Biltmore

This house was started in 1889 and finished in 1895. It has both AC and DC electricity throughout, hot and cold running water to over 65 bathrooms, full refrigeration, 2 Otis elevators, telephones, call buttons in every room, central heat, and is built entirely from limestone, brick, plaster and steel. No wood except on the decorator surfaces in a few selected areas. The electrical generators provided all the power until very recently and the heating system is still in service, the coal boilers have been replaced by natural gas, but the rest if still fully operational. 1895!!!!! The elevators still use the original DC motors that were installed in 1895. The sad part was that Vanderbilt, like Jefferson, died with serious financial problems. Gives new meaning to "house poor":) The lower roof visible through the trees is the right third of the stable! It had rooms for male servants of the guests (grooms, valets, chauffeurs, etc. on the upper two floors. The female servants of the guests were housed in the upper floor of the main house. These were the employees of the quests that traveled with them. Most of Vanderbilt servants lived in town with a few notable exceptions like the housekeeper, butler, head cook and stable-master that were afforded very comfortable quarters in the house.