A Little MS with a Little MSW

I have visited the Biltmore Estate many times. As a child, I used to pretend I lived there as I stood out on the balcony overlooking the vast landscape. I remember thinking the indoor pool looked steep and the bowling alley an odd addition. I mean, wouldn’t it sound like thunder to the fellow inhabitants? And bowling isn’t really considered a solo sport.

The estate contains at least one dumbwaiter. I remember liking this concept and finding it unique. It’s kinda like a laundry chute for dishes. I was always a bit disappointed by the size of the servants’ quarters, however. I can imagine them bustling around in their black and white outfits, preparing meals fit for a king.

I bet they had a butler. And I bet he looked small greeting visitors in the massive entryway and leading them into the parlor for a pre-dinner cocktail. I wonder if he escorted guests from room to room throughout their stay. I wonder if he joined the male guests for a post-dinner cigar and nightcap. I wonder if the Vanderbilts were kind to their staff…

With each decade, this tourist attraction appears to become more and more of a trap. It costs a pretty penny to simply drive onto the grounds these days. The addition of the hotel, winery, and various restaurants and retail shops have transformed the property into something beyond George Vanderbilt’s wildest dreams, I’m sure.

I am thankful I was able to experience it before the masses. I am thankful for the time on the balcony as a young girl, fantasizing of a privileged life in the early 1900’s, with the ability to roam the house and grounds in relative solitude. The hustle and bustle has returned to the Biltmore Estate, albeit in a different manner than the Vanderbilts enjoyed over 100 years ago.

Today, the 4th generation of Vanderbilts are entertaining people for a price, without the use of dumbwaiters, butlers, or servants. I wonder if they are kind to their staff. I wonder if the millennial Vanderbilts calm their children during a thunderstorm by telling them it is just the sound of their ancestors bowling? 🙂