The Biggest House in America
Forget square footage. This house boasts an astounding 4 acres of indoor floor space, 33 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, and 3 kitchens. Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina, country “cottage” of the Vanderbilts, was at its completion in 1895 the biggest private residence in America. It still holds that title today. The Vanderbilts were one of the most famous and wealthiest families of the Gilded Age. They are often referred to as the poster family of America’s 1%.
But the family was not always rich. Legend has it that Cornelius Vanderbilt, at age 16, borrowed $100 from his mother to launch a ferry service on the Hudson River. He turned that one ferry into 100 steamships and then set his sights on railroads. He amassed a fortune of $100 million dollars making him America’s first tycoon and the head of an empire. The Vanderbilts became famous for their immense wealth, philanthropy (Vanderbilt University here in Nashville, The Metropolitan Opera in NYC, etc.) and for constructing magnificent and opulent homes. Cornelius Vanderbilt’s 5th Avenue mansion remains the single largest residence ever built in the city (it was eventually demolished to make room for what is now Bergdorf Goodman.)
Vanderbilt Mansion in Manhattan
I did a lot of driving this past Christmas to visit family and friends on the East Coast. As I was returning to Nashville from Virginia, I spent the night at the Biltmore Inn, part of the estate, and took a tour of Biltmore House. The house was completed in 1895 and designed by architect Robert Morris Hunt (Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty) and the grounds by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead (Central Park.)
What is most amazing to me is that even with its massive scale and vast square footage, it did in fact feel like a home, which I don’t think I was expecting. It was warm, inviting, and beautifully decorated for the holidays. I can say that I have never seen so much lush greenery and so many decorated Christmas trees in one place. As an amateur gardener and flower fanatic, my head just about burst with the creativity on display. On the tour, we were only privy to a handful of the bedrooms and just 2 out of the 43 bathrooms. So, had I seen every room of the mansion, I suppose it would have felt more like a castle and less like a warm and inviting home.
Entering Biltmore House was like stepping into the age of Downton Abbey. I couldn’t help fantasizing about what it would have been like to live in such wealth with an army of servants ready to wait on me hand and foot. George Washington Vanderbilt, youngest son of Cornelius Vanderbilt, built Biltmore for his family which consisted of his wife, Edith, and their only child, a daughter named Corneilia. It’s mindboggling thinking that a family of 3 lived in this enormous home—and they only lived their part time. They had other houses and mansions to call home. But just as fascinating as touring the upstairs was exploring the lower level servants’ quarters, the skullery (kitchen,) and laundry. Imagine washing sheets for 33 beds by hand.
Today Biltmore is still owned and operated by descendants of Cornelius Vanderbilt. I wonder if Anderson Cooper, son of designer and heir Gloria Vanderbilt, could reserve the house for a weekend with friends? Anyway…
If you’re ever near Asheville, I highly recommend visiting Biltmore House. It was worth the detour for me and I plan to go back this spring or summer when the grounds will be in full bloom.
Here’s a link to more about the property and it’s history and these are a few photos I took on the tour. https://www.biltmore.com/
