Biltmore Industries, Inc. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Biltmore Industries, Inc.
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Biltmore Industries, Inc., August 2012
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 Location in North Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Location | Grovewood Rd., Asheville, North Carolina |
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| Area | 11.5 acres (4.7 ha) |
| Built | 1917 |
| Architect | Seeley, Fred L. |
| NRHP reference No. | 80002802 |
| Added to NRHP | February 1, 1980 |
Biltmore Industries, Inc., also known as Biltmore Homespun Shops, is a historic group of buildings in Asheville, North Carolina. It's now called Grovewood Village. This place was once famous for making beautiful handmade crafts and high-quality wool cloth.
The buildings were built around 1917 by Fred Loring Seely. They are made from hollow ceramic tiles covered with stucco. There are seven main buildings, including the Eleanor Vance Building, Charlotte Yale Building, and the Carding and Spinning Building. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 because of its important history.
Contents
History of Biltmore Industries
Starting the Business
Biltmore Industries was started by two missionaries, Eleanor Vance and Charlotte Yale. They moved to Asheville, North Carolina, in 1901. Their goal was to help people in the mountains learn useful skills. They taught them how to create beautiful crafts and weave wool cloth by hand.
Changes in Ownership
Mr. Fred Seely, Sr. passed away in 1942. His wife, Mrs. Evelyn Grove Seely, then became the owner. It was during World War II, and it was hard to find people to work in the wool industry.
Fred Seely, Jr. took over the business after returning from the war. He managed it until 1953, when his mother, Mrs. Evelyn Seely, died. After that, Fred Jr. started selling parts of the property.
A New Chapter with Harry Blomberg
A man named Mr. Harry Blomberg wanted to buy some equipment from the property. Fred Seely, Jr. told him he had to buy the whole Biltmore Industries complex. Mr. Blomberg agreed and started a new adventure.
Harry Blomberg was a very successful businessman in Asheville. He had started with a gas station and later opened a car dealership. He decided to turn the old weavers' building into an antique car museum. He moved all his old cars there for everyone to see.
Grovewood Village Today
Even with the new car museum, the shops kept making homespun cloth until the 1970s. Mr. Blomberg also created a museum about the Homespun Industry. Both museums are still open today as part of Grovewood Village.
Today, Grovewood Village also has a famous art gallery called Grovewood Gallery. You can also find artists working there. They create things like flutes, jewelry, glass art, and pottery. Mr. Blomberg's grandson, Harry "Buddy" Patton, and his aunt Barbara now own the complex.
