Around Biltmore Village

Images of America: North Carolina

by Bill Alexander

More 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. The initial concepts and design for Biltmore Village were the collaborative efforts of Vanderbilt, architect Richard Morris Hunt, and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. The finished village included more than 40 residences, a business district, a church, a school, and a hospital. It was centrally located among the developing towns of Victoria, Kenilworth, South Biltmore, and later Biltmore Forest. It characterized the elegance and prosperity of the building booms that flourished in the south Asheville area before and after both world wars.

128 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2008

Reviews

[Mel · Rating 2 out of 5]

The historical pictures are plenty and interesting. The details get a bit boring though. What surprised me is how often the area floods. And having recently visited, they had another flood. I'm grateful I wasn't there at that time.
While reading the details of the town I found some conflicting information of what is being told on the Legacy of the Land tour. Which one is accurate?
The book, like every thing else at Biltmore, was over priced. I love history, but I don't think this book is worth $22