Knapp's Castle

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 Lake Cachuma and the Santa Ynez Valley. 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.

History

George Owen Knapp, founder of Union Carbide, built Knapp's Castle shortly after purchasing the convert|160|acre|km2|sing=on 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.

External links

* [http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=445010 Google Answers - The History of Knapp's Castle]
* [http://www.santabarbarahikes.com/hikes/caminocielo/knappscastle.shtml Santa Barbara Hikes - Knapp's Castle and the Snyder Trail]