US #5467
2020 Biltmore Estate Gardens, North Carolina – American Gardens
- Honors Biltmore Estate Gardens in North Carolina
- Part of the 10-stamp American Gardens set
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: American Gardens
Value: 55¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: May 13, 2020
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US #5467
2020 Biltmore Estate Gardens, North Carolina – American Gardens
- Honors Biltmore Estate Gardens in North Carolina
- Part of the 10-stamp American Gardens set
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: American Gardens
Value: 55¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: May 13, 2020
First Day City: Winterthur, Delaware
Quantity Issued: 50,000,000
Printed by: Banknote Corporation of America
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Panes of 20
Tagging: Phosphor tagged paper, block
Why the stamp was issued: To celebrate the beauty and history of the famous Biltmore Estate Gardens in North Carolina.
About the stamp design: Pictures a photograph of Biltmore Estate Gardens by Allen Rokach.
First Day City: First Day of Issue postmark from Winterthur, Delaware (home to Winterthur Garden), with a virtual First Day of Issue Ceremony the following day (May 14).
About the American Gardens set: Includes 10 stamps issued to celebrate the beauty and history of well-known gardens across America. Each stamp pictures a photograph of a different garden taken by Allen Rokach. The gardens included are: Biltmore Estate Gardens (North Carolina), Brooklyn Botanic Garden (New York), Chicago Botanic Garden (Illinois), Coastal Maine Botanic Garden (Maine), Dumbarton Oaks Garden (Washington, DC), Huntington Botanical Garens (California), Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park (Florida), Norfolk Botanical Garden (Virginia), Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens (Ohio), and Winterthur Garden (Delaware).
History the stamp represents: Biltmore Estate is the historic home of George Washington Vanderbilt II, located in Asheville, North Carolina. It was built from 1889 to 1895 and was the largest privately owned house in the United States as of 2019 (administered by Vanderbilt’s descendants). Today, the estate is a museum open to the public as an example of Gilded Age architecture.
When Biltmore was constructed, the design of the grounds was left to famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. The Vanderbilts wanted their home to be in a park-like setting, and Olmsted had his work cut out for him. The 125,000 acres on and surrounding Biltmore Estate were not in optimal condition. Olmsted therefore suggested the establishment of a park immediately surrounding the house, farms along the river, and using the remaining land as commercial timber forest.
Olmsted’s greatest achievement was the gardens surrounding Biltmore house. He built Italian formal, walled, shrub, and rose gardens, fountains, and a conservatory for exotic species like orchids, all on 75 acres. Olmsted added several water features and statues to the gardens as well, adding to their splendor.
Biltmore was designed to be enjoyed by society’s elite. But today, everyone can visit the luxurious estate and take a stroll through the beautiful gardens.
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