Thank you Mr. Cecil!

Did you know that, until the 1970s, the Biltmore Estate struggled financially?  In fact, if it were not for the efforts of one man this grand house may well have fallen into ruin.  Who was this man?  His name was William A.V.  Cecil.  He recently passed away at the age of 89.  Cecil inherited the Biltmore Estate from his maternal grandfather, George Vanderbilt.  Cecil successfully transformed Biltmore and the surrounding city of Asheville into worldwide prominence.

The North Carolina Literary Map has quite a list of titles about the Biltmore Estate.  Author Howard E. Covington, Jr. wrote "Lady on the Hill," which tells how William Cecil transformed Biltmore from a crumbling mansion to the tourist magnet it is today.  Author Denise Kiernan wrote "The Last Castle," which details the life of the wealthy George Vanderbilt, his wife, Edith, and how the Biltmore Estate was built and constructed in the late 1800s.

Interested in learning more?  Then please check out these books at your local library or bookstore!  Happy reading (and sightseeing)!

 

https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Hill-Biltmore-Estate-American/dp/0471758183

https://www.amazon.com/Last-Castle-American-Royalty-Nations/dp/1476794049/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509640108&sr=1-6&keywords=%22biltmore+estate%22