Vikingsholm
Vikingsholm | |
 | |
| Nearest city | South Lake Tahoe, California |
|---|---|
| Built | 1929[2] |
| Architect | Lennart Palme, AIA; Matt Green |
| Architectural style | American Craftsman, Late 19th and early 20th Scandinavian Century Revivals |
| NRHP reference No. | 96001078[1] |
| Added to NRHP | October 10, 1996 |
Vikingsholm is a 38-room mansion on the shore of Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe, in El Dorado County, California, U.S., and on the National Register of Historic Places. It has been called "one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in North America."
History[edit]
Vikingsholm was built by Lora Josephine Knight as a summer home. The foundation was laid in 1928, and the building was constructed in 1929 by around 200 workers.[2] Before starting construction, Knight and her architect traveled to Scandinavia to gather ideas for the house. Some parts of the structure contain no nails or spikes, as a result of old-fashioned construction methods. Most of the building was made from local materials.
While Mrs. Knight is known for building Vikingsholm, she and her businessman husband Harry were also primary backers of Charles Lindbergh's non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927.[3]
Harvey West, a wealthy lumberman who owned the land after Knight, sold it to California for half of the appraised value in 1953.[2]
Vikingsholm has been called "one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in North America."[4]
Emerald Bay State Park[edit]
Vikingsholm, along with Knight's "Tea House" on Fannette Island, is a part of Emerald Bay State Park, which has been declared a National Natural Landmark. Tours are given of the American Craftsman Vikingsholm museum home for a nominal fee.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ a b c d "Vikingsholm". vikingsholm.com. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- ^ SFGATE, Julie Brown (January 9, 2021). "The mysterious castle in Lake Tahoe's Emerald Bay". SFGATE. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
- ^ McLaughlin, Mark (August 17, 2018). "The legacy of Lora Knight — and why Vikingsholm is one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in North America". TahoeMagazine. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
External links[edit]
Media related to Vikingsholm at Wikimedia Commons
- Lake Tahoe
- Museums in El Dorado County, California
- Historic house museums in California
- Open-air museums in California
- State parks of California
- History of El Dorado County, California
- History of the Sierra Nevada (United States)
- Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in California
- National Natural Landmarks in California
- Houses completed in 1929
- Houses in El Dorado County, California
- American Craftsman architecture in California
- National Register of Historic Places in El Dorado County, California