Was George Vanderbilt gay

If you are referring to George Vanderbilt II, who built the famous Biltmore Estate, I'd say there is a good chance he was. Despite the fact he married and fathered one child, rumors about Vanderbilt's sexual orientation swirled during his own lifetime, and he was known to have been unusually close to some of his male confidants. (In addition, the over-the-top Biltmore Estate does seem to be a drag queen's fantasy come true.)

However, with Vanderbilt's descendants tightly controlling his legacy, the public is unlikely to ever know for sure.