Old Shiloh: Lost 1800s community for Black families once thrived where Biltmore Estate now stands

"When George Vanderbilt first came to this land, the story goes that he took a ramble on horseback and came to this spot," recounts Biltmore curator Lauren Henry. "And he thought the prospect was finer than any he'd ever seen. He decided he wanted to build a house here."

The grassy hill overlooking the French Broad river, surrounded by towering mountains and blue skies – laying eyes on it for the first time is what inspired Vanderbilt to have his first vision of what Biltmore could be.

However, as of the 1870s, a community of Black families was already planted on that beautiful land, growing around a thriving church and school.

"It was very important for George Vanderbilt to acquire what was then the Shiloh community because this spot was very important to him," said Henry. "This hill is just the right spot."

Shiloh residents had to be convinced to uproot their lives and sell this beautiful land. It was an unlikely transaction that paved the way for America’s grandest estate -- and tied the people of Shiloh to the Vanderbilt family for generations to come.

Many residents agreed to sell pretty quickly, as records show they were paid very fair rates for their homes and land. However, there were a few who were unsure about selling the first property they'd ever owned, especially to a wealthy white man in recent aftermath of slavery.

Vanderbilt worked alongside a local pastor who was also a member of the Shiloh community, Rev. William Logan. He gained the residents’ trust and convinced them to sell, negotiating with each family on an individual level to help ensure their comfort.

The residents were paid as much as twice the value of their property, up to 10-times in some cases.

Vanderbilt also paid to move everything: Homes, their church, even the bodies in the cemetery to the place now known as “New Shiloh."

Many Shiloh residents worked on the construction of Biltmore House – and afterwards, many continued working on the estate in some other capacity.

"These are such important people to the history of Asheville. They built Asheville. They ran Biltmore. They built Biltmore. They built Downtown Asheville," says UNC Asheville professor Dr. Ellen Pearson.

WRAL's own Gerald Owens has roots in the Shiloh community. His ancestor Sylvester Owens worked at Biltmore as a groundskeeper for 44 years, eventually taking over the role of head groundskeeper – a position of power not often granted to Black men in that era.

He gained fame traveling the country finding rare and beautiful azaleas for the world-renowned Biltmore Estate gardens. A magazine article named him the "Azalea King."

New Shiloh was situated only around a mile away from Old Shiloh. Vanderbilt wanted to make commuting to work easy and convenient for the many Shiloh residents who helped build and maintain Biltmore.

It's said that Vanderbilt also requested to attend a church service at the New Shiloh church. He wanted to see how the move was working out for the community.

Rev. William Logan, who helped Vanderbilt initially acquire the land, eventually became foreman for the construction project. He worked for Vanderbilt for years. When he became too ill to walk to work, Vanderbilt would send his carriage to help ease the commute.

Then, after Logan died, Vanderbilt continued to pay his wife her late husband's salary for 33 more years.

There are still descendants of people of 'Old Shiloh' who helped build Biltmore, who still work at the estate to this day.

White has a personal interest in the cemetery in New Shiloh where the graves from Old Shiloh were re-enterred. The names are very familiar to her.

"In the community we had certain names: Owens, White, Logan Collins," she says.

Some of the graves have no names or dates -- making it hard to trace their history and keep their memory alive.

However, UNC Asheville students are mapping Black family histories in western North Carolina through a tapestry of headstones, public records and input from relatives.

WRAL's Gerald Owens also has a connection to the cemetery. His ancestors are buried there.

In pursuing this story, Owens says he learned a lot about his family.

"I've been connected to people I've never known," he said. "It should be a lesson to everybody. there's more to your family and life beyond your immediate family. Layers of you that existed long before you ever did. A parallel universe to your family that you never knew existed."

Owens said he always knew his family had a connection to Biltmore, but he had no idea the extent. During his research, he saw faces that looked like his father's. He heard voices that sounded like his sister's.

As he stood in the cemetery surrounded by the bones of his ancestors, he said he wondered what they would say to him and to the people working to protect their history.

He believes they'd probably say, "Thank you for remembering us."

These people will not be forgotten.