Castle in the Clouds

Mansion and estate in New Hampshire

This article is about the mansion and mountaintop estate in New Hampshire, USA. For other uses, see Castle in the sky.

Not to be confused with Castle on a Cloud.

United States historic place

Lucknow
(Castle in the Clouds)

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

U.S. National Historic Landmark

The mansion overlooks Lake Winnipesaukee

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Location| 455 Old Mountain Rd, Moultonborough, New Hampshire
Coordinates| 43°43′42″N 71°19′19″W﻿ / ﻿43.72833°N 71.32194°W﻿ / 43.72833; -71.32194
Area| 5,294 acres (21.42 km2)
Built| 1913 (1913)
Built by| Thomas Gustave Plant
Architect| J. Williams Beal et al.
NRHP reference No.| 100002642 (NRHP nomination)
100011375 (NHL designation)[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP| July 5, 2018
Designated NHL| December 13, 2024

Castle in the Clouds (or Lucknow) is a 16-room mansion and 5,294-acre (2,142 ha)[2] mountaintop estate in Moultonborough, New Hampshire, opened seasonally to the public by the Castle Preservation Society. It overlooks Lake Winnipesaukee and the Ossipee Mountains from a rocky outcropping of Lee Mountain formerly known as "The Crow's Nest".

## History

[edit]

The home was built in 1913–1914 in the Craftsman style by the millionaire shoe manufacturer Thomas Gustave Plant (1859–1941) for his second wife, Olive Cornelia Dewey. He named the estate Lucknow for unknown reasons. He had no known connection to Lucknow in India. A poem by Olive reads "In the twilit hall, by the open fire / Each one agrees, 'I'm in Luck Now at last", suggesting that it was a play on words.[3] 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).

Weelahka Hall c. 1885, showing distant Crow's Nest, site of Lucknow

Designed by the prominent Boston architect J. Williams Beal (assisted by his sons John W. Beal and Horatio Beal),[4] 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.[5]

After Plant lost his money in a series of bad investments in the 1930s, the house was foreclosed upon, but his creditors allowed him to stay in the mansion until his death, and the furnishings remained with the house. Plant died in 1941, and the property was purchased by Fred C. Tobey to log its hardwoods and serve as a family summer home. The estate was sold to Richard and Donald Robie in 1956, who opened it as a tourist attraction.[4]

Castle in the Clouds is today owned and operated by the Castle Preservation Society, a private 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. The Castle, Carriage House, gift shop, art gallery and Cafe and Patio are open to the public from late May to early October.[6] The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.[2] On December 13, 2024, it was designated a National Historic Landmark.[7]

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
2. ^ a b "Well-known Moultonborough estate named to National Register of Historic Places". NH.gov (Press release). New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. July 24, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
3. ^ "Legends of Lucknow: What's in the Name?", Chronicles of the Castle [1]
4. ^ a b "New Insights on the History of 'Castle in the Clouds'". Moultonborough Historical Society. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
5. ^ Mulkern
6. ^ Castle Preservation Society Archived 2008-05-13 at the Wayback Machine; Announcement of restoration plan (PDF)
7. ^ "Secretary Haaland Designates 19 New National Historic Landmarks". National Park Service. Published December 16, 2024. Accessed December 18, 2024.

## References

[edit]

* Ellen Albanese, "N.H. castle built on shoes, love, a grand vision", Boston Globe, August 3, 2008. full text
* Eric Jones, New Hampshire Curiosities, Globe Pequot Press, 2006, p. 153\. ISBN 0-7627-3979-7.
* Larissa Mulkern, "A Home Ahead of Its Time", New Hampshire Home, Fall 2007. full text
* Barry H. Rodrigue, A Castle in the Clouds: Tom Plant and the American Dream, Bath: Archipelago, 2015.
* Bryant Franklin Tolles, Summer Cottages in the White Mountains: The Architecture of Leisure and Recreation, 1870 to 1930, University Press of New England, 2000. ISBN 0-87451-953-5.
* Bryant Franklin Tolles, Carolyn K. Tolles, New Hampshire Historical Society, New Hampshire Architecture, University Press of New England, 1979, p. 270\. ISBN 0-87451-167-4.

## External links

[edit]

* Official site
* Site about Lucknow by the grandson of Fred C. Tobey

* v
* t
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National Register of Historic Places in Carroll County, New Hampshire

National Historic Landmark|

* Joy Farm

Historic districts|

* Abenaki Indian Shop and Camp
* Center Sandwich Historic District
* Chocorua Lake Basin Historic District
* Great Falls Manufacturing Company Newichawannock Canal Historic District‡
* Jackson Falls National Register Historic District
* Lord's Hill Historic District
* Lower Corner Historic District
* North Conway Depot and Railroad Yard
* Pratt Family Camps
* Wakefield Village Historic District

Historic properties|

* Bartlett Roundhouse
* Beede Farm
* Bolduc Block
* Bradbury Jewell House
* Brewster Memorial Hall
* Brookfield Town Hall
* Carroll County Court House
* Conway Public Library
* Cook Memorial Library
* Cotton Mountain Community Church
* District No. 2 Schoolhouse
* Durgin Bridge
* Eagle Cliff
* Eagle Mountain House
* Early Settlers Meeting House
* Eastern Slope Inn
* William K. Eastman House
* First Free Will Baptist Church
* Fore Point
* Freese's Tavern
* Green Pastures
* Hansen's Annex
* Jimmy Point Camp
* Libby Museum
* Lucknow
* Madison School, District No. 1
* Moultonborough Town House
* New England Masonic Charitable Institute
* North Conway 5 and 10 Cent Store
* North Sandwich Meeting House
* Pickering House
* Pointfield
* Russell-Colbath House
* St. John's Church, Rectory, and Parish Hall
* Swallow Boathouse
* Town Hall
* Tuftonboro United Methodist Church
* Union Church
* Union Hotel
* Wakefield House
* Wakefield Public Library
* Wakefield Town Hall and Opera House
* White Meetinghouse
* Whittier Bridge
* William K. Eastman House
* Windermere
* Wolfeboro Centre Community Church

Footnotes|

‡This historic property also has portions in an adjacent state.

See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Carroll County, New Hampshire and List of National Historic Landmarks in New Hampshire
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