The vaudevillian comedic acts were set off by abstract sets designed by two Russian artists, Sergei Sudeikin and Nicolai Remisoff. The show met with great success, triggering a rage for all things Russian in New York City and beyond.

Staff looks at an archival copy of La Chauve-Souris theatrical program
Leslie Klingner reviews an archival copy of the La Chauve-Souris program

The Cecils must have been fans of the cabaret as they and their friends created their own version of La Chauve-Souris on the basement walls of Biltmore House. Most of the murals were drawn directly from Remisoff and Sudeikin’s illustrations for the theatrical program. 

After three weeks of painting, the Cecils hosted a Bohemian ball on December 30, 1925, as part of their New Year’s celebration.

“This connection was really exciting to us because we didn’t expect it at all,” said Curator, Leslie Klingner. “It wasn’t until we read an autobiography of a local man who went to that party that we put it together.”

Painted scenes in the Halloween Room

“The best party I have ever attended”

The Charleston Daily Mail reported that 100 guests attended the Cecil’s New Year’s Eve festivities. One costumed attendee, local resident James G.K. McClure, recalled arriving in the basement of Biltmore with his wife Elizabeth, armed with a guitar and an old accordion, to find a room full of “cauldrons and pots and glowing fire … all around.” 

Enchanted by the unexpected theatrics, he wrote a detailed account of the holiday soiree to a friend, reminiscing that it was “the best party I have ever attended.”

Halloween Room mural in Biltmore House
Painted scenes in the Halloween Room

A new look inside the glamourous soiree

“We know that John and Cornelia Cecil were interested in many aspects of Russian culture, and Biltmore House wasn’t the only place Cornelia painted using these sorts of images. Combine that with their flair for entertaining, and you get what must have been the social event of the Asheville season,” shares Curator, Meghan Forest.

We also know that friends and family traveled from far and wide to attend the exciting soiree. Among the attendees were Cornelia’s recently remarried mother, Edith, and her second husband, Senator Peter Gerry from Rhode Island. Also present was John Cecil’s brother and his family from England.

According to Meghan, a recently discovered newspaper article also mentioned that Edith and Cornelia wore similarly styled costumes featuring bright colors, bouffant skirts, and brilliant shawls befitting the theme. “For a social event of this profile, they were likely wearing clothing that was custom-designed for them,” shares Meghan.

The article also stated that the nearby dressing rooms were used as private dining rooms for small groups, helping us better understand how the family and guests would have utilized the vast basement level of Biltmore House during this era.

Panels from
Our Building Biltmore House exhibition explores the construction of George Vanderbilt’s magnificent home—a massive project that took hundreds of workers seven years to complete.

On display in the Halloween Room: Building Biltmore House

In addition to piquing the curiosity of our guests, the Halloween Room currently showcases our Building Biltmore House exhibition which features additional in-depth information about the people, circumstances, and innovations surrounding the building of George Vanderbilt’s magnificent estate.

Building Biltmore House also offers a special focus on the craftsmanship and labor of the employees who worked on the project rather than just the construction techniques.

Biltmore Gardens Railway: A Structural Comparison

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Twice a year, the Conservatory is transformed into a wonderland of creativity. Discover Biltmore Gardens Railway, featuring miniature estate landmark replicas made of all-natural materials gathered from Biltmore’s grounds.

Biltmore Gardens Railway brings an elaborate G-scale railway with locomotives, rail cars, and handmade buildings to life by connecting them to Biltmore and its founder George Vanderbilt. Working from original plans, drawings, and photographs of the estate, a team from Applied Imagination constructs the replicas in a stunningly accurate reimagining of Biltmore.

Let’s take an up-close look at the attention to detail paid to the recreations of these historic structures.

Biltmore Gardens Railway recreation of Lodge Gate
Image 1: Photograph of the Lodge Gate from George Vanderbilt’s collection, ca. 1900
Image 2: Applied Imagination’s recreation, on display in the Conservatory’s Exhibition Room

About the Lodge Gate Recreation

  • Materials collected from the estate: horse chestnut, magnolia leaves, pine bark, hickory nuts, lotus pods, contorted Filbert, bamboo, winged bean, pine cone scales, and acorn caps
  • Dimensions: 28”x22”x15”
  • Time to complete: 275+ hours
Biltmore Gardens Railway recreation of Conservatory
Image 1: Photograph of the Conservatory from George Vanderbilt’s collection, ca. 1910
Image 2: Applied Imagination’s recreation, on display in the Conservatory’s Orchid Room

About the Conservatory Recreation

  • Materials collected from the estate: horse chestnut, pine bark, anise, honeysuckle, ash, winged euonymus, contorted Filbert, and oak bark
  • Dimensions: 21”x52”x14”
  • Time to complete: 350+ hours
Biltmore Gardens Railway recreation of Biltmore House
Image 1: Photograph of Biltmore House from George Vanderbilt’s collection, ca. 1910
Image 2: Applied Imagination’s recreation, on display in the Conservatory’s Palm House

About the Biltmore House Recreation

  • Materials collected from the estate: baby acorns, acorn caps, star anise, pine cone, contorted Filbert, grapevine, honeysuckle, eucalyptus leaves, bamboo, ash bark, oak bark, and elm bark
  • Dimensions: 66”x122”x55”
  • Time to complete: 1700+ hours

Visit Biltmore Gardens Railway

The enchantment of Biltmore Gardens Railway is a semi-annual event at Biltmore. Check our event listing for upcoming dates and plan your visit today!

Biltmore Dairy: An Udderly Fascinating History

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George Vanderbilt established Biltmore Dairy operations at his estate in Asheville, North Carolina for three main reasons: to supply dairy products to Biltmore House, to provide an example to others on how to run a successful farm, and to generate income through commercial product sales.

Imagine having a Vanderbilt for your milkman—flavoring your coffee with cream from the dairy of a multi-millionaire. It is enough to make one smack his lips and imagine the product is richer than that of ordinary dairymen.
– “A Millionaire Farmer,” St. Louis Globe Democrat, 1894

Biltmore Dairy delivery wagon, ca. 1900
Biltmore Dairy delivery wagon, ca. 1900

Beyond the dairy, original agricultural operations included sheep, hog, and poultry farms, and a substantial market garden for produce. All of these endeavors, collectively named Biltmore Farms, contributed to George Vanderbilt’s ability to fulfill the estate’s mission of self-sufficiency.

However, Biltmore Dairy was the most successful of all of Biltmore’s enterprises, providing the estate with a financial cushion that would see it through George Vanderbilt’s death, two world wars, the Great Depression, and beyond.

Cows in main dairy barn
Cow stalls in the main dairy barn, ca. 1930

The Legacy of Biltmore Dairy

Much of this success was thanks to the Vanderbilts’ prized herd of Jersey cows. Of all major dairy breeds, Jerseys produce the richest milk—high in butterfat, protein, and calcium. They also produce a higher volume of milk per each pound of body weight than other type of cattle.

The Biltmore Dairy Farms herd, believed to be the largest herd of registered Jerseys in the world, is unquestionably one of the finest and best known.
– “Souvenir Edition Annual Meeting of the American Jersey Cattle Club,” June 3, 1942

Biltmore Dairy workers, ca. 1910
Biltmore Dairy workers, ca. 1910

To ensure that the herd maintained excellent health, staff included a full-time veterinarian and a dairy bacteriologist. Dairy workers kept detailed records on the herd and conducted regular inspections to ensure their living conditions were of the highest quality.

The herd was primarily housed in the estate’s Main Dairy Barn—what is now Biltmore’s Winery. Just down the road was the Creamery, where cream was separated from the milk. Milk was then bottled and sold, while the cream was made into butter, buttermilk, cottage cheese, and, of course, ice cream.

Biltmore's Main Dairy Barn
Biltmore’s Dairy Barn (what is now the Winery), May 30, 1913 (Courtesy of Alice Marie Lewis)

The Tasty History of Biltmore Ice Cream

Biltmore’s ice cream played a leading role at estate gatherings, including Cornelia Vanderbilt’s birthday parties, Christmas celebrations, and May Day festivities. Almost every oral history interview in our archives that mentions a childhood memory on the estate also includes a reference to ice cream.

After Biltmore House opened to the public in 1930, guests could view the milking rooms and processing areas in the Dairy Barn, sample the milk, and buy ice cream. Biltmore Dairy was so successful, and its products were so well-known that it became an attraction in its own right for estate visitors.

Biltmore Dairy milkmen and delivery trucks, ca. 1935-1940
Biltmore Dairy milkmen and delivery trucks, ca. 1935-1940

It was around this time that the dairy’s delivery wagons were replaced with trucks and the fleet grew from 30 vehicles to over 400 in just 15 years. Salesmen were now able to market the products as far away as Charlotte, which at the time was a windy, wooded five-hour drive.

Unfortunately, the market shifted. With the advent of chain grocery stores came a cheaper, more efficient way to purchase milk, eventually making door-to-door dairy delivery obsolete. Biltmore Dairy and other smaller, family-run businesses were unable to compete with expansive commercial operations. In April of 1985, Biltmore Dairy was sold to Pet, Inc.

Mother and daughter enjoying ice cream in Antler Hill Vilalge
Enjoy our vanilla ice cream, based on a delicious original Biltmore Dairy recipe.

Enjoy Biltmore Ice Cream Today

Today, Biltmore continues to draw inspiration from Biltmore Dairy. Biltmore Dairy Bar® in the Stable Courtyard was named in honor of our agricultural heritage. Additionally, vanilla ice cream based on a delicious original Biltmore Dairy recipe is offered at both Biltmore Dairy Bar® and at the Creamery in Antler Hill Village.

Boucheron Masterpiece: Recreating Edith’s Brooch

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To create A Vanderbilt House Party, our Museum Services team worked with designer John Bright and his team at Cosprop, London, to recreate clothing and a vital piece of George and Edith’s ensembles from their engagement portraits: the diamond and ruby brooch George gave to her as an engagement gift.

Our team decided that the elaborate piece simply had to be recreated in order to truly capture Edith’s look in the portrait.

Place Vendôme in Paris, site of the Boucheron flagship store, ca. 1890–1900

Place Vendôme in Paris, site of the Boucheron flagship store, ca. 1890–1900

First Things First

The first step for our team was to determine the jeweler that crafted Edith’s original brooch, which was part of a set that also included a choker necklace and tiara. One of our curators had a hunch that the piece resembled the work of Boucheron, a high-end French jewelry house established in 1858.

Boucheron’s company archivist was able to confirm that they indeed had a receipt of George Vanderbilt having purchased the set on May 7, 1898—just after his and Edith’s April engagement and prior to their June wedding.

Luckily, Boucheron was also able to share with us the original 1898 photo of brooch from their archives, which turned out to be an incredibly helpful reference in the recreation of the piece.

Place Vendôme in Paris, site of the Boucheron flagship store, ca. 1890–1900

Left: Edith‘s engagement portrait, 1898; Right: archival catalog photo of the original brooch (Courtesy of Boucheron Heritage Department)

A Master Artisan

John Bright and the Cosprop team recommended artisan Martin Adams for the job. Martin specializes in making jewelry and jewelry-related props, including crowns, tiaras, regalia, and the like.

In his 43 years of prop-making, Martin has worked on countless notable movie, television, and theater productions, including Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Titanic, The Crown, Downton Abbey, Hamilton, and the list truly just goes on and on.

Given the high demand and prestige of Martin’s work, our team considered themselves fortunate that he undertook recreating Edith’s brooch—and that he gave it such time.

Early sketch of the recreated brooch’s frame (Courtesy of Martin Adams)

Early sketch of the recreated brooch’s frame (Courtesy of Martin Adams)

The Recreation Begins

We supplied him with Boucheron’s archival photo of the brooch, which captured its fine details, as well as our photos of Edith wearing it, which showed the brooch from various angles, displaying its depth.

But in order to determine the actual size of the piece, the Cosprop team made photographic cut-outs of the brooch in various scales—under Martin’s direction—to see which size appeared to be most accurate against the backdrop of Edith’s gown as it, too, was being recreated.

Comparing the archival photo of the original with an early trial stage of construction (Courtesy of Martin Adams)

Comparing the archival photo of the original with an early trial stage of construction (Courtesy of Martin Adams)

Martin then set to work on the frame of the piece, which he pierced from flat sheet copper. He filed the copper to give it steeply sloping sides, which gives the appearance of being delicate, while still maintaining its strength. The whole frame was them gently hammered over a dome-shaped block to give the brooch the correct dimension and depth.

Struggles with Stones

With the exception of two stones, all of the diamonds in the original brooch were boat-shaped stones, known as a marquise or navette cut. Martin estimated that the piece’s 46 diamonds were in five different sizes—from 6mm long (just under a quarter of an inch) to 14mm long (a bit more than half an inch).

He chose to use cubic zirconia which, particularly for a piece that will be viewed closely, would provide a much better representation of diamonds than would foil-backed stones, which are commonly found in costume jewelry.

Both the largest and smallest stone-mounts used in the recreation (Courtesy of Martin Adams)

Both the largest and smallest stone-mounts used in the recreation (Courtesy of Martin Adams)

As for the rubies, Martin obtained samples of the richest red stones available, including red cubic zirconia, synthetic rubies, and red paste stones—but none of them had deep enough color. He finally found just enough rich red Swarovski stones in the four main sizes he needed.

However, Martin had to settle for using a synthetic ruby as the massive cushion-shaped stone in the center. Although to the trained eye the stone may appear a slightly lighter shade than the rest, he simply could not find a better alternative to fit the size.

Comparing the accuracy of the custom-made mounts (left) with pre-made mounts (right) (Courtesy of Martin Adams)

Comparing the accuracy of the custom-made mounts (left) with pre-made mounts (right) (Courtesy of Martin Adams)

And Struggles with Stone-Mounts

After a few failed attempts using ready-made stone-mounts, Martin realized he needed to make the mounts from scratch in order for the piece to be as authentically recreate Edith’s brooch.

This required him to make 10 different mount models—the main body of the brooch consists of five different stone-mount sizes, there are four different joint mounts, and one mount just for the central stone. He used the models to make molds, from which he then cast each of the mounts.

Martin’s final challenge was to grind down and polish the 14 “diamond” wafers for the pendant sections, as nothing like this was available to buy.

He then set all of the stones in their mounts individually. And after upwards of 200 hours of work, the brooch was complete.

the recreated brooch

The completed recreation of Edith Vanderbilt’s Boucheron brooch

The Finished Piece

“This turned out to be one of the most complicated and time-greedy jobs I have ever done,” said Martin. “It has also been one of the most rewarding.”

From start to finish, the entire process took nearly 8 months and the final result is nothing short of stunning. Having a recreation of this quality allows us to tell more of the Vanderbilts’ romance and courtship story through a tangible, exceptionally beautiful object.

We are overjoyed that it is now part of Biltmore’s permanent collection. The brooch is on display in the Tapestry Gallery of Biltmore House now through May 27 as part of our A Vanderbilt House Party exhibition.

Remembering the 1898 April Engagement of George Vanderbilt and Edith Stuyvesant Dresser

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In celebration of the April 1898 engagement of George Vanderbilt and Edith Stuyvesant Dresser, we ask an important question: what would you wear for a portrait commemorating your engagement to America’s most eligible bachelor? 

Archival portrait of Edith Vanderbilt

For Edith, the choice was a beautiful blue velvet gown—the perfect backdrop for a diamond and ruby brooch she received from her fiancé as an engagement gift.

During the exhibition A Vanderbilt House Party – The Gilded Age, see not only a stunning re-creation of Edith’s gown, but also a replica of her exquisite brooch—part of a set of jewelry that also included a tiara and necklace. 

The groom-to-be also appears in the Tapestry Gallery of Biltmore House, stylishly attired in a formal evening suit befitting the man labeled “Cupid’s richest captive” in newspapers around the country. Vanderbilt’s engagement was a hot topic for the papers; in the U.S. alone, more than 60 articles were published about his forthcoming wedding. 

While George Vanderbilt drew much public interest, his bride-to-be was mostly unknown outside New York and Newport society. So how did this relationship blossom? 

It’s likely the couple met through George’s match-making relatives. Edith—a decade younger than her future husband—was friends with several of his sisters and nieces. She and her sisters were living in Paris after the death of their parents and grandparents, and it was in Paris and London where Edith and George renewed their acquaintance and embarked on a transatlantic courtship. 

The news of the engagement was welcomed by friends, including the author Paul Leicester Ford, who wrote to George:  
“My dear George,
I am very glad. Marriage is quite good enough for you, and is one of the few really fine things you haven’t had in your life. I wish I knew Miss Dresser better, but the mere glimpse I had of her was enough to make me like her, and time will perhaps fulfill my wish. That you both have my every felicitation, and hope for your happiness, need not be said…..It is a pleasure to me to think of you as having this great happiness added to your life. But in the big love, save a little if you can, for your affectionate friend
Paul.”

Re-creation of Edith Vanderbilt engagement dress

Chauncey M. Depew, who served as New York Secretary of State and president of the New York Central Railway, was a family friend who had known George Vanderbilt all his life. On May 13, 1898, he wrote:
“My Dear George,
Accept my cordial congratulations on your engagement. Possessing as you do every thing to make a happy home, and Miss Dresser so charmingly forming the complement. Surely the future is (illegible) secure for married life as the fates have arranged it for you…
Faithfully yours,
Chauncey M. Depew”

Just three months after their engagement was announced, Edith Stuyvesant Dresser and George Vanderbilt wed in Paris with family and close friends attending. After an extended European honeymoon, the newlyweds arrived at Biltmore in October 1898, and Edith Vanderbilt began a new role as hostess of Biltmore.

Learn more about how the Vanderbilts entertained at A Vanderbilt House Party –The Gilded Age continuing through May 27, 2019.

Photos

Main image: Re-creation of Edith Stuyvesant Dresser‘s engagement gown by Cosprop Ltd. of London, shown with George Vanderbilt evening clothing from the Cosprop collection.

Right: Edith Stuyvesant Dresser‘s engagement portrait, 1898.

Left: Close-up of re-creation of Edith Stuyvesant Dresser‘s engagement dress, headpiece, and brooch.

Dinner with the Vanderbilts: 5 Fast Facts

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To be invited to dinner with the Vanderbilts was to experience an elaborate, ceremonious affair. Amid their evening parties and celebrations, dinner in the Banquet Hall was often the highlight of a stay at Biltmore.

Let’s take a look at a few things to note as a guest at the Vanderbilts’ table around the turn of the century.

Monogramed linens
Even the dining linens used at Biltmore House were of the highest quality available.

5. Linens

Every detail of the Vanderbilt dining experience was of the highest quality—even down to the linens. An early inventory in Biltmore’s archives notes 1,139 linen napkins and 111 linen tablecloths in the collection. All of the linens were handmade and most were monogrammed by the famous needleworker Madame Dufoir in Paris, France.

Archival seating chart
Archival seating chart dated Saturday, November 26, 1898

4. Seating

Dinner customs of the era required seating assignments for formal meals. These assignments were often identified using name cards at each place setting and it was not uncommon for seating records to be kept. Edith Vanderbilt kept such records. Above is a seating diagram she created for a large dinner with the Vanderbilts just before the turn of the century.

dinner place setting
Extravagant meals required equally extravagant place settings.

3. Place Settings

Whether for grand banquets or intimate family meals, the Vanderbilts’ head butler and his staff spared no finery in setting the Banquet Hall table. Spread with more than 40 pieces of delicate porcelain, exquisite silver, and sparkling crystal per guest, the table attested to the grandeur of America’s Gilded Age.

dinner attire recreations
Dining attire recreations based off images from our archives

2. Attire

Dinner with the Vanderbilts was an elaborate and ceremonious affair—and as such, the event required some of the most extravagant attire of the era. Women’s dresses were made of luxurious silks and satins, adorned with their finest jewels. Men wore white tie, which is more formal than a modern tuxedo, and of course, everything had to be spotless.

Archival Biltmore House menu book
Biltmore’s archival menu book dated Saturday, November 12, 1904

1. The Dinner Itself

Often the highlight of a stay at Biltmore, dinner featured between six and ten courses, including soup, fish, entrée, roast or relevé, game and salad, dessert, and coffee to aid digestion. Meals included a combination of store-bought delicacies and the home-grown bounty of estate farms. Dinner also featured as many as five different wine pairings—illustrating George Vanderbilt’s interest in fine wines.

Learn More about Dinner with the Vanderbilts

Like many events at Biltmore, dinner with the Vanderbilts was an experience in and of itself. We invite you to learn more about Biltmore House during the Vanderbilts’ era with our behind-the-scenes tours.