Castle in the Clouds

Wednesday August 21, 2013

On our way back to Massachusetts, visited this Arts & Crafts Mansion in Moultonborough NH. 

"The home was built in 1913-1914 in the Craftsman Style by millionaire shoe manufacturer Thomas Gustave Plant (1859-1941) for his second wife, Olive Cornelia Dewey. Its nickname Lucknow may have been a play on words on the city of Lucknowin India. The property was assembled from the private Ossipee Mountain Park, an observation area called the Crow's Nest, and a variety of other lodges and buildings. He razed the structures and built the mansion, a stable/garage, gatehouses, a greenhouse, farm buildings, and a golf course. The property eventually extended to 6,300 acres (25 km²).

Designed by prominent Boston architect J. Williams Beal (assisted by his sons John Woodbridge Beal and Horatio Beal),^[1] the house included many innovations which were rare at the time, including a circular shower, interlocking kitchen tiles, and a central vacuum system. The interiors were designed by Irving & Casson-A.H. Davenport. Bronze and tile work were by William Jackson & Company; electric fixtures by Edward F. Caldwell & Co.; and glass by Tiffany.^[2]

After Plant lost his money in a series of bad investments, the house and its contents were auctioned off in 1941-1942 to pay his creditors who allowed him to stay in the mansion until his death, but the furnishings remained with the house. The property was purchased by Fred C. Tobey family and opened as a tourist attraction in 1956."

The "Pebble"

The "Falls" 200 yards walk from drive to Carriage House and the Cafe

Dad at the Carriage House

Lunch

Introduction to Lucknow

Lucknow Estate