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America’s Largest Home Just Got Bigger |
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Biltmore House |
It was July 1912. Myrtle Spain Roberts climbed
the back stairs of Biltmore House up to her room on the Fourth
Floor. She removed her lavender daytime dress and hung it on one of
the brass hooks in the cozy room with its lovely view of the
surrounding estate. Changing into her black dress she smoothed the
quilt on the iron bedstead, straightened her Bible in its place on
the bedside table and gave the room with its fireplace a last
satisfactory glance before heading downstairs to take on her evening
duties as housemaid to the Vanderbilt family in Asheville, NC.
Roberts was just one of many household staff members employed by Biltmore Estate at the turn of the nineteenth century who made her home away from home in the 250-room Biltmore House. She may even have stayed in one of a series of new rooms on the Fourth Floor of America’s largest private home slated to open to the public in July 2005. |
The first new rooms to be opened in more than
five years include three maid’s bedrooms, the Servants’ Hall, the
Architectural Model Room and the Observatory.
“It’s always exciting for us to research
and restore rooms in Biltmore House,” said Director of Museum Services
Ellen Rickman. “The opening of the Fourth Floor rooms is particularly
interesting since it will give us an opportunity to show visitors how our
research and oral histories tells us servants lived in the house at the
turn of the 19th century.”
Most of the maids at Biltmore House slept in a
total of 21 assigned rooms on the Fourth Floor. Some of the rooms have
fireplaces, while all of them contain windows providing beautiful views of
the property. A space was dedicated to the storage of clothing on brass
hooks and built-in shelves. The rooms were furnished with iron beds and
washstands, chestnut bedside tables and chests of drawers or suites of oak
furniture. There was even a modern bathroom with hot and cold running
water for staff use—an early 1900s luxury indeed!
Beyond the bedrooms, at the end of the hall and
down a short flight of steps, is the Servants’ Hall. Centrally located
on the Fourth Floor, the room served a dual purpose. Maids would have
relaxed and socialized here when not on duty and would also have gathered
in this space to mend household textile items and their own uniforms. It
was furnished simply, but comfortably with chairs, tables, bookshelves,
oil lamps to supplement electric lighting, a rug, framed artwork and other
functional items. Visitors can easily imagine Roberts mending the hem of
her lavender day dress while chatting with the other maids at the end of
the day.
In addition to seeing how staff lived, estate
guests will also be able to explore a one-of-a-kind room located in the
front of the home. The Observatory is strategically positioned at the top
of the main entrance tower in the center of Biltmore House. The two-story
room was designed to serve as an observation gallery from which the
surrounding views could be enjoyed. It is believed that Vanderbilt used
the Observatory as a place to showcase the architecture of his spectacular
home and its incomparable setting for guests, bringing them to the room at
the very top of the Grand Staircase almost as if it were the crow’s nest
in a ship. Guests on a regular, self-guided visit will explore the lower
level of the Observatory where a sitting area is located and windows offer
views to the front of the house. The more adventurous can book the South
Wing tour and venture onto the wrought iron balcony on the upper level of
the room with two doors accessing rooftop balconies that offer even more
expansive views.
The final room to be opened in July is the
Architectural Model Room. Located directly behind the Observatory, this
room is where Biltmore House architect Richard Morris Hunt’s 9.9-foot
long and three-foot tall model of the house was originally displayed. A
large oak cabinet in the center of the room is the original base for the
model, which has been in the Halloween Room in the basement of the house
in recent years. Duplicates of original house plans will also be displayed
in this room, providing guests a glimpse into the architectural
intricacies of the house.
Of course, seeing how staff lived and learning
a little about the architecture of Biltmore House may whet some
visitors’ appetites for more. To satisfy that curiosity, the estate is
offering two new Behind-the-Scenes Tours including some rooms never before
offered for guest viewing.
The North Wing Tour will allow guests to step
out onto the Organ Gallery in the Banquet Hall for the first time ever.
The gallery is where the restored Skinner pipe organ is situated and
offers a birds eye view of the 70-foot tall and 72-foot long room. This
tour also takes guests out onto the roof of the Winter Garden (weather
permitting) to view the elegant glass roof while also getting a closer
look at the house’s exterior architecture. Other stops include Edith
Vanderbilt’s bath and dressing area, the Butler’s Pantry and the
Boiler Room.
The South Wing Tour takes guests to the very
top of Biltmore House with stops in attic spaces and on several rooftop
areas including one of visitors’ favorite spots—the roof at the top of
the Grand Staircase. This tour allows guests to see the newly opened
Observatory from the top down as they move around the wrought iron walkway
to reach an exterior balcony where gargoyles sit patiently waiting. The
tour also ventures into un-restored bedrooms including the Tyrolean
Chimney and Gainsborough Rooms.
“Guests can now see more of Biltmore House
than ever before,” said Senior Vice President Randy Fluharty. “We find
that our visitors often want to know more about the house and are curious
to see areas that aren’t available for viewing. By opening new rooms, we
satisfy that curiosity while giving ourselves the opportunity to share
even more information about the estate’s rich history.”
The five new rooms are scheduled to open July
1, 2005, as part of the standard self-guided visit. Behind- the-Scenes
Tours may be booked for an additional fee.
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Copyright 2005, Blue Ridge Digest Publishing Company
All rights reserved.