She married James Hobart Moore, who she met while he worked with her father in his law practice, and who along with his brother became rich by gaining controlling interests in a large number of companies such as the Diamond Match Company, U.S. Steel, Union Pacific, and Nabisco. Today, Lora Knights Viking castle is considered perhaps the finest example of Scandinavian architecture in North America. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Lora and her husband, James, traveled extensively in California and to foreign countries. The late owner, Lora Josephine Knight also commissioned the building of tea house in Emerald Bay on Lake Tahoe's only island. If Lake Tahoe was tipped upside-down . cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. The California landmark is one of the finest Scandinavian structures located outside of the Nordic countries. [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. Those wishing to know more can enjoy one of the daily guided tours from Memorial Day weekend until the end of September. Lora Josephine Knight fell in love with the spot on Emerald Bay, as it reminded her of the fjords she had visited in Scandinavia. Failed to delete memorial. They visited Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden as they inspected buildings dating back 1,000 years. Lora married James and her sister married William. During the summer months she would take guests to the island for high tea. Drag images here or select from your computer for Lora Josephine Small Knight memorial. Emerald Bay reminded her of fjords she had seen on quite a few travels to Scandinavia. Emerald Bay also reminded her of a Norwegian fjord with its steep surrounding slopes and deep blue water. Support timbers were hand hewn and interior wallboard meticulously hand planed, while metal fixtures like fireplace screens, hinges and latches were hand forged on-site. Vikingsholm Castle is a 38-room mansion on the shore of Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe. Lora Josephine Knight purchased the property encompassing the head of Emerald Bay and Fannette Island in 1928 for $250,000. 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. Finnish carpenters were then brought in to hew timber, while a Scandinavian craftsman was hired to create the intricate exterior wood carvings. Vikingsholm is one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in the western hemisphere. Galena, Jo Daviess County, Illinois, USA. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. There is a single-lane dirt road that connects Vikingsholm with Highway 89. Before starting construction, Knight and her architect traveled to Scandinavia to gather ideas for the house. The locally quarried granite boulders were ferried by barge to the island where derricks lifted them stone by stone. Readers around Lake Tahoe, Truckee, and beyond make the Sierra Sun's work possible. There was a problem getting your location. Many people assume that Mrs. Knight was of Scandinavian origin because of her decision to build Vikingsholm but she was actually of English decent. In 1922, Lora married Harry French Knight. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? 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. Her parents were good friends with Knight, and Smith spent 14 summers visiting Vikingsholm as a child. 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. Most of the materials came from the Tahoe Basin, trees were cut for their size and lack of knots, and the granite for the foundation and walls was quarried from behind the house. Lora was 20 years old when she gave birth to her only child, a son named Nathaniel Moore. Shes recalled some of those memories in a booklet and, more recently, as a park ranger. 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. 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. In later years, Charles Lindbergh frequently visited Lora Knight at her Santa Barbara estate and the Vikingsholm castle as well. The items she couldnt import she had replicated. Nearly all of the materials were sourced on site or nearby. Mrs. Knight had it graded in 1929 for $10,000 so that she and her guests could arrive by automobile. In 1922, Lora Moore married Harry French Knight, a stockbroker. 11 of 25 11. She had a single-lane dirt road constructed to the property so her and her guest could arrive by car. It was the first permanently occupied mountaintop observatory in the world and for nearly 10 years its telescope was the largest ever built. "[8] She risked losing her entire fortune from her first marriage as part of the divorce. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Lora Josephine Small Knight I found on Findagrave.com. 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 . Burial Details Unknown. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. From the mountainside, you can see Fanette Island and just barely make out the box-like shape of a stone teahouse on top. During construction of the main house Lora turned her attention to Fannette Island in the middle of Emerald Bay. And if you're visiting in the summer, you can take a tour of the property. The Later Years. She writes about Lake Tahoe and mountain communities throughout the West. Their Wisconsin chateau boasted 27 rooms, a wine cellar and a two-lane bowling alley. Its manicured gardens offer panoramic views of the Pacific. Our mission is to provide readers with a deeper understanding of the Lake Tahoe and Truckee region. Knight spent 15 summers at Vikingsholm. The Vikingsholm foundation was laid in 1928, but the building was constructed in 1929 by 200 workers. 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. Despite its ancient motif, Vikingsholm had all the conveniences available in the 1930s, including electricity, modern fixtures and private baths in the bedrooms. GREAT NEWS! . A sod roof was installed on the north and south wings, so that grasses and wildflowers could grow. Read More. We have set your language to They also spent time at their luxury homes in Illinois and Wisconsin. This marriage was not successful, and they were divorced prior to the building of Vikingsholm. Not a lot to do there, except hike up to the Tea House and take some photos. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. 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. 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). After this time, the property exchanged hands multiple times, but after a transaction with its last private owner, Harvey West, the property was . Your email address will not be published. His award-winning books are available at local stores or atwww.thestormking.com. The figure the Armstrongs couldnt walk away from was $250,000, about $3.7 million when adjusted for inflation. The locally quarried granite boulders were ferried by barge to the island where derricks lifted them stone by stone. It was there in 1914 that Moore built a charming lakefront estate that she called Wychwood. Nathaniel later married Helen Fargo, of Wells Fargo Bank. She then commissioned Lennart Palme, a Swedish architect to whom she was related by marriage, to design Vikingsholm. 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. 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. They traveled across Scandinavia for research and inspiration before laying the foundation in the late summer of 1928 for Vikingsholm. It was the first permanently occupied mountaintop observatory in the world and for nearly 10 years its telescope was the largest ever built. He was 25. 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 became the summer home for Mrs. Knight and her family for 15 years until her death. by BlackBoxGuild on Envato Elements Stock Video by BlackBoxGuild. Lindbergh approached the Knights about helping fund his effort to be the first to fly nonstop across the Atlantic at a St. Louis airfield where Harry, an aspiring aviator, was taking flying lessons. The bridge was not the only major . But nature is the real draw. In 1922, Lora Moore married Harry French Knight, a stockbroker. Look to the western shore of Emerald Bay and admire the grand 38-room mansion, which is considered one of the best examples of Scandinavian architecture in the country. Lora and her husband, James, traveled extensively in California as to foreign countries. 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. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. His nationally reported death led to a crackdown on Chicago brothels and morphine abuse. More Details After traveling to Scandinavia Mrs. Knight along with her architect returned to the Lake Tahoe area and started construction on the Castle with ideas they gathered on their European tour. The house is available for guided tours . 9 Mar 1997 26 Oct 2021 California's Gold. Required fields are marked *. Mrs. Knight insisted that the natural environment of Emerald Bay be protected and so no trees were cut in the vicinity of the estate and the home was built around several large trees. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. To build it, she hired Swedish architect Lennart Palme, her nephew by marriage. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference. Lora Josephine Small Knight Birth 1 May 1864. There was a boathouse for Knights largest boat, a beautiful mahogany cabin cruiser named the Valkyrie. In Santa Barbara, Knight built a 22,000-square-foot villa on the hillside of Montecito. The scenery around Emerald Bay reminded her of Norway, so she chose a Scandinavian architectural style for the house. Pieces of wood resembling spikes adorn the gutters in a nod to the Scandinavian custom people used to ward off evil spirits. Specifically: Private Memorial, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/110560461/lora-josephine-knight. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. (So next time you visit Vikingsholm for a picnic, consider bringing some Ritz Crackers or perhaps Oreos.). She exhibited Indian baskets, including some by the noted Washoe weaver Dat-So-La-Lee, also known as Louisa Keyser. She was born Lora Josephine Small in Galena, Illinois, in 1864 - one of a family of four daughters and one son. She was born Lora Josephine Small in Galena, Illinois, in 1864 - one of a family of four daughters and one son. Now the property is a California State Park and can be visited year-round with tours of the Vikingsholm interior in summer months. Work on the home ceased at first snowfall in the winter of 1928 and was started up again in the spring of 1929. [1][2] They also owned homes in Illinois and Wisconsin. For a birthday present, his father wrote him a check for $100,000. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. In total, construction of Vikingsholm was estimated to cost $500,000. The only island on Lake Tahoe, Fannette island hosts a small stone structure that was once the tea house of Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight, the owner of Vikingsholm. They also spent time at their luxury homes in Illinois and Wisconsin. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Widowed and then divorced, the newspapers at the time said Knight was one of the wealthiest women in America. Search. Currently it is used as a hiking trail by those wishing to visit this remarkable castle. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. They agreed to be major supporters. In 1922, Lora Moore married Harry French Knight, a stockbroker. The castle was constructed as a summer home for the very wealthy Lora Josephine Knight. Commissioned by Lora Josephine Knight as a summer home, Knight wanted someplace that reflected the beauty of the surrounding area. He was a stockbroker in St. Louis, Missouri, and an aspiring pilot. They agreed to be major supporters. [2] Her $3 million estate went mostly to relatives and church and educational organizations. Flickr photos, groups, and tags related to the "lorajosephineknight" Flickr tag. Despite its ancient motif, Vikingsholm had all the conveniences available in the 1930s, including electricity, modern fixtures and private baths in the bedrooms. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Knight had become acquaintances with the Armstrongs through church affiliations and after the purchase she would build her majestic Vikingsholm the following year. Subscribe and Download now! Visitors, like Conn, sometimes leave . As soon as the snow melted in spring 1929, some 200 craftsmen arrived to build Vikingsholm. Her first lakefront mansion was called Wychwood and was just north of Dollar Point, where the Chinquapin condominiums are today. She commissioned her nephew by marriage, Lennart Palme, a Swedish architect, to design the home. But since then, the state park has preserved Vikingsholm, and Knights legacy, for hundreds of thousands of visitors who arrive every year. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. 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