Approaching its 100th anniversary, Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina has been one of America's most impressive landscapes for generations (see LASN, August 1993). Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, father of Landscape Architecture and probably most famous for his work at New York's Central Park, the landscape at Biltmore still realizes his intentions. Just as Central Park was planned for the future when the city would grow to crowd the boundaries of the park, Olmsted's vision for the Biltmore Estate did not just encompass his present era; he expected it to take generations for its "beauty" to be realized.

Olmsted's vision for the estate included much more than the physical construction of the landscape. As the "finest country house in the United States," he expected it would become a private work of very rare public interest in many ways. Throughout the years, the estate has continued to fulfill many of his visions. It remains a privately owned working estate open to the public who, often without realizing it, experience many of the ideals of the men who were responsible for its creations.

Olmsted's task was to blend the formality of the 250-room French Chateau into the rural Appalachian countryside. He integrated the elements of the formal building and informal site using eclectic elements much like a composer designs a painting or a piece of music. Winding drives through pastoral and wooded outer landscapes gave way to elaborate formal gardens surrounding the house. Through the use of topography, vegetation and walls, he was able to separate and transition elements of the 16th-century French Formal style with its flat expanses, formality and symmetry (Esplanade, Alle??e, Rampe Deuce, Vista); the 17th-century Italian style of architectural gardens, terraces, pergolas, statuary, fountains, clipped hedges and water pools (Library Terrace and Garden Terrace); and the 18th-century English romantic era, representing scenes of nature as depicted by the pastoral and picturesque styles (Deer Park, Glen and Approach Road). Throughout, Olmsted placed primary emphasis on human content-the relation between human beings and outdoor spaces and the experiences to be had in them.

Despite this diversity, Olmsted's design of the landscape at the 8,000-acre Biltmore Estate illustrates the major precept of landscape design-that of the unified organization of specific units of outdoor space. This organization is more than a collection of elements, features, pictures, or plants. Each unit develops an overall integrated character in which detailed elements play the part of the cast of characters in a play. The play determines the characters, not vice versa. The difficulties lie not in forming separate parts, such as the making of terraces or serpentine walks or plantings and lakes, but in producing a variety of compositions and effects through the use of the parts. The genius lies in combining them, whatever they may be or however mixed, into one striking, well-connected whole.

Much thought was given to the fundamental arrangement of the lands and buildings for both convenience and beauty. The immediate surroundings of the residence, a French chateau, were designed as architectonic or geometric as the house itself. Introduced pieces of sculpture and other accessories brought from Europe, as well as the use of historic styles observed in Europe, resulted in gardens containing a mixture of features. In front of the chateau lay order and formality, while outlying areas became more natural and blended the immediate gardens into the rest of the grounds. These eclectic and varying elements of the immediate pleasure grounds surrounding the Chateau were effectively organized to produce a blending of the formal grounds of the residence into the naturalistic countryside. The grounds became less manicured and more picturesque as they receded from the residence, while the use of water and turf in each of these areas provided an element of unity.

Thoughout the estate, the indoor and outdoor spaces harmonize with the sense of the surroundings. For instance, the indoor views look out upon what appears as a measureless extent. The front view consists of the long, level expanse of the Esplanade and the Vista beyond. The back view overlooks the Deer Park with its vague and indistinct boundaries blending into the natural countryside. The distant vista of the mountains is an integral part of this view. The outdoor views are two-fold. Similar distant views from the inside of the Chateau were directed outward, expansive views enlarging the sense of the landscape. In the more intimate grounds of the Approach Drive, the Ramble, the Glen, the Spring Garden, and the Walled Garden, the view is directed inward, and a sense of cohesion is felt as these grounds and gardens work with the topography.

Biltmore represents a marriage of house and garden, fusing interior, architectural and landscape design. Its field and woods were rightly disposed in the natural styles of the pastoral and picturesque, while the outdoor halls and rooms of the mansion-the terraces and gardens were just as rightly treated formally. Variety was achieved in the eclectic use of styles, each of which produced its own feelings and experiences; however, the different styles were both separated and successfully transitioned through the use of details and screening. Biltmore shows that one particular style or mode of arranging the landscape was not necessary.

While remaining relatively intact, the landscape has naturally undergone some changes through the years. In preparation for its centennial, the estate has placed new emphasis on restoring many of these changes. Bill Alexander, Landscape Curator for the estate, has been instrumental in researching and working with numerous estate personnel on restoration projects throughout the last several years. Alexander realizes that a landscape cannot be simply recreated or preserved the way buildings can. "My philosophy," Alexander states, "is to retain the feel, the look of the landscape Olmsted created." He says many people feel that preservation should adhere strictly to the original plan. While the plan may contribute substantially to what was intended, Alexander points out that it should not be confused with the actual development itself, which by its very nature is involved with change.

During the preservation of the landscape, provisions must be made at the privately-owned estate to accommodate the needs of tourism (over 700,000 guests annually). Flexibility is required to absorb new creative and functional ideas. Research of the original design, however, is essential in providing assistance for reinforcing historic integrity of a contemporary site program. Fortunately Alexander has a vast amount of historical documentation available, including written documents, letters, plans, and photographs. According to one news article, "Biltmore has the best documentation of the historical development of landscape available."

Still, the documentation isn't always as complete as it might have been and compromises must be made utilizing modern technology. One compromise can be seen in the restoration of the brick flume that was designed to lie under a pond situated at the bottom of the Azalea Garden-a picturesque glen with a rocky creek flowing through the small valley, carrying run-off towards the pond. Through a unique pan and valve system, the brick flume would be triggered to carry off the silt and extra water. During the 1940's or 1950's, the flume quit working. Around the late 1980's, the pond developed a major problem with siltation and it was decided that something had to be done. There were no working drawings-just some mention of the flume in the daily dairies kept during the construction of the pond. After much on-site investigation, the flume was repaired using brick like the original where it could be seen and concrete in areas that would be covered with water or earth. The workings of the float valve mechanisms that trigger the flume to begin accepting run-off are strictly modern due to inadequate information on the missing original workings and also to economy. A professional organization of civil engineers has suggested that this unique drainage flume could possibly qualify as an historic landmark.

Thoughout the last several years, numerous other restoration projects have been either completed or have been evolving. The Approach Road, a three-mile entrance drive, is undergoing a continuous restoration of plant material as original trees and shrubs have matured or been lost to disease or storms. Many of the unique specimens from the original estate nursery that were grown for Olmsted's proposed Biltmore arboretum, mostly conifers, have found a place. Copings on the stone walls and bridges are scheduled for resetting, as well as repair of several eroded streambanks. A series of roadside pools need to be redesigned to accommodate run-off from a watershed that is changing with the increase in constuction activities taking place outside of the estate. The Ramble or Shrub Garden is also being continuously replanted, with a new emphasis on replacement of herbaceous plantings now that the resident deer herd has been contained outside of the immediate grounds and gardens. The 1920's swimming pool and its accompanying security hedge were removed from the Garden Terrace and replaced with a flat expanse similar to the original design of a bowling green. Due to the maintenance concerns, this area remains mostly gravel rather than the originally planned expanse of turf and instead of picnics and bowling parties, the site has been used for outdoor events. The Italian Garden pools have been resurfaced and its water plants have been slowly restored. The heavy timbers in the stone wall which is attached to the Pergola by overhanging wisteria plants and the arbor in the Walled Garden were replaced exactly as the original drawings specified. The Walled Garden no longer contains the vegetables that were to be located in its protected wall; yet, it retains the rose garden, espaliered fruit trees and many herbaceous plantings similar to the original design. Popular modern additions in this area include the butterfly garden and the white border.

While the estate hasn't kept to a strictly authentic restoration, the intent of the original design still manifests itself. Over the years, the estate has continued with the management of forestry, albeit on a much smaller scale. Though tourism is presently the estate's main income, agriculture and beef cattle still play an important role in the estate, which was once widely known for its commercial dairy products. In fact, Vanderbilt's grandson and owner William A.V. "Bill" Cecil, who stresses the importance of keeping the estate productive and profitable in the tradition of the working estate, has established a winery.

Hundreds of thousands of visitors will continue to view Olmsted's work at the Biltmore Estate. . . many of whom hold annual passes in order to experience the estate in its many moods and seasons, for at least another generation. The great-granddaughter of Vanderbilt, Diana Cecil Pickering, daughter of Bill Cecil remains committed to the work that has gone on before. As she recently observed (in Southern Living), "Biltmore represents a lifestyle that will never exist again and should be preserved." LASN

(The delicate stewartia with its peeling bark and the oriental-looking kousa dogwoodwere added by Chauncy Beade in later years.)