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 The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. It has been called "one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in North America."

History

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. 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 Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, author, inventor, and activist. On May 20–21, 1927, Lindbergh made the first nonstop flight from New York City to Paris, a distance o ...

's non-stop solo flight across the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

in 1927. Harvey West, a wealthy lumberman who owned the land after Knight, sold it to California for half of the appraised value in 1953. Vikingsholm has been called "one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in North America."

Emerald Bay State Park

Vikingsholm, along with Knight's "Tea House" on

Fannette Island Fannette Island is the only island in Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada, United States. It lies within Emerald Bay State Park, Emerald Bay, on the California side of the lake. Over a long period of time, it was called many different names, including C ...

, is a part of

Emerald Bay State Park Emerald Bay State Park is a state park of California in the United States, centered on Lake Tahoe's Emerald Bay, a National Natural Landmark. Park features include Eagle Falls and Vikingsholm, a 38-room mansion that is considered one of the fin ...

, which has been declared a

National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...

. Tours are given of the American Craftsman Vikingsholm museum home for a nominal fee.

References

External links

official Emerald Bay State Park – Vikingsholm websitevikingsholm.com: information
* ttp://www.openroad.tv/index.php?categoryid=16&p25_id=25 OpenRoad.TV– ''(video story about Vikingshold and Emerald Bay)'' {{authority control 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