The Biltmore House. The Ancestor Connection
In today's blog we are going to take a look at one of the biggest attractions in Western North Carolina, and also the biggest house in the United States. The Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina.
I have been trying to continue to share my journey with you, and the Biltmore House just happens to be a part of that journey. It is an attraction that affects my life and the area I live in. It draws tourists from all over the world and truly affects the environment and nature around where I live.
"But Michael, what does this have to do with ancestry, the Ancestor's Fire and healing", you may ask. Well stick around until the end and you may be surprised.
In 1888, George Vanderbilt made his first journey to Asheville, North Carolina. The beauty of the mountains captivated him and he decided to make Asheville the place for his new home. He quickly purchases the land and hires Richard Morris Hunt to design and build the home; the design of the property gardens was assigned to Frederick Law Olmstead.
In 1889 the largest undertaking in residential architecture in the nation began. Over the course of 6 years the 250 room French Renaissance chateau is created by a community of craftsmen along with the remarkable gardens that surround it.
On Christmas Eve in 1895, George Vandetbilt opened his new home to family and friends. The visitors will be walking into a home that has more than four acres of floor space, 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces. The house also featured an indoor swimming pool and bowling alley. Eventually in 1900 a dairy and horse barn were constructed and still remain a connection to the estate's past.
George Vanderbilt passed away in 1914 at the age of 51. In 1930, due to requests to help increase tourism during the depression, Vandetbilts descendants, the Cecils, opened the house to the public.
This would also generate income and help them preserve the estate.
In 1963 , Biltmore was designated a National Historical landmark and shortly after in 1971 a winery was started on the property.
I have visited the home many times and it is remarkable. The views are beautiful. And the house isn't all. You have the gardens, you can hike the many trails, horseback ride, flyfish, shoot, bicycle, tour the winery, attend a concert, have your wedding on the grounds and can stay at the inn or other accommodations on the property. It is an amazing experience.
So that is a little overview of the main history of the home. Let's take a second and look a little deeper at the construction.
I said that Richard Morris Hunt was hired to build the home. That is true. But he did not stay to oversee it. He returned to Europe to watch over his interests there. He would leave the construction of the home in the hands of his supervising architect Richard Sharpe Smith. Smith was a British immigrant and had worked under Hunt. Smith would oversee the homes construction and eventually go on to design and build The Biltmore Village, All Souls Church, the Vance Monument and many other buildings and monuments throughout Western North Carolina. He would become one of the well known architects of Western North Carolina. He would eventually make Asheville his home.
So now let's throw a love story into the blog. The Supervising Architect of the Biltmore House, Smith, took his job seriously. He would oversee the construction constantly and report the progress to Hunt. He would spend many hours and days in the house. Eventually he would come into contact with one of George Vanderbilt's house workers. While I am not completely sure what role she played in the Vanderbilt home, I can tell you she was a Scottish immigrant named Isabel Cameron. Smith and Cameron would meet at the Biltmore House and only history knows who attracted who first. I would imagine they would see each other frequently as both were working at America's largest home. Eventually they would marry, make a home in Asheville and start a family adding four children to the area.
So that is the history of the Biltmore House and an extra love story that comes with it. Oh, wait, I promised you an ancestor connection. I mean, after all, the people mentioned throughout the blog are someone's ancestors.
Well it turns out that the Biltmore lovebirds, Smith and Cameron are my soulmate's 2nd great-grandparents and my children's 3rd great-grandparents. So not only is the house a beautiful attraction in Western North Carolina, it is also an important spot in my soulmate and children's ancestral history.
Think about it, If for some reason Vanderbilt does not build the home in Asheville, or does not hire Hunt, or Hunt doesn't make Smith the Supervising Architect, would Smith or Cameron have ever met? And if they didn't meet, would my soulmate exist? And if she didn't exist then neither would my children. There my friends is your ancestral connection.
My soulmate has an extensive ancestral history in the mountains of Western North Carolina. It makes an impact on her life and she wants to know more about her ancestors and what they went through. Now, together, we are trying to explore those connections. Exploring those connections has always made the Biltmore House more than an attraction to us, it's a part of our families history and heritage.
The Biltmore House. A tourist's journey to the largest home in America. An Ancestors Journey to love and marriage. A soulmate's journey to discovery.
Blessings!
By Michael Walters
The Ancestor's Fire
Writing the voices of the unheard
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