The 1896 construction of All Souls was funded by George Vanderbilt, and it is the only remaining church designed by Biltmore architect Richard Morris Hunt. The Romanesque building is the centerpiece of Biltmore Village and incorporates “manor vernacular” elements such as half-timbering and pebbledash. Embracing the concept of inclusion, Hunt designed the church to include many styles and to be welcoming to a diverse public. It was constructed of bricks made onsite from local clay. Many of the workers, artists, and craftspeople who built the nearby Biltmore House also worked on All Souls.

Some of All Souls’ earliest projects included education and training programs for women and people of color. In recent years, the parish has partnered with community organizations that address housing, domestic danger, civil and LGBTQ+ rights, and other social issues. Before the hurricane, All Souls hosted women who for a variety of reasons cannot stay at a shelter through Room in the Inn, and all individuals for Code Purple shelters during low temperatures. All Souls could house up to 25 individuals each night in the parish hall and serve hot meals for the duration of their stay. All Souls is committed to beginning these programs again, and the rebuilding will include an upgraded kitchen, shower, and laundry to ensure that it will be well situated to provide shelter services.

A National Fund grant of $400,000 with $400,000 in matching funds raised by the congregation will support the first phase of rebuilding after Hurricane Helene: structural repair, rehabilitation and conservation of interiors, and replacement of systems in the Cathedral sanctuary, the library wing, and the education wing.

Photo by Will Cameron