Knapp's Castle

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Some of the stairs and foundations.
Some of the stairs and foundations.
Part of the old walls.
Part of the old walls.

Knapp's Castle is a landmark ruined mansion in the Santa Ynez Mountains near Santa Barbara, California. Located near East Camino Cielo in the Los Padres National Forest, the ridge-top site has a panoramic view of Santa Barbara and the California Channel Islands. It is a popular destination for hikers and photographers and is also the meeting place of a group of drummers and dancers on every full moon.

[edit] History

George Owen Knapp, founder of Union Carbide, built Knapp's Castle shortly after purchasing the 160-acre (0.65 km²) parcel in 1916. In 1940, Frances Holden bought the property and invited her friend, world-famous opera singer Lotte Lehmann, to move in. The mansion was destroyed by a forest fire only five weeks later, and now only the massive sandstone foundations, fireplace pillars and walls of the original seven structures remain intact.

[edit] External links

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