Biltmore Architectural Model

Oh no!  I am often telling you of my MINI bucket list….well, I have a real bucket list as well.  One wish was to tour the beautiful Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.  A few years ago we traveled there and oh my, was it A-mazing!.  However, my ‘Oh no!’ is because I just ran across this article about the original miniature of the house!  I did not see this miniature marvel when I visited! Hmm, I may need to ask the List Fairies to grant me a repeat! ~judy  www.justminiaturescale.com

The architectural model of Biltmore House.:

The model, located on the Fourth Floor in the appropriately-named Architectural Model Room, was commissioned by architect Richard Morris Hunt in 1889. Hunt wanted to show client George Vanderbilt how his home in the North Carolina mountains would appear—a structure inspired by French Renaissance châteaux in the Loire Valley that the two had previously visited.

The detailed model illustrates the steeply pitched roof, dramatic stair tower, and richly ornamented windows and doors that mark Biltmore’s distinctive design.

New York newspapers had speculated about what George Vanderbilt’s home might look like, so it’s not surprising the first public viewing of the model at Hunt’s offices was a media event. “The crowd feasted their eyes on its towers and turrets, its suggestion of magnificent distances and imposing proportions,” according to newspapers of the time.

For years, the model was displayed in Biltmore House’s Basement. In 2005, a large oak cabinet was discovered in storage that perfectly fit the model’s dimensions, indicating that Vanderbilt intended for it to be part of his furnishings. The model and its original base were reunited and moved to its present location, which you can see on the Behind-the-Scenes Architect’s Tour.

So is this an exact model of Biltmore House?

“If you look closely, you can see subtle differences between it and the finished house,” Darren Poupore, Chief Curator said. “I’ll leave it at that.”

The article is summarized from the Biltmore blog: www.biltmore.com/blog/article/darrens-favorite-thing