Castle In The Sky: George Whittell Jr. And The Thunderbird Lodge

Castle In The Sky: George Whittell Jr. And The Thunderbird Lodge by James, Ronald M. & Susan A. James. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780971804708.

George Whittell Jr. (1881–1969) was an eccentric San Francisco multi-millionaire, heir to the PG&E fortune, and conservationist who famously bought 27 miles of Nevadas Lake Tahoe shoreline in the 1930s. Known as "Captain," he built the Thunderbird Lodge, kept exotic pets like a lion named Bill, and protected vast, undeveloped areas of the lake from development. The Thunderbird Lodge, also known as the Whittell Estate, is an historic 6.51-acre waterfront estate located on the east shore of Lake Tahoe, in western Washoe County, Nevada. George Whittell Jr. was born in San Francisco in 1881, an heir to one of San Franciscos wealthiest families. In 1936 construction began the summer residence, Thunderbird Lodge, designed in the Rustic style by Frederic DeLongchamps for George Whittell Jr. The stone house was completed 2½ years later. The estate includes numerous small buildings, before 1937 designed by Frederic DeLongchamps, and after by the design firm DeLongchamps and OBrien. The house had no guest rooms, as Whittell wanted no overnight visitors. With a flair for storytelling and a passion for historical detail, authors and historians Ronald and Susan James capture a place, a personality, and an age in this tale of the life and times of George Whittell, Jr., one of the most influential figures in Lake Tahoe’s storied history, This beautifully illustrated volume takes the reader on a tour of both Whittell’s life and the fascinating legacy he left behind: The Thunderbird Lodge. This book is a must for anyone interested in the history of the Lake Tahoe region.