Vikingsholm

Vikingsholm
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Vikingsholm Castle, on Emerald Bay of Lake Tahoe, California.
Nearest city	South Lake Tahoe, California
Built	1929
Architect	Lennart Palme, AIA; Matt Green
Architectural style	American Craftsman, Late 19th and early 20th Scandinavian Century Revivals
NRHP reference No.	96001078
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.

History

The Vikingsholm foundation was laid in 1928, but the building was constructed in 1929 by 200 workers. Vikingsholm was built by Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight as a summer home. Before starting construction, Mrs. Knight and her architect traveled to Scandinavia to gather ideas for the construction of 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 materials found at Lake Tahoe.

Mrs. Knight is best known for building Vikingsholm, but she and her husband Harry, a businessman were primary backers of Charles Lindbergh's non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic in 1927.

Emerald Bay State Park

Vikingsholm, along with the "Tea House" on Fannette Island and Emerald Bay, is a part of Emerald Bay State Park. Emerald Bay has also been declared a National Natural Landmark. Tours are given of the American Craftsman Vikingsholm museum home for a nominal fee.

External links

• official Emerald Bay State Park - Vikingsholm website
• vikingsholm.com: information
• AboutLakeTahoe.com: More information about Emerald Bay, Vikingsholm, and Fannette Island, including link to a topographical map of the site
• OpenRoad.TV - (video story about Vikingshold and Emerald Bay)