Biltmore Village, formerly Best, is a small village that is now entirely in the city limits of

Asheville, North Carolina Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...

and near the town of

Biltmore Forest Biltmore Forest is a town in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,343 in 2010. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area. Biltmore Forest is the second-wealthiest town in North Carolina by per capita ...

. It is adjacent to the main entrance of the

Biltmore Estate Biltmore Estate is a historic house museum and tourist attraction in Asheville, North Carolina. Biltmore House (or Biltmore Mansion), the main residence, is a Châteauesque-style mansion built for George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 an ...

, built by George W. Vanderbilt, one of the heirs to the

Vanderbilt family 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 philanthr ...

fortune. Once known as the town of Best, George Vanderbilt created this village as a "company town" for the estate workers. The community was planned and designed to reflect the qualities of an English country village. The village had its own church, which is still in operation today as the

Cathedral of All Souls The Cathedral of All Souls, also referred to as All Souls Cathedral, is an Episcopal cathedral located in Asheville, North Carolina, United States of America. All Souls was built by George Washington Vanderbilt II, the grandson of the famous ra ...

, an Episcopal

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations ...

. The village also had a hospital, shops, a school, a

train station A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing ...

, and other services available. Biltmore Village was incorporated into the City of Asheville in the early 20th century. Biltmore Village is now a commercial district that has an eclectic collection of shops, restaurants, and other businesses.

External links

Biltmore Village Historic MuseumHistoric Biltmore VillageAll Souls CathedralAsheville, North Carolina, a National Park Service ''Discover Our Shared Heritage'' Travel Itinerary
Tourist attractions in Asheville, North Carolina Villages in Buncombe County, North Carolina Vanderbilt family {{BuncombeCountyNC-geo-stub