How One Vanderbilt Mansion Built and Bankrupted an Entire City: Asheville
253K views · May 29, 2026 · People & Blogs
Comments · 229
@Robert-e5x2e · 3 months ago
in the flood of 1916 the original Mrs. Vanderbilt was in the flood up to her Knees helping to rescue people using her car to take injured people to the hospital
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@rezzer7918 · 3 months ago
Been there done that. MOST impressive! Want to return. Love the library. The dining hall. The first floor arboretum. The stairway. The spectacular grounds and gardens. The drive in is breathtaking upon first appearance of the mansion at a distance. The sheer breadth and scope of the place. Beyond amazing!
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@JamesRea2 · 3 months ago
Their current homeless problem is very disturbing. It is a beautiful city, but the dealing with the homeless is troublesome.
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@hotchihuahua1546 · 3 months ago
I found this interesting since we live close to its proximity and have visited this beautiful mansion ! <br> people have a different way looking at wealth , it’s a love and hate feeling ! <br> He provided jobs for this area while creating his dream and to this day brings visitors and prosperity to Asheville !
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@im1who84u · 3 months ago (edited)
On a few of my visits there I signed up for the servant’s quarters tour, the behind the scenes tour, and the architectural tour and all were well worth the money. <br> <br>On the architectural tour we actually went up into the attic and then climbed out of a window and walked around on the roof! <br>Wow, how many people get to do that!? <br> <br>For the servants quarters tour, we walked through <i>secret passageways</i> that were used by the servants for the purpose of the owners and house guests not having to see them moving about the house as they did their jobs.<br><br> In addition the servant’s quarters also had hot and cold running water. Not common if at all that anyone supplied their servants with that luxury.<br><br> He also built a school specifically for the purpose of training servants to work at his estate. Those jobs were coveted, competitive, and anyone enrolled in that school was considered fortunate. <br> <br>The city of Ashville did not have enough electricity to supply both the city and the Biltmore Estate at the same time, so Mr. Vanderbilt had his own electric generating facility built on sight and used during the daytime and then would switch over to city power late at night.
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@lizmedina2527 · 1 month ago
Wonderful story. Architectural heritage, high culture is wealth for everyone.
@timothydobson4657 · 3 months ago
It needed Olmstead - the hand of a wise landscape architect to restore the exhausted and depleted land. This under appreciated profession is needed more today.
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@aipcontacts2419 · 4 weeks ago
I live in Asheville. It's hilarious that the vast majority of photos in this montage are not of Asheville, nor do they have anything to do with Asheville
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@myradioon · 3 months ago (edited)
Before the Biltmore Mansion and it's related Hotels, Asheville was renown in the South for the Sulphur Springs Hotel. Built in 1840, it was one of the first 'real businesses' West of The French Broad River in NC. Pre-Civil War, the Lowland Planter Gentry Class came for the Mountain Air and curative Water, stayed at The Eagle Hotel downtown and ventured out to the Springs owned by Henry Deaver who modified his Inn into a full Hotel. The 'Original Hotel' burnt down just after the War. It was a distant memory when a lavish, second Sulphur Springs Hotel was built in the 1880's hosting Victorian era Upper Class travelers.
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@BetsyColli-z8i · 2 months ago
I lived in Maggie Valley attended Beverly Hill Baptist Kindergarten then went to <br>A brick school building in downtown Asheville called Haw Creek Elementary!<br>Met my 1st red headed boyfriend in first grade Jimmy ! Asheville Beautiful Family life growing up there was so special! We went to the Biltmore House in 1st grade! As little as we were, we all stayed within the roped off areas to look at a lot of old furniture and lavish decor ! Playing outside was funner!!
@mcraig1969 · 4 months ago
I've enjoyed the hospitality of Biltmore my entire life. Thank you Mr. Vanderbilt and your heirs for allowing us to enjoy this beautiful estate. I remember the dairy as a child and watching the vineyard grow as a teenager. Each visit brings a greater and more elevated experience.
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@NOBLEHALLS · 2 months ago
Thanks for sharing this kinda wonderful documentary ❤
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