Biltmore

Rare Car To Go On Display At The Biltmore Estate

Rare care lovers have a new reason to tour the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. The property, which hosted the President and First Lady for a quick tour last weekend, will soon display a rare and historical touring car from the earliest days of motoring. The 1913 Stevens-Duryea Model "C-Six" seven-passenger touring car will go on exhibit May 20 at Antler Hill Village. Antler Hill Village is the new village that connects the estate's present and past with dining, shopping and historical exhibits.

The car is believed to be one of only 10 of its kind in the world and once belonged to George Vanderbilt. Guests will not be able to touch the vehicle, but they will be able to see it up close and get a sense of the Vanderbilts as a family who enjoyed one of the most exciting new inventions of the late 19th and 20th centuries – the automobile. Records at the estate show that the Vanderbilts were first exposed to the wonders of automobile travel in the early 1900s. An excerpt from a letter dated Aug. 23, 1903, that Mr. Vanderbilt wrote to his friend William Field while traveling in Europe read in part that automobiles made "travelling a different thing and simply a natural transition instead of an effort."

Vanderbilt bought several cars before the eventual purchase of the 1913 Stevens-Duryea Model "C-Six" and traded in his 1912 Stevens-Duryea Model "Y" for a 1913 Stevens-Duryea Model "C-Six" seven-passenger touring car, the first Stevens-Duryea offered with electric lights and a starter. Most of the time automobile owners in the early years had chauffeurs to drive them about but records show that Mr. Vanderbilt did sometimes drive himself and was issued a drivers license for a Stevens-Duryea by the state of North Carolina in 1913. (At that time, the state required that drivers be licensed separately for each automobile that he or she drove.) By 1919, both Mrs. Vanderbilt and Cornelia, George and Edith's only daughter, were driving, somewhat unusual for the era since women rarely drove in those days.

[via Citizen-Times]

Tags: antler hill village, biltmore, biltmore estate, historical car, rare car, stevens-duryea, vintage car

The Classicist: The South's Very Greatest Estates

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Books, Wealth

The greatest, most architecturally and historically significant estates in the Southern United States are depicted in all their glory in Laurie Ossman's new book Great Houses of the South (Rizzoli, $55). Beyond mere regional curiosity, Ossman declares that "The great house of the South stands at the center of the architectural iconography of America." 39 distinctive estates, reflecting the times, values and tastes of their builders, from the Colonial Era up to World War II and running the full gamut of Southern Style, are lavishly photographed and evocatively described.

The book is divided into four chronological sections: Part 1: 1700–1800, Part 2: 1800–1820, Part 3: 1820–1861, and Part 4: 1865–1940, providing a "sweeping narrative of tradition and change as seen through a rich array of grand residences", ranging from Shirley, a James River Plantation firmly tied to its English roots, to the Gilded Age splendor of Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina, and the eclectic traditionalism of 20th century masterworks such as Longue Vue in New Orleans and Miami's famed Vizcaya, built by agricultural industrialist James Deering in 1916. All of the featured homes are open to the public for viewing.

Ossman decided the houses featured should be open to the public to emphasize "the issue of historic preservation as a social phenomenon as well as a matter of individual choice," she notes. That doesn't mean they're all museums; several featured houses are privately owned and operated by descendants of the builder or other historically significant occupants, and are thus "celebrating their own heritage as well as that of the community." Ossman writes that "whenever a group of people choose to restore or recreate an historic house for the public, they are reifying values that they believe in."

Gallery: Great Houses of the South

Ossman also clarifies what she means by the term "Great House." For the purposes of the book, a Great House is "one in which the owner had the economic and intellectual means to construct his home as a vehicle of self-representation," she writes. "The featured houses were selected to represent ideas and concepts that can be applied to an understanding of other houses of the period, especially - but not exclusively - in the South." Not every magnificent mansion is included, of course, and several deserving of the appellation were passed over for more important examples. Of course, wealth played an important part. "The goal of building and decorating a 'great house' (an option available to the wealthiest 5 percent of the population, at most) was almost always to create an architectural expression of personal refinement," Ossman notes. See the gallery for images.

Tags: architecture, Biltmore, books, coffee table books, historic houses, historic preservation, Laurie Ossman, mansion, New Orleans, plantation, The South, Vizcaya

Get Your Christmas Spirit At The Biltmore

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events

If you need a quick dose of the Christmas spirit, a tour of the Biltmore, the largest privately owned home in the U.S in Asheville, North Carolina might help. The estate and grounds include more than 100 decorated trees, 1,000 wreaths and bows, 1,800 poinsettias and thousands of ornaments and lights. It's pretty hard to hold onto your humbuggery amidst the elegant spectacle of this grand estate wreathed in holiday magic.

Individual rooms are decorated according to a theme that changes each year, this year it's "Christmas Traditions from Around the World," which turns each room into a microcosm of Christmas traditions in a country. The estate also hosts "Christmas Candlelight Evenings" which feature entertainment by carolers, ballet dancers and puppeteers. Free seminars for daytime guests through Nov. 23, offer instruction on subjects such as decorating your home and tree, making a gingerbread house, pairing wine and cheese, and crafting a wreath or centerpiece. Admission for adults starts at $55.

[via USA Today]

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Tags: asheville, biltmore, christmas, holiday, north carolina, NorthCarolina

Stogies & Sticks Mancation Package

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars, Services, Spirits

Gentlemen, save the date: From Thursday, October 16 - Sunday, October 19, The Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix is offering the ultimate guy getaway: the Stogies & Sticks Foursome Mancation. Brace yourselves for a long weekend of lighting up fine cigars, sipping premium bourbon, dining on delectable American Lodge Cuisine and teeing off on two of Phoenix's best golf courses.

The three-night/four-day vacation package for four kicks off at with a Bourbon & Cigar Dinner in the resort's signature restaurant, Wright's at The Biltmore. An array of top-brand cigars will be offered and selections from the Jim Beam Small Batch Bourbon Collection will be poured. Friday and Saturday will be golf days on the Arizona Biltmore's two outstanding courses, with 18-hole Adobe one day and 18-hole Links the next.

The mancation package includes accommodations for three nights, the Bourbon & Cigar Dinner, and two rounds of golf with daily breakfast: $450 per person, double occupancy, per night. Add three days of golf and a total of 54 holes with an instructional option at the Hilton Golf Academy: $300 per person.

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Tags: arizona, biltmore, bourbon, cigars, golf, mancation, mancations, Phoenix

Biltmore Hotel Announces VIP Program To Lure Serial Travelers

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

I'm officially calling this a trend now that I have seen it being done in several places (most notably the Ritz-Carlton), hotels are creating VIP services for those who make frequent visits. The Biltmore in Miami has a new VIP guest program called the Biltmore 100. The program includes unlimited greens fees at the golf course, VIP suite check-in, unlimited golf and tennis instruction, special spa perks, town car service, luggage storage and a whole bunch of other amenities. The program costs $10,000 per year with two VIP cardholders per household.

[via Hotel Interactive]

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Tags: biltmore, hotel, miami, travel, vacation

Palm Beach Biltmore Condo, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

The Biltmore in Palm Beach is one of the classic buildings in Florida. The luxurious condo has tennis courts, an exercise room, oceanfront beach club and many other amenities. One of the most expensive condos in the building is this two bedroom. One of the reasons it is so expensive is because it offers striking views to the East, South and West. The home has been beautifully decorated in what appears to me be to be a very ladylike style. Other condos in the building have recently sold in the low millions. This one is listed at $9.995 million. After the jump, a very tiny gilded bathroom.

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Tags: biltmore, estate of the day, florida, palm beach, real estate, RealEstate

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