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. Lick leaned toward Von Schmidts recommendation, but the dying benefactor designated a committee to make the final decision. Lora Josephine Knight (1 May 1864 - 26 June 1945) was a philanthropist from California who was at one time one of the wealthiest women in America according to newspaper reports. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. The house is available for guided tours . During construction of the main house Lora turned her attention to Fannette Island in the middle of Emerald Bay. 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. [2] Her charitable contributions included youth groups, community centers, and college scholarships. Knight had become acquaintances with the Armstrongs through church affiliations and after the purchase she would build her majestic Vikingsholm the following year. Nathan Moore apparently knew how to have a good time, dying at the age of 25 of natural causes after spending the previous night at Chicagos most famous and expensive house of prostitution. Eventually, a wealthy woman by the name Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight, acquired the island when she had a mansion built on a nearby shore, in 1929. It was there she decided to build a structure that would incorporate the atmosphere and design of an old Viking castle of stone construction. Get into more larger-than-life Lake Tahoe history on a tour of Vikingsholm Castle, the summer home of Lora Josephine Knight, a wealthy heiress and widow who used her fortune to build a 38-room Scandinavian-style mansion on Emerald Bay, which reminded her of the fjords she'd seen on trips to Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark. She was a major promoter and financial backer of Charles Lindbergh's flight across the Atlantic in the Spirit of St. Louis; and donated to a number of other causes and funded various building projects including her own summer retreat Vikingsholm, for which she is most known. 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. Lick leaned toward Von Schmidts recommendation, but the dying benefactor designated a committee to make the final decision. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? After Edward Smalls death, William and James took over the firm and formed the Moore Brothers partnership. 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. In 1922, Lora Moore married Harry French Knight, a stockbroker. She also happened to have a Swedish architect for a nephew. Visitors, like Conn, sometimes leave . . There was a boathouse for Knights largest boat, a beautiful mahogany cabin cruiser named the Valkyrie. Heading clockwise around the lake, the next stop is Emerald Bay State Park to check out Vikingsholm Castle, a 1929 stone summer home built by wealthy philanthropist Lora Josephine Knight and lauded as one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in the western hemisphere. Vikingsholm Castle is a 38-room mansion on the shore of Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe. Lora Josephine Knight was a philanthropist who valued community and education. Emerald Bay also reminded her of a Norwegian fjord with it steep surrounding slopes and deep blue water. Vikingsholm was designed by Lennart Palme in 1928 as the summer home of Lora Josephine Knight, with construction completed in 1929. Emerald Bay reminded her of fjords she had seen on numerous travels to Scandinavia. The widowed heiress is Lora Josephine Knight. Lora Josephine Knight was a philanthropist from California who was at one time one of the wealthiest women in America according to newspaper reports. Knight had become acquaintances with the Armstrongs through church affiliations and after the purchase she would build her majestic Vikingsholm the following year. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Lora Josephine Knight (1 May 1864 - 26 June 1945) was a philanthropist from California who was at one time one of the wealthiest women in America according to newspaper reports. Lora Knight filled her castle with original antiques she picked up in Scandinavia. Newspapers reported that Nathaniels death had a devastating impact on his parents, especially his father, who grew ill soon after. There, visitors tour Vikingsholm, a stone-and-timber mansion built by Lora Josephine Knight in 1929 at Emerald Bay, which reminded her of a Scandinavian fjord. First, Huell . Her "Castle in the Sky" features intricate . Unfortunately, they were not happy together and divorced after just a couple of years. Vikingsholm is administered by the California Park System. There is a problem with your email/password. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Lora was 20 years old when she gave birth to her only child, a son named Nathaniel Moore. It was there in 1914 that Moore built a charming lakefront estate that she called Wychwood. Their Wisconsin chateau boasted 27 rooms, a wine cellar and a two-lane bowling alley. He too had development plans that never materialized and in 1953 donated the land and buildings to the State of California for compensation of half the properties value ($125,000). Emerald Bay reminded her of fjords she had seen on quite a few travels to Scandinavia. She filled the house with original Scandinavian antiques and replicas she commissioned from artisans. Today, Lora Knight's Viking castle is considered perhaps the . In the early 1920s, Lora Small Moore married Harry French Knight, a stockbroker from St. Louis. Today, Lora Knights Viking castle is considered perhaps the finest example of Scandinavian architecture in North America. A sprinkler system was even included on the roof. Knight loved Tahoe, and for 16 years she enjoyed her summers at Wychwood, hosting friends and family members, but in 1928, she sold her beloved lakeside Shangri-La to Robert Stanley Dollar Sr., a wealthy San Francisco businessman. In the early 1920s, Lora Small Moore married Harry French Knight, a stockbroker from St. Louis. 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. Apparently, she chose the Scandinavian motif because she had admired Palmes own Scandinavian-designed home in New York. He had planned to make the area into a development for Hollywood elite, but the plan never materialized and he sold the property to Harvey West. It was built in a single summer. Her father was a corporate lawyer who partnered with two brothers, William Henry Moore and James Hobart Moore. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism. Creator of Vikingsholm, Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. In later years, Charles Lindbergh frequently visited Lora Knight at her Santa Barbara estate and the Vikingsholm castle as well. 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. Knight had already spent 16 summers in Tahoe before she built Vikingsholm. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Apparently, she chose the Scandinavian motif because she had admired Palmes own Scandinavian-designed home in New York. [4], Knight was known for her hospitality, philanthropy, and eye for real estate. In the summer, when guests would visit her at her castle on the shore of Emerald Bay, called Vikingsholm, the butler would row her and her friends across the bay to the island for tea time. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. As fate would have it, Lora married James and her sister Ada married William. Friends spent many summers with Mrs. Knight at Vikingsholm, swimming, boating, and hiking . Stones were quarried from the back of their property, where Eagle Falls spills over granite cliffs. Now the property is a California State Park and can be visited year-round with tours of the Vikingsholm interior in summer months. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. His award-winning books are available at local stores or atwww.thestormking.com. Resend Activation Email. Your donation will help us continue to cover COVID-19 and our other vital local news. She hired architect Myron Hunt, a contemporary of Frank Lloyd Wright. -- Tahoe's Hidden Castle. Before starting construction of the summer home late that year, Mrs. Knight and her architect traveled to Scandinavia to gather ideas for the construction of the house. Scandinavia comes to Lake Tahoe at a historic home. Palme and Knight traveled to Scandinavia that summer to research the design features that would be incorporated into her Tahoe castle. Unfortunately, they were not happy together and divorced after just a couple of years. In 1914, the Moores built a lakefront estate in Lake Tahoe at Chinquapin which they called Wychwood. From the mountainside, you can see Fanette Island and just barely make out the box-like shape of a stone teahouse on top. She had a granite teahouse that resembled a small castle built on the crest of the island. She then commissioned Lennart Palme, a Swedish architect to whom she was related by marriage, to design Vikingsholm. I imagined they wore summer dresses, carried parasols and sipped tea out of fine china, while enjoying Emerald Bays glory all by themselves. The late owner, Lora Josephine Knight also commissioned the building of tea house in Emerald Bay on Lake Tahoe's only island. I highly recommend taking a tour if at all possible, but if that doesn't work for you logistically, still hike down and marvel at its exterior, as well as the views from lake level of Emerald Bay. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Over 200 artisans, some from Scandinavia, and workmen constructed the estate by hand hewing the timbers, carving the intricate designs, hand planning the wood for the interior walls, and forging the hinges and latches. Not a lot to do there, except hike up to the Tea House and take some photos. After their fathers death the two brothers took over the firm and formed the Moore Brothers partnership and amassed 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). Set off on the steep trail down to the lakeside. For 32 years, the Armstrong family had spent long, golden summers along the shores of Emerald Bay. 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. Mrs. Knight had it graded in 1929 for $10,000 so that she and her guests could arrive by automobile. Vikingsholm's design includes mortar-embedded granite boulders, hand hewn timbers, church entrance-like hand carvings, roof ridge carvings with dragon heads crossing at roof peaks, and a sod roof. One newspaper article, published in the Reno Gazette Journal, said Nathaniel was lavish with money. He once invited a few friends to Broadway and hosted a $20,000 dinner. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. If Lake Tahoe was tipped upside-down . Mrs. Knight had it graded in 1929 for $10,000 so that she and her guests could arrive by automobile. Von Schmidt chose a site 300 feet above Lake Tahoe on the Chinquapin point, renaming it Observatory Point in anticipation. After years of bickering, the Lick Observatory was finally constructed in 1888 on Mount Hamilton east of San Jose. Knight had become acquaintances with the Armstrongs through church affiliations and after the purchase she would build her majestic Vikingsholm the following year. From there they strolled back down to Vikingsholm.. . Finnish carpenters were then brought in to hew timber, while a Scandinavian craftsman was hired to create the intricate exterior wood carvings. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. The locally quarried granite boulders were ferried by barge to the island where derricks lifted them stone by stone. Inspired by 11th century Nordic churches and castles, Knight commissioned detailed wood carvings to be placed throughout the interior and exterior. Knight had derived design ideas from 11th century wooden churches in Norway and carvings from these ancient church entrances were incorporated into many Vikingsholm door entries. Those wishing to know more can enjoy one of the daily guided tours through the end of September. There was a problem getting your location. Lora and her husband, James, traveled extensively in California as to foreign countries. It was paradise, as Mrs. William H. Armstrong described, offering a safe harbor, beautiful white sand beach, wildflowers, pure ice-cold water, matchless cliffs, mammoth pine and cedar, waterfalls and an exquisite island. They didnt want to leave. Vikingsholm was built by Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight as a summer home. They built the mansion using construction methods from as far back as the 11th century. Lake Geneva, Walworth County, . [5] As president of the St. Louis Flying Club, Harry Knight knew Charles Lindbergh, and the Knights were major financial backers of Lindbergh's 1927 solo flight from New York to Paris in the Spirit of Saint Louis. Today, the historic estate feels almost as much a part of Emerald Bay as Eagle Falls, Fanette Island or the centuries-old trees. She exhibited Indian baskets, including some by the noted Washoe weaver Dat-So-La-Lee, also known as Louisa Keyser. The roof of the north and south wings is topped with sod where grass and flowers grow each spring. 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. Afternoon Hike in D.L. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Work on the home ceased at first snowfall in the winter of 1928 and was started up again in the spring of 1929. He grew up much like youd think the single heir to a fortune would, but his time was short. Year should not be greater than current year. She was born Lora Josephine Small in Galena, Illinois, in 1864 - one of a family of four daughters and one son. This tour passes by many beautiful spots around the lake shores, including the shores of beautiful Emerald Bay, Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight's Vikingsholm Castle and Tea House at Fanette Island, Eagle Waterfall and more. The bridge was not the only major . ). They visited Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden as they inspected buildings dating back 1,000 years. Apparently, she chose the Scandinavian motif because she had admired Palmes own Scandinavian-designed home in New York. They also spent time at their luxury homes in Illinois and Wisconsin. Her Vikingsholm Castle was completed in 1929 and reflected Scandinavian style of construction and architectural design. And if you're visiting in the summer, you can take a tour of the property. A sod roof was installed on the north and south wings, so that grasses and wildflowers could grow. . Lora Josephine Knight purchased the property encompassing the head of Emerald Bay and Fannette Island in 1928 for $250,000. Serving Truckee, Tahoe City, Kings Beach and Incline Village, Truckees Quintero designs custom Nordica skis to raise money for youth, Caboose of Truckee-Tahoe storm train in sight, Tahoe ski resorts receive about 2 feet of snow; More on way, Tahoe homeowners, businesses urged to monitor snow loads, propane tanks, gas lines, Above the rim: Ongoing winter storms lead to rapid rise for Lake Tahoe. It became the summer home for Mrs. Knight and her family for 15 years until her death. Shes recalled some of those memories in a booklet and, more recently, as a park ranger. Lora had a life-long reputation for her generous hospitality, philanthropy and numerous financial contributions to youth groups in California and Nevada. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). They traveled across Scandinavia for research and inspiration before laying the foundation in the late summer of 1928 for Vikingsholm. 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. Vikingsholm was built by Lora Josephine Knight as a summer home. [1][2] They also owned homes in Illinois and Wisconsin. 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. It was first published on this website in August 2018 and is presented in its original form. Julie Brown is a freelance writer and former contributing editor at SFGATE. 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