lora josephine knight

The house is available for guided tours . Although their marriage was short-lived, Lora and Harry Knight were among the small group of St. Louis, Missouri, businessmen who were the principal financial backers of Charles Lindberghs famed 1927 flight across the Atlantic from New York to Paris. She then had 200 workers build Vikingsholm. The castle was built in the shape of a horseshoe with two wings . Nearly all of the materials were sourced on site or nearby. There is a single-lane dirt road that connects Vikingsholm with Highway 89. In 1928, Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight bought land on the western shores of Lake Tahoe on which to build her home. Von Schmidt chose a site 300 feet above Lake Tahoe on the Chinquapin point, renaming it Observatory Point in anticipation. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Vikingsholm is administered by the California Park System. Many communities were interested in Licks $2 million estate and several protested the Tahoe location insisting that they were better suited for an observatory than the snowbound lake. Lora was 20 years old when she gave birth to her only child, a son named Nathaniel Moore. 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. . . Looking out into Emerald Bay, it's easy to feel transported to Europe. 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. [4][10], "The legacy of Lora Knight and why Vikingsholm is one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in North America", "The mysterious castle in Lake Tahoe's Emerald Bay", "The History of Lora Knight and Her Vikingsholm", "Vikingsholm: A Brief History (Nordic Castle at Emerald Bay)", "The mysteries and stories of the Harry F. Knight House", "LORA J. KNIGHT; Former Wife of Stock Broker, Financed Lindbergh Flight", "GETS DIVORCE IN RENO COURT California Digital Newspaper Collection", "Clipping from Reno Gazette-Journal - Newspapers.com", "Historic Vikingsholm at Emerald Bay always in need of attention, support", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lora_Josephine_Knight&oldid=1101022867, This page was last edited on 28 July 2022, at 22:31. Lora Small (Knight) was born in Galena, Illinois, in 1864 of English descent. [1][2][3][4], In 1884, the two had a son, Nathaniel Moore, who later married Helen Fargo, heiress to the Wells Fargo fortune. The park is also, oddly, the home of Vikingsholm, a replica of a Scandinavian castle. Read More. She's best remembered today for building Vikingsholm, a Scandinavian-inspired castle along the shores of Lake Tahoe, as a summer home in 1928. -- Tahoe's Hidden Castle. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. And, as a friend of Charles Lindbergh, she provided financial support for his flight across the Atlantic Ocean. 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. Whether its delightful dining options, fun things to do or amazing outdoor recreation opportunities, we have you covered. There is a problem with your email/password. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Many communities were interested in Licks $2 million estate and several protested the Tahoe location insisting that they were better suited for an observatory than the snowbound lake. It was the first permanently occupied mountaintop observatory in the world and for nearly 10 years its telescope was the largest ever built. This spectacular site was originally built to be the summer residence of Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight. In the winter, Vikingsholm is quiet. In 1928, Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight purchased Armstrong's land with the need to construct a summer house that may praise the magnificent pure environment. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Astronomers suggested that a high-altitude mountain location above atmospheric dust and away from city light would be the best location. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Currently it is used as a hiking trail by those wishing to visit this remarkable castle. Lora Knight commissioned Lennart Palme, a Swedish architect whom she was related to by marriage, to design Vikingsholm. A system error has occurred. But since then, the state park has preserved Vikingsholm, and Knights legacy, for hundreds of thousands of visitors who arrive every year. Brown grew up on Tahoe's West Shore. 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. 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. Lora Knight filled her castle with original antiques she picked up in Scandinavia. In order to preserve the natural environment of Emerald Bay, Knight insisted that local Tahoe materials be used with the exception of the leaded windows with pastel stained-glass panes imported from Sweden. After years of bickering, the Lick Observatory was finally constructed in 1888 on Mount Hamilton east of San Jose. He was 25. (So next time you visit Vikingsholm for a picnic, consider bringing some Ritz Crackers or perhaps Oreos.). 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. She writes about Lake Tahoe and mountain communities throughout the West. Weather and vandalism have left the Tea House in a miserable condition. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism. Emerald Bay reminded her of fjords she had seen on numerous travels to Scandinavia. Life was good for the Moores, but after their purchase of the Tahoe property, James health began to fail. Vikingsholm - Built in 1929 by Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight as a summer home. This was an era when Tahoe was first establishing itself as a summer haven for wealthy tourists who sought an escape from Californias cities. 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 . I've heard stories about the wealthy woman who built the teahouse on the island. Mrs. Knight and her husband were also backers of Charles Lindbergh's 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic. Those wishing to know more can enjoy one of the daily guided tours through the end of September. 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. The late owner, Lora Josephine Knight also commissioned the building of tea house in Emerald Bay on Lake Tahoe's only island. [9] Vikingsholm eventually became part of Emerald Bay State Park. Historic Vikingsholm Castle offers one of the most spectacular views of Lake Tahoe and Emerald Bay - one of the most photographed bays in the world. The figure the Armstrongs couldnt walk away from was $250,000, about $3.7 million when adjusted for inflation. It was there in 1914 that Moore built a charming lakefront estate that she called Wychwood. She made financial contributions stretching from Santa Barbara, CA, to Reno, NV, and went toward youth groups, community centers, and college scholarships. Construction on the castle began in the spring of 1929 and proceeded quickly as 200 workmen and artisans, housed in temporary barracks, quarried nearby stone and cut lumber. [1][2] They also owned homes in Illinois and Wisconsin. 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.. In order to preserve the natural environment of Emerald Bay, Knight insisted that local Tahoe materials be used with the exception of the leaded windows with pastel stained-glass panes imported from Sweden. 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. Nathaniel later married Helen Fargo, of Wells Fargo Bank. Shes recalled some of those memories in a booklet and, more recently, as a park ranger. Small, was a corporate lawyer who accepted two . This marriage was not successful, and they were divorced prior to the building of Vikingsholm. Burial Details Unknown. Illinois, USA. In 1928 Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight. Apparently, she chose the Scandinavian motif because she had admired Palmes own Scandinavian-designed home in New York. Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Lora and James Moore moved to Santa Barbara for the ocean air. The legacy of Lora Knight and why Vikingsholm is one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in North America. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? I imagined they wore summer dresses, carried parasols and sipped tea out of fine china, while enjoying Emerald Bays glory all by themselves. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Many people assume that Mrs. Knight was of Scandinavian origin because of her decision to build Vikingsholm but she was actually of English decent. She hired architect Myron Hunt, a contemporary of Frank Lloyd Wright. Finnish carpenters were then brought in to hew timber, while a Scandinavian craftsman was hired to create the intricate exterior wood carvings. This spectacular site was originally built to be the summer residence of Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight. Tag: Lora Josephine Knight. She then purchased 240 acres of land at the head of Emerald Bay, as well as Fannette Island, from the William Henry Armstrong family for $250,000. 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. Vikingsholm was built by Lora Josephine Knight as a summer home. The property had a boat house constructed for her mahogany cabin cruiser named Valkyrie and a teahouse constructed on Fannette Island made from bricks cut from local granite. They traveled across Scandinavia for research and inspiration before laying the foundation in the late summer of 1928 for Vikingsholm. Knight had already spent 16 summers in Tahoe before she built Vikingsholm. His body was taken to the Moore home, to Lora, in a private ambulance. Knight, a prominent philanthropist and backer of Charles Lindbergh's historic 1927 transatlantic flight, was inspired by her frequent European travels . James Lick, a Pennsylvania Dutchman, first struck it rich in the California Gold Rush and then parlayed his luck into a fortune by investing in San Franciscos booming real estate market. Since this is my blog and I get to say whatever I want, I think Morris would've approved of . 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 . For more information see the California Parks Website. It's a steep . In 1922, Lora Moore married Harry French Knight, a stockbroker. 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. Specifically: Private Memorial, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/110560461/lora-josephine-knight. They agreed to be major supporters. Mrs. Knight had it graded in 1929 for $10,000 so that she and her guests could arrive by automobile. Please enter your email and password to sign in. His nationally reported death led to a crackdown on Chicago brothels and morphine abuse. Hence the Viking-inspired home on the lake. For a birthday present, his father wrote him a check for $100,000. Vikingsholm, Lake Tahoe, California, built from 1928 to 1929 as a summer home for Lora Josephine Knight. 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. She was born Lora Josephine Small in Galena, Illinois, in 1864 - one of a family of four daughters and one son. Palme and Knight traveled to Scandinavia that summer to research the design features that would be incorporated into her Tahoe castle. Lora Josephine Knight's 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. Construction on the castle began in the spring of 1929 and proceeded quickly as 200 workmen and artisans, housed in temporary barracks, quarried nearby stone and cut lumber. Harry was an amateur pilot and Harry and Laura were among Charles Lindberghs major donors for his solo Atlantic flight. His nationally reported death led to a crackdown on Chicago brothels and morphine abuse. Life was good for the Moores, but after their purchase of the Tahoe property, James health began to fail. For as long as I can remember, Ive been fascinated by the mysterious widow who built the castle at Emerald Bay. Designed by Lennart Palme and Matt Green, the 38-room mansion features a stone facade with Scandinavian Gothic influences, with the stone facade influenced by churches and castles of southern Sweden and wooden elements inside and out . Learn more about merges. The locally quarried granite boulders were ferried by barge to the island where derricks lifted them stone by stone. Thanks for your help! Set off on the steep trail down to the lakeside. Despite its ancient motif, Vikingsholm had all the conveniences available in the 1930s, including electricity, modern fixtures and private baths in the bedrooms. 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. The castle was built in 1929 and commissioned by Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight, who drew similarities between Lake Tahoe and the fjords of Scandinavia. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Newspapers reported that Nathaniels death had a devastating impact on his parents, especially his father, who grew ill soon after. Not a lot to do there, except hike up to the Tea House and take some photos. She and her friends would take a motor boat from her mansion on the shore out to the island in the afternoon. Construction on the castle began in the spring of 1929 and proceeded quickly as 200 workmen and artisans, housed in temporary barracks, quarried nearby stone and cut lumber. Many remember her because of her generous . The home features an impressive 38 rooms and gives details about the history of the area and the owner of the estate, Lora Josephine Knight. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Afternoon Hike in D.L. Subscribe to Envato Elements for unlimited Stock Video downloads for a single monthly fee. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Her Vikingsholm Castle was completed in 1929 and reflected Scandinavian style of construction and architectural design. Lora and her husband, James, traveled extensively in California and to foreign countries. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. 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. For 32 years, the Armstrong family had spent long, golden summers along the shores of Emerald Bay. Lora Small (Knight) was born in Galena, Illinois, in 1864 of English descent. The building, as creepy as it may look, was actually a tea house, built by Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight, ex-wife of wealthy stockbroker Charles French Knight. She had inherited a fortune from her first husband. 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. It was there in 1914 that Moore built a charming lakefront estate that she called Wychwood. Add to your scrapbook. The horse stable housed 60 thoroughbreds. Impressed by her architect nephew Lennart Palme's Nordic-inspired home in New York, Mrs. Knight travelled to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and . Her father Edward A. He was a stockbroker in St. Louis, Missouri, and an aspiring pilot. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Burial. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. 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