Paul+Harvey+Draft+-+Biltmore+Estate

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George grew up in a prominent New York family home where his father, "The Commodore", established a well-known railway and steamboat transportation system. Throughout his younger years, George had the privilege of traveling all over the world. On one of his many trips, George became enthralled with the stunning beauty of the Smoky Mountains. To establish a life for himself, he started the construction of home just outside the town of Best, North Carolina. During this time, George met Edith Stuyvesant Dresser on a trip across the Atlantic Ocean from England. In 1898 they married in the American Cathedral in Paris. _ _When George and Edith returned from their extended honeymoon, they would return to their newly built home in the mountains of North Carolina. Edith was generously welcomed by the staff in her new home and would help to establish a tight knit community. George and Edith would have a truly happy marriage and come to raise their only daughter Cornelia in their mountain home. George would later die in his early years, leaving Edith to raise Cornelia alone. In April of 1924, Cornelia announced to the local newspaper her engagement to the first secretary of the British embassy the Honorable John Francis Amherst Cecil. Their wedding was a grand affair held in the local All Souls' Church, the architectural pride and joy of her father. On Cornelia Cecil's 25th birthday, she took possession of the family home in North Carolina. John and Cornelia would raise their two sons, William and George, in the home until their divorce. John would spend the rest of his life in the family home while Cornelia would settle in England where she died in 1976. William and George later split the family assets in the 1950s. George would later sell his portion of the assets while William and his family still continues to own the remainder of the estate today. =====

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George and Edith contributed enormously to the economic, environmental, and societal aspects of the Western North Carolina region. The construction of George's estate brought about 300-400 jobs in the local town that was economically depressed. George hired "local unskilled laborers" to fulfill jobs with the building of the estate. Even after their home was built, George continued to maintain livestock and products to be sold locally, which required a large staff to work on the grounds. With the ever growing estate came an even greater accomplishment within the community. George and Edith paved the way in the creation of a village surrounding their home. With their vast amount of resources and finances, they were able to quickly create a church, post office, a passenger station, and office buildings. Years later, George and Edith would invest in the building of numerous homes so that the local community may enjoy clean and healthy lifestyles. With the growth of the child, they created a school for their daughter and the estate employee's children that would promote productive citizens within society. Eventually the school would open up its' doors to the entire community. With the establishment of the village came strong financial gains for the surrounding families. =====

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George and Edith were modern day environmentalist who saw the benefits of preservation and forest management. George's close acquaintances Frank Olmstead, the designer of New York City's Central Park, and Gifford Pinchor would use the surrounding land to transfer the estate into the "birthplace of forestry". With the building of ponds, lagoons, bridges, and flumes, the estate set a gateway for what would be America's greatest tribute to maintaining its national forest system. After George's death, Edith carried out one of final settlements of her late husband. Edith sold off 80,000 acres of their land to the federal government to create Pisgah National Forest. With the creation of another national forest that was so highly advanced in forest management, the process of maintaining large wood areas was learned and applied throughout the country. Not to mention the tourism that the creation of the North Carolina national forest brought people to the local community while educating them on the importance of respecting natural surroundings. =====

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Out of the contributions that George and Edith had on the local Smoky Mountain community, the societal impact could be argued as the principal reason that the city is so hospitable today. Not only did the village built by George serve as a clean and safe location to raise a family, it also created a communal and open-minded environment. Edith was an inspirational woman who impacted the War Relief Society, educational guidance with youth, adult literacy programs, and the Parish Day School. She also created an industry within the village for young girls to learn the art of needlework. George was essential in the creation of the Young Men’s Institute (YMI), where he loans a great deal of money to a group of African American men who looked to promote literacy and spirituality in the community. Edith was also interested in the young men in society when she aided in the establishment of The Boys Club. But with the birth of Cornelia, Edith saw the importance of incorporating girls into the program to learn trades. =====

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Without George’s interest in the small town of Best, North Carolina, the small mountain community would have taken an entirely different route to become what it is today. George’s home built with 9,973,638 pounds of limestone and sitting on 112,000 acres was not only a home for the family. Cecilia and John opened up the lavish estate to the public in 1932 to stimulate economic growth following the Great Depression. The Vanderbilt home is the largest home in America and had an impact on the community that is commonly overlooked. The town in which it stands became known as Asheville, and the home…..Biltmore Estate. =====