Ashville Travel Guide

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Biltmore's Servant Quarters Hidden No More

July 18, 2005 at 6:30 PM | by | Comments (0)

The Biltmore, the largest house in the U.S., has now opened up 10 rooms on its fourth floor, including a hall where servants hung out when they were off-duty and three dorm-like bedrooms for maids. It's the first time that this part of the "upstairs/downstairs" equation could be seen on a tour here. Fun fact: Biltmore's head housekeeper, the top of the chain, was paid $300 a month in 1898. That's over $6,500 in 2005 dollars.

Related Stories:
·   Biltmore Estate [Official web site]
·   Biltmore adds a look at life backstairs [Dateline Alabama]
·   Millionaire Households and Their Domestic Economy [Harvard U. text of a tell-all by a Gilded Age servant]