 History
of Biltmore VillageMore than a century ago, George W. Vanderbilt transformed the sleepy crossroads settlement known as Best, or Asheville Junction, on the Swannanoa River into an idyllic model village near the entrance to his vast Biltmore Estate near Asheville. Biltmore Village served three purposes: to present an aesthetically pleasing prelude to the entrance of his estate; to create institutions to serve as a framework for his philanthropic endeavors to benefit the people of the area, and to create a self-contained and self-sustaining community that would also provide rental income. Some of the original buildings are still here, such as All Souls Church (now All Souls Cathedral), the Depot (now a restaurant), and some of the original cottages. A fascinating new book has just been released, Around Biltmore Village, containing a multitude of historic photographs of Biltmore Village over the past centuries. Written by Biltmore Estate Landscape and Forest Historian, Bill Alexander, it is a fascinating portrayal of times-gone-by.
Around Biltmore Village is available
at these Biltmore Village Merchants:
Once Upon a Time, and
The Compleat Naturalist . |