What I Learned About the Power of Vision from the Biltmore Estate
The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina is America’s Largest Home and was first opened to family and friends on Christmas Eve, 1895. Sitting on 8,000 acres, the Biltmore House has 175,000 square feet (or 4 acres of floor space), and 250 rooms with 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces. Around the home is 75 acres of formal and informal gardens including its own winery. My wife and I visited the estate for the first time to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. While you can’t help but be struck by the wonder and excess of it all, what resonated with me was what Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, called, “Beginning with the end in mind.”
George Vanderbilt, grandson of industrialist and philanthropist, Cornelius Vanderbilt, originally purchased 125,000 acres for his estate as he began to envision his country home. He enlisted the help of architect, Richard Morris Hunt, and landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, to help him design the estate he imagined. Construction of the home took 6 years and Mr. Vanderbilt toured estates in Europe and America for inspiration. After his death, the estate was eventually opened to the public and the family-run business sought ways to make the estate self-sustaining. In recent years a winery was constructed on the property, an Inn, a hotel, and other enhancements to make the estate more enjoyable for visitors.
Without a vision of the Biltmore in the mind of George Vanderbilt America’s Largest Home wouldn’t be here today. Without the first shovel of dirt being moved the home wouldn’t have been finished 6 years later. Without the first grapevines being planted in 1971, the winery wouldn’t have been opened in 1985. As the estate is today, the persistent vision of the family to improve and enhance the property gives the Biltmore direction in the future.
The Biltmore is a vivid example of what can be done with a clear vision of the finished product (along with tons of money). We may not be building the Biltmore, but we are all building something. How do we envision the next year, the next 5, 10 or 20 years, retirement, our homes, our relationships or our businesses looking like down the road? What resources can we use and how might we take first steps in a new year to move in that direction? In the new year, I look forward to working and envisioning together at least the financial part of that future!
Any opinions are those of Landon Vick and not necessarily those of RJFS or Raymond James. The foregoing information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that it is accurate or complete; it is not a statement of all available data necessary for making an investment decision and it does not constitute a recommendation. Raymond James and its advisors do not offer tax or legal advice. You should discuss any tax or legal matters with the appropriate professional. Be sure to contact a qualified professional regarding your particular situation before making any investment or withdrawal decisions.
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