The Great Hall of Biltmore, ready for an imperial feast or simply to re-enact your favourite scenes from Citizen Kaneâ¦âpass the saltâ. Any discussion of the palaces of the Gilded Age must begin with the titanic creation that is Biltmore. In fact, Biltmore is the largest private estate/home in all of North America (a MUST see in Asheville, North Carolina). Described as being in the ChÃ¢teauesque style, the mansion was built by George Washington Vanderbilt II (The 8th son of the financial titan William Vanderbilt) between 1889 and 1895.