[3], Harvey West, a wealthy lumberman who owned the land after Knight, sold it to California for half of the appraised value in 1953. Lora Josephine Knight bought the land to build a summer home similar to those she had seen on her travels to Scandinavia. She was born Lora Josephine Small in Galena, Illinois, in 1864 - one of a family of four daughters and one son. According to McLaughlin, Lora Knight was known for her hospitality and philanthropy. 26 Jun 1945 (aged 81) Fresno, Fresno County, California, USA. In later years, Charles Lindbergh frequently visited Lora Knight at her Santa Barbara estate and the Vikingsholm castle as well. Today, Lora Knights Viking castle is considered perhaps the finest example of Scandinavian architecture in North America. 9 Mar 1997 26 Oct 2021 California's Gold. For weekly updates, interviews and profiles from a Tahoe insider, sign up for our Tahoe newsletter here.

Summer days at Vikingsholm were relaxed, with a bit of structure. In the early 1920s, Lora Small Moore married Harry French Knight, a stockbroker from St. Louis. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism. She died there in 1945 at the age of 82. They agreed to be major supporters. Promotional Rates were found for your code. Thank you for signing in! var obConfig = { footer: '' }; What is your prediction for precipitation totals this winter season? This is a carousel. Many antiques were purchased abroad for the home. Her father, Edward Small, was a corporate lawyer who took on two brothers as partners in his law practice William Henry Moore and James Hobart Moore. One of their most unusual underwater discoveries was an ancient forest at the bottom of Fallen Leaf Lake, adjacent to Lake Tahoe, where 80-foot tall trees, more than 2,000 years old are still standing upright. Emerald Bay State Park, South Lake Tahoe, Ca.. Editor's note: This story originally ran in January 2021. Palme and Knight traveled to Scandinavia that summer to research the design features that would be incorporated into her Tahoe castle. Lora Josephine Knights legacy is enshrined in the magnificent Scandinavian castle Vikingsholm that she had built at Emerald Bay in 1929, but her first property at Tahoe was actually located at Chinquapin, a sheltered cove just east of Dollar Point in Carnelian Bay. Death. In the 1960s, the property was vandalized, especially the teahouse, which is now only four rock walls and empty squares for windows. Von Schmidt chose a site 300 feet above Lake Tahoe on the Chinquapin point, renaming it Observatory Point in anticipation. Those wishing to know more can enjoy one of the daily guided tours from Memorial Day weekend until the end of September. She had a granite teahouse that resembled a small castle built on the crest of the island. Radar imaging of below the surface of Lake Tahoe and its dramatic sheer cliffs. Galena, Jo Daviess County, Illinois, USA. In 1928, Mrs. Knight had her mind firmly set on Emerald Bay to build her castle of the sky. She gave the family who owned the land an offer they couldnt refuse. Lora Knight filled her castle with original antiques she picked up in Scandinavia. According to McLaughlin, Lora Knight was known for her hospitality and philanthropy.

You may opt-out by. [5] Despite the divorce, Lora continued to use her ex-husband's last name. She commissioned her nephew by marriage, Lennart Palme, a Swedish architect, to design the home. She commissioned her nephew by marriage, Lennart Palme, a Swedish architect, to design the home. Each day blended into the next, relaxed and unhurried, Smith told the Press Democrat, and began with the sound of swishing sprinklers set up by yardmen in the early morning hours to water the wildflowers that grew in the grasses on the bay side of the house.. Lora Small (Knight) was born in Galena, Illinois, in 1864 of English descent. Fannette Island, located in Emerald Bay of Lake Tahoe, California. Sometimes government officials did not allow these native heirlooms removed from the country, so Knight had craftsmen reproduce them in exact detail, including the aging of the wood and even mimicking scratches on the originals. Lora Josephine Knights legacy is enshrined in the magnificent Scandinavian castle Vikingsholm that she had built at Emerald Bay in 1929, but her first property at Tahoe was actually located at Chinquapin, a sheltered cove just east of Dollar Point in Carnelian Bay. Lora Josephine Knights legacy is enshrined in the magnificent Scandinavian castle Vikingsholm that she had built at Emerald Bay in 1929, but her first property at Tahoe was actually located at Chinquapin, a sheltered cove just east of Dollar Point in Carnelian Bay.

Her Vikingsholm Castle was completed in 1929 and reflected Scandinavian style of construction and architectural design. The Vikingsholm castle greets visitors to Emerald Bay. Lora and James Moore had one son, Nathaniel, who married Helen Fargo of the family of Wells Fargo fame. When Mrs. Knight purchased the land at Emerald Bay, where Vikingsholm would be located, she was not a newcomer to the Tahoe area. Vikingsholm is located at the head of Emerald Bay, one of the most photographed spots in the United States. Stones were quarried from the back of their property, where Eagle Falls spills over granite cliffs. [2] Her $3 million estate went mostly to relatives and church and educational organizations.

Dinner was at 6:30 p.m. On most evenings after dinner, Mrs. Knight and her guests were driven by limousine to the top of the road at Highway 89, Smith said. As fate would have it, Lora married James and her sister Ada married William.

She had a granite teahouse that resembled a small castle built on the crest of the island. Nathan was an avid golfer and a participating member of the American Olympic team that won the gold medal at the 1904 Summer Games in Missouri. 9 Mar 1997 26 Oct 2021 California's Gold. The horse stable housed 60 thoroughbreds. Mrs. Knight is probably known best for the building of Vikingsholm, but many still remember her because of her generous contributions to youth groups in California and Nevada and the provision of educational opportunities for young people who otherwise could not have afforded them. And in this episode, Huell visits three of the most fascinating of these rocks. Lora then purchased about 240 acres of land at the head of Emerald Bay, as well as Fannette Island, from the William Henry Armstrong family for $250,000. After Lora's father passed, the brothers took over the law firm and together, they became incredibly wealthy businessmen based in Chicago. Mrs. Knight had traveled Scandinavia with her architect where they were inspired by the architecture. The body was well preserved due to the cold temperatures of the water. [2] Before starting construction, Knight and her architect traveled to Scandinavia to gather ideas for the house. As a child, we heard countless rumors from fishermen about floating bodies perfectly preserved from the cold that would float to the surface when the water would warm up, as well as the numerous sightings of a Loch Ness monster-style creature. Read More. Knight. [4], Knight sold her Wychwood home to San Francisco businessman Robert Stanley Dollar Sr.[1] In the summer of summer of 1929, Knight built Vikingsholm, the house she is most known for, buying the 240 acres of land in Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe from William Henry Armstrong, who she knew through her church, for $250,000. Knight. The sibling entrepreneurs eventually amassed quite a fortune with controlling interest in a number of large American corporations such as the Diamond Match Company, U.S. Steel and National Biscuit (Nabisco), the maker of Oreo cookies. Search. In 1884, Lora gave birth to their only child, a son Nathaniel, who later married Helen Fargo, heiress to the Wells Fargo banking dynasty founded in San Francisco during the Gold Rush. In 1915, they purchased a home in Santa Barbara, but had little time to enjoy it together since Mr. Moore died in 1916. Vikingsholm is administered by the California Park System. Lora Josephine Knights legacy is enshrined in the magnificent Scandinavian castle Vikingsholm that she had built at Emerald Bay in 1929, but her first property at Tahoe was actually located at Chinquapin, a sheltered cove just east of Dollar Point in Carnelian Bay. Despite its ancient motif, Vikingsholm had all the conveniences available in the 1930s, including electricity, modern fixtures and private baths in the bedrooms. To build it, she hired Swedish architect Lennart Palme, her nephew by marriage. After years of bickering, the Lick Observatory was finally constructed in 1888 on Mount Hamilton east of San Jose.

Vikingsholm Castle is open for tours during the summer months. Read More. According to McLaughlin, Lora Knight was known for her hospitality and philanthropy. Tag: Lora Josephine Knight. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. It is a great destination for a day of sightseeing, hiking, boating, and swimming. And the monster isn't the only thing thought to exist at the bottom of the lake. James Hobart Moore passed away in 1916 at their home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Support timbers were hand hewn and interior wallboard meticulously hand planed, while metal fixtures like fireplace screens, hinges and latches were hand forged on-site. Death. Lora Josephine Knight was a philanthropist who valued community and education. In 1873, engineer Alexis Von Schmidt recommended the site for the proposed James Lick Astronomical Observatory that would house the worlds most powerful space telescope. The house he created for her is called Cima del Mundo. The property passed through two more landowners before California State Parks bought 177 acres, including the island and the structures, in 1953 for $150,000.
First, Huell . Inspired by 11th century Nordic churches and castles, Knight commissioned detailed wood carvings to be placed throughout the interior and exterior. [1][2], She and James Moore bought land at Carnelian Bay in Lake Tahoe in 1914 to build a large home known as Wychwood, as well getting another retreat on Lake Geneva. Historic house in California, United States, U.S. National Register of Historic Places, "The mysterious castle in Lake Tahoe's Emerald Bay", "The legacy of Lora Knight and why Vikingsholm is one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in North America", official Emerald Bay State Park Vikingsholm website, AboutLakeTahoe.com: More information about Emerald Bay, Vikingsholm, and Fannette Island, including link to a topographical map of the site, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vikingsholm&oldid=1107210529, History of the Sierra Nevada (United States), Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in California, American Craftsman architecture in California, National Register of Historic Places in El Dorado County, California, Articles using NRISref without a reference number, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 28 August 2022, at 19:40. WebIn 1928 Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight, purchased about two hundred acres of land at Emerald Bay in the Lake Tahoe region of California. Wildlife have several strategies to endure Lake Tahoes winters, Steeped in old town Truckee history, Moodys serves up innovative cuisine, Earn your turns: Tahoe Backcountry Alliance encourages stewardship, accessibility to backcountry, The art of charcuteski: Craft an on-mountain dining experience with the skis that got you there. Most of the building was made from local materials. During construction of the main house Lora turned her attention to Fannette Island in the middle of Emerald Bay. Sorry, no promotional deals were found matching that code. They worked diligently throughout the summer and by the end of the season the house was completed. It is now a part of the Harvey West Unit of the Emerald Bay State Park. I often visit Emerald Bay to go hiking.

Tahoe historian Mark McLaughlinis a nationally published author and professional speaker and former freelance writer for Tahoe Magazine. As fate would have it, Lora married James and her sister Ada married William. Eight years before her marriage to Harry Knight, Mrs. Josephine Moore purchased the land at Chinquapin from descendants of Lake Tahoe timber baron Duane L. Bliss. In early 1916 they bought a home near Santa Barbara hoping that the mild Mediterranean climate might improve his condition, but he died on July 20, 1916, leaving Lora an estate worth $15 million.

Nearly all of the materials were sourced on site or nearby.

There was a boathouse for Knights largest boat, a beautiful mahogany cabin cruiser named the Valkyrie. 1 May 1864. While you can now scuba dive to explore sunken boats and wrecks, there is still a lot of mystery of what lies deep below the surface in Lake Tahoe, many of which are only rumors, including dramatic spottings of a Loch Ness Monster-style creature. WebIn 1928 Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight, purchased about two hundred acres of land at Emerald Bay in the Lake Tahoe region of California.

Lora and her sister Ada married two brothers, William and James Moore, who worked as partners in their fathers law firm. It was there in 1914 that Moore built a charming lakefront estate that she called Wychwood. Check out their video of the exploration below. Unfortunately, they were not happy together and divorced after just a couple of years. There is a single-lane dirt road that connects Vikingsholm with Highway 89. She exhibited Indian baskets, including some by the noted Washoe weaver Dat-So-La-Lee, also known as Louisa Keyser. Carved dragon heads are common as both interior and exterior decorations, as they were used in old Viking castles to divide the main room between the chieftain and his most honored guests from the women and children. The widowed heiress is Lora Josephine Knight. By the 1870s Lick was in poor health, but still fiercely determined to build the observatory. The interior of the house also exemplifies the Scandinavian motif, with delicate paintings on the ceilings and walls, Nordic fireplaces throughout, and two intricately carved dragon beams hanging from the ceiling in the living room. Lora Knight filled her castle with original antiques she picked up in Scandinavia. Lora had a life-long reputation for her generous hospitality, philanthropy and numerous financial contributions to youth groups in California and Nevada. The property on which Vikingsholm is built includes 232 acres of Tahoes most beautiful vistas, the only island in Lake Tahoe, and the only waterfall that flows directly into the lake. Mrs. Knight and guests at Eagle Waterfalls.

Lick leaned toward Von Schmidts recommendation, but the dying benefactor designated a committee to make the final decision. The barges had to be towed or pushed by steamers, and one of them now lies parallel to the shore measuring over 100 feet long. Life was good for the Moores, but after their purchase of the Tahoe property, James health began to fail. It is located along the shores of Lake Tahoe and each This was an era when Tahoe was first establishing itself as a summer haven for wealthy tourists who sought an escape from Californias cities. A relaxed, unhurried atmosphere typified the style of life one experienced when visiting the home. Death. And in this episode, Huell visits three of the most fascinating of these rocks. Many people assume that Mrs. Knight was of Scandinavian origin because of her decision to build Vikingsholm but she was actually of English decent. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. 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