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Lady on the Hill : How Biltmore Estate Became an American Icon by Howard E. Covington Jr. and The Biltmore Company (2006, Hardcover)
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- Buy It NowLady on the Hill: How Biltmore Estate Became an American Icon
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About this product
Product Identifiers
PublisherWiley & Sons, Incorporated, John
ISBN-100471758183
ISBN-139780471758181
eBay Product ID (ePID)47037812
Product Key Features
Book TitleLady on the Hill : How Biltmore Estate Became an American Icon
Number of Pages352 Pages
LanguageEnglish
TopicUnited States / 20th Century, Modern / 20th Century, Museums, Tours, Points of Interest, History / General
Publication Year2006
IllustratorYes
GenreTravel, Architecture, History
AuthorHoward E. Covington Jr., The Biltmore Company
FormatHardcover
Dimensions
Item Height1.2 in
Item Weight20 oz
Item Length9.2 in
Item Width6.2 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceTrade
LCCN2005-017412
Dewey Edition22
ReviewsSet amid thousands of lushly landscaped acres in the North Carolina mountains, the Biltmore estate is a 250-room Gilded Age mansion stuffed to the rafters with objets d'art. Writing a very authorized business history rather than an architectural appreciation, journalist Covington celebrates the estate's transformation from quasifeudal folly to lucrative tourist mecca. Built in 1895 by George Vanderbilt, who played lord of the manor to hundreds of tenant farmers and servants, the estate passed in the 1960s to his grandson William Cecil, whose tight-fisted budgets, canny marketing initiatives and rapt attention to customer service turned it into a profitable museum of robber-baron privilege, selling more tickets than Colonial Williamsburg. The author's sycophantic account of this not unduly exciting saga is mainly a tribute to Cecil, who wrote the afterword. Covington defends the Biltmore owner's model of private, for-profit historical preservation against charges of commercialism leveled by nonprofit preservationists, repeats his complaints about inheritance taxes, extols his entrepreneurial daring, salutes his Biltmore restoration projects ("surpassed what many had seen anywhere") and raves about "customer satisfaction reports... comparable to those enjoyed by a five-star resort." This anodyne hospitality-industry success story will find a place in the Biltmore gift shop, but probably nowhere else. (Mar.) ( Publishers Weekly , January 2, 2006)
Dewey Decimal975.688
Table Of ContentForeword by Lord Rothschild ix Acknowledgments xiii 1 A Centennial Celebration 1 2 George Vanderbilt's Dream 13 3 Edith Vanderbilt 37 4 Judge Adams 67 5 The National Gallery's Wartime Vault 95 6 A Curiosity or a Treasure 109 7 The Airport Fight 125 8 Homecoming 135 9 Mr. C 151 10 The Music Room 167 11 Presentation versus Preservation 183 12 Voice in the Wilderness 199 13 "Be Reasonable--Do It My Way" 213 14 Biltmore by the Bottle 235 15 Putting It Right 263 16 Lady on the Hill 291 Afterword by William A. V. Cecil 303 Notes 307 Index 319
SynopsisGeorge Vanderbilts "Gilded Age" Biltmore Estate, near Asheville, North Carolina, is the nations largest private residence. However, it was once a terrible financial drain--banker David Rockefeller called it a "white elephant"--and no one gave its future a chance. Lady on the Hill is the remarkable account of how Vanderbilts grandson, William A., "What William Cecil has accomplished at Biltmore Estate is one of the great preservation success stories of all time. He has set a high standard for what all historic house museums strive for: magnificently preserved buildings and grounds, engaging interpretation, and--perhaps most challenging of all--economic self-sufficiency. It is no surprise that Biltmore Estate is widely recognized as one of America's finest places to visit." -- Richard Moe , President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation "Biltmore is a glorious national historic landmark that, through creative vision and entrepreneurial management, preserves and provides insight into a way of life in the early 1900s. Bill is the imaginative and multifaceted leader who has built this great monument to enrich his community. George and I admire his dedication and success." -- George and Abby Rockefeller O'Neill "Bill Cecil and his team at Biltmore Estate have sure proved that they know how to build a successful business. They did it the old-fashioned way: embrace a bold idea that others said could not be done and--through commitment, determination, and hard work--bring it to life. Their achievement against the odds is inspiring, and their vision and perseverance are valuable lessons to us all." -- Don Logan , Chairman, Media & Communications Group, Time Warner "If George Vanderbilt did nothing more than engage the two most prominent and storied designers of their time, architect Richard Morris Hunt and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, to carry out his vision of a European estate in the southern Appalachians, he would have created an American icon. The beauty of the method by which the estate was executed and, even today, the meticulous attention to detail, in the presentation and care of the estate by William Cecil, have brought history to life." -- Gary J. Walters , Chief Usher, The White House, "What William Cecil has accomplished at Biltmore Estate is one of the great preservation success stories of all time. He has set a high standard for what all historic house museums strive for: magnificently preserved buildings and grounds, engaging interpretation, and perhaps most challenging of all economic self-sufficiency. It is no surprise that Biltmore Estate is widely recognized as one of Americas finest places to visit." Richard Moe, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation "Biltmore is a glorious national historic landmark that, through creative vision and entrepreneurial management, preserves and provides insight into a way of life in the early 1900s. Bill is the imaginative and multifaceted leader who has built this great monument to enrich his community. George and I admire his dedication and success." George and Abby Rockefeller ONeill "Bill Cecil and his team at Biltmore Estate have sure proved that they know how to build a successful business. They did it the old-fashioned way: embrace a bold idea that others said could not be done and through commitment, determination, and hard work bring it to life. Their achievement against the odds is inspiring, and their vision and perseverance are valuable lessons to us all." Don Logan, Chairman, Media & Communications Group, Time Warner "If George Vanderbilt did nothing more than engage the two most prominent and storied designers of their time, architect Richard Morris Hunt and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, to carry out his vision of a European estate in the southern Appalachians, he would have created an American icon. The beauty of the method by which the estate was executed and, even today, the meticulous attention to detail, in the presentation and care of the estate by William Cecil, have brought history to life." Gary J. Walters, Chief Usher, The White House, The fascinating story of America' s premier historic house George Vanderbilt' s " Gilded Age" Biltmore Estate, near Asheville, North Carolina, is the nation' s largest private residence. However, it was once a terrible financial drain- banker David Rockefeller called it a " white elephant" - and no one gave its future a chance. Lady on the Hill is the remarkable account of how Vanderbilt' s grandson, William A. V. Cecil, transformed the estate into an unparalleled example of private enterprise and historic preservation. This lively tale filled with upper-crust characters demonstrates how one man, in the face of considerable odds and using unconventional methods, achieved what everyone said could not be done, produced a profitable enterprise, and created the most visited historic house in America. Howard E. Covington Jr. (Greensboro, NC), formerly an award-winning journalist, has been writing history and biography for nearly 20 years.
LC Classification NumberF264.A8C687 2006
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Ratings and reviews
Most relevant reviews
- 09 Nov, 2022
Remarkable family,remarkable story,well written and researched
book in great condition and signed by author-wowVerified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- 06 Feb, 2020
Top of the hill....top reading...thanks
Thanks for offering this wonderful publication. History is worth every penny.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- 14 Mar, 2019
Concise history of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.
Like new book in pristine condition. Will be a great addition to our home library.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- 30 May, 2019
How Biltmore beccame an American Legend 'Lady on the Hill'
Fasinating book 'all ages will enjoy' thanks!Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- 29 Jul, 2020
THe perfect title-- She is beautiful and grand as befits a Lady
Easy read- wonderful information that I have not already heard.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- 11 May, 2017
History of BIltmore House
It's a great story of how an American family worked hard and sacrificed to keep this American monument in private hands without assistance from the government, etc.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- 08 Jan, 2023
feel good
Good American storyVerified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- 26 Sep, 2018
Lady on the hill :-):-):-):-):-):-)
Lady on the hill, was in good shape.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- 25 Sep, 2019
Great
Great story and a lot of the history behind the houseVerified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- 11 Sep, 2019
Amazing!
Perfect! Exactly like described! Thanks!Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
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