Biltmore House

Driving home to Ohio from our family reunion in Sarasota, we stopped overnight in Asheville, North Carolina to visit Biltmore House. Constructed over a three year period and officially opened on Christmas Eve 1895, it is considered the largest private home in America. At the time of construction, the owner, George Vanderbilt, was an extremely eligible bachelor, but before long he met Edith Stuyvesant Dresser and brought her to Biltmore as his bride. They lived there with their daughter Cornelia, entertaining family and friends in this wonderful home, until George died in 1914. After his death, Edith and Cornelia continued to call Biltmore home, and she dedicated herself to management of the estate. Ten years later, Edith married the Honorable John Francis Amherst Cecil. Today George Vanderbilt's grandson owns Biltmore, and it remains a family business.

The family opened the estate to the public in 1930, and it is a wonderful place to visit...beyond amazing! Bob, Bryan, and I only had a half day for our tour, but it is on my "bucket list" for a longer visit, maybe in October when the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains will be brilliant with the colors of Fall.

This looks great in large and more picture from our visit can be seen here.