George Washington Vanderbilt II
George Washington Vanderbilt II was an American art collector and member of the prominent Vanderbilt family, which amassed a huge fortune through steamboats, railroads, and various business enterprises. He commissioned the construction of a 250-room mansion, the largest privately owned home in the United States, which he named Biltmore Estate.
George Washington Vanderbilt II
George Washington Vanderbilt, John Singer Sargent, 1890
The Biltmore Estate in 2006
The Vanderbilt family is an American family who gained prominence during the Gilded Age. Their success began with the shipping and railroad empires of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and the family expanded into various other areas of industry and philanthropy. Cornelius Vanderbilt's descendants went on to build grand mansions on Fifth Avenue in New York City; luxurious "summer cottages" in Newport, Rhode Island; the palatial Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina; and various other opulent homes. The family also built Berkshire cottages in the western region of Massachusetts; examples include Elm Court.
Image: Cornelius Vanderbilt three quarter view (cropped)
Image: W.K. Vanderbilt LCCN2014685935 (3) (cropped)
Image: Governor of Rhode Island. Washington, D.C., March 8. LCCN2016877246 (cropped)(2)
Cornelius Vanderbilt
