Lisa Kaylor | Fri, Aug. 20 12:47 PM
In the 1890s, George Vanderbilt decided to build a country home in the mountains of North Carolina.
His grandfather, Cornelius, and his father, William Henry, had become wealthy industrialists in the early 19th century.
George, however, was more interested in books and travel, visiting Europe, Asia or Africa every year from the age of 10.
With the help of architect Richard Morris Hunt, he modeled his mountain home in the French Renaissance style and used elements of three 16th-century French chateaux. It boasts 250 rooms, including 34 bedrooms and 43 bathrooms and 65 fireplaces, all covering four acres of floor space.
Vanderbilt used the home, called Biltmore, as a private residence and a place to entertain friends. His only child, Cornelia, opened the home for public tours in 1930, at the request of Asheville city officials, who hoped it would spur tourism during The Great Depression.
