Her father Edward A. 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. Architect Palme estimated the projects total cost at $500,000. The house included stables for 60 horses and a bowling alley. The 38-bedroom castle was constructed between 1928 and 1929 for Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight, who used it as a summer retreat. A system error has occurred. There is a single-lane dirt road that connects Vikingsholm with Highway 89. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Lora Josephine Knight was a philanthropist from California who was at one time one of the wealthiest women in America according to newspaper reports. It was there in 1914 that Moore built a charming lakefront estate that she called Wychwood. During the summer months she would take guests to the island for high tea. 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. The only way to get to Fannette Island is by boat, kayak, or canoe. Lora Knight filled her castle with original antiques she picked up in Scandinavia. She had a single-lane dirt road constructed to the property so her and her guest could arrive by car. Try again later. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Von Schmidt chose a site 300 feet above Lake Tahoe on the Chinquapin point, renaming it Observatory Point in anticipation. She spent 15 summers at the mansion before passing away peacefully in her home in 1945 (and leaving a thousand dollars for each of her employees for every year they worked for her). [1][2] She hired Swedish architect Lennart Palme, who she was related through marriage, and chose a Scandinavian motif based on Palme's own home in New York. 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 . This was an era when Tahoe was first establishing itself as a summer haven for wealthy tourists who sought an escape from Californias cities. Creator of Vikingsholm, Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe. Now the property is a California State Park and can be visited year-round with tours of the Vikingsholm interior in summer months. The bridge was not the only major . The roof of the north and south wings is topped with sod where grass and flowers grow each spring. She spent 15 summers in the house and, along with her numerous guests, enjoyed the nature, wildlife and peaceful tranquility of the estate until her death in 1945. Weather and vandalism have left the Tea House in a miserable condition. Soon after, Lindbergh approached the Knights to fund his groundbreaking trans-Atlantic flight. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Try again later. 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. Architect Palme estimated the projects total cost at $500,000. Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight built a tea house at the top of Fannette Island in Emerald Bay State Park. [1][2][3][4], In 1884, the two had a son, Nathaniel Moore, who later married Helen Fargo, heiress to the Wells Fargo fortune. Currently it is used as a hiking trail by those wishing to visit this remarkable castle. Work on the home ceased at first snowfall in the . 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. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. She loved Scandinavian architecture and Emerald Bay reminded her of a Norwegian fjord with its steep surrounding slopes and deep blue water. Small was born in Galena, Illinois, in 1864 to lawyer Edward Small. In 1914, the Moores built a lakefront estate in Lake Tahoe at Chinquapin which they called Wychwood. It was first published on this website in August 2018 and is presented in its original form. Vikingsholm is administered by the California Park System. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference. 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. During the 1920s, Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight had Vikingsholm built, as well as the Tea House on Fannette Island. Brown grew up on Tahoe's West Shore. During the summer months she would take guests to the island for high tea. 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. And let's face it, if you were as rich as she . [1][3] She also built a small teahouse on Fannette Island inside the bay. It is an enjoyable little kayak excursion to the island. . [5], In 1924, the Knights hired Myron Hunt to build a home they named Cima del Mundo in Santa Barbara, California on the Montecito hillside. . 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 year before she purchased land in Emerald Bay, she was one of the primary financial backers to Charles Lindberghs first flight across the Atlantic, from New York to Paris. 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. The castle was constructed as a summer home for the very wealthy Lora Josephine Knight. This marriage was not successful, and they were divorced prior to the building of Vikingsholm. Lora and James Moore moved to Santa Barbara for the ocean air. Their Wisconsin chateau boasted 27 rooms, a wine cellar and a two-lane bowling alley. Learn more about merges. 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. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Lora Josephine Small Knight I found on Findagrave.com. Knight, a prominent philanthropist and backer of Charles Lindbergh's historic 1927 transatlantic flight, was inspired by her frequent European travels . She then commissioned Lennart Palme, a Swedish architect to whom she was related by marriage, to design Vikingsholm. They visited Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden as they inspected buildings dating back 1,000 years. 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. Nathaniel later married Helen Fargo, of Wells Fargo Bank. As fate would have it, Lora married James and her sister Ada married William. 9 Mar 1997 26 Oct 2021 California's Gold. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. For a birthday present, his father wrote him a check for $100,000. 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. Currently it is used as a hiking trail by those wishing to visit this remarkable castle. 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. She filled the house with original Scandinavian antiques and replicas she commissioned from artisans. Mrs. Knight had it graded in 1929 for $10,000 so that she and her guests could arrive by automobile. Emerald Bay also reminded her of a Norwegian fjord with it steep surrounding slopes and deep blue water. Lick leaned toward Von Schmidts recommendation, but the dying benefactor designated a committee to make the final decision. There was a boathouse for Knights largest boat, a beautiful mahogany cabin cruiser named the Valkyrie. March 18, 2021 by rrservices Leave a Comment. She and her friends would take a motor boat from her mansion on the shore out to the island in the afternoon. It was the first permanently occupied mountaintop observatory in the world and for nearly 10 years its telescope was the largest ever built. He grew up much like youd think the single heir to a fortune would, but his time was short. In 1922, Lora Moore married Harry French Knight, a stockbroker. Failed to delete memorial. It became the summer home for Mrs. Knight and her family for 15 years until her death. But since then, the state park has preserved Vikingsholm, and Knights legacy, for hundreds of thousands of visitors who arrive every year. Her first lakefront mansion was called Wychwood and was just north of Dollar Point, where the Chinquapin condominiums are today. They traveled across Scandinavia for research and inspiration before laying the foundation in the late summer of 1928 for Vikingsholm. Edge Country Club as well as stunning views of Smith Mountain Lake and the spectacular golf course, which sits like an emerald surrounded by the blue waters of the lake and lush mountain scenery. By the 1870s Lick was in poor health, but still fiercely determined to build the observatory. The widowed heiress is Lora Josephine Knight. She hired architect Myron Hunt, a contemporary of Frank Lloyd Wright. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. The scenery around Emerald Bay reminded her of Norway, so she chose a Scandinavian architectural style for the house. 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 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. Finnish carpenters were then brought in to hew timber, while a Scandinavian craftsman was hired to create the intricate exterior wood carvings. This marriage was not successful, and they were divorced prior to the building of Vikingsholm. You can learn more about the property and all of its secrets during a guided tour.

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