Up around Lake Tahoe, Sam and I stopped by the deserted Tallac State Historic Site. It’s essentially a series of mansions and outbuildings constructed between the late 19th century and first few decades of the 20th. Here businessmen, politicianmen, and their families would come to relax, or rather, “escape” as the placards put it. Speaking of which, it was interesting to read about the architecture here. Apparently the wealthy of the time preferred a “rustic” style of vacation home — dark wood, exposed rafters, and an overall “simple” aesthetic. The Gilded Age? How funny. Still, I do wonder about some of their choices:
But it’s probably just my obsessive compulsion revealing itself. I suppose there’s something artful about it. That said — about my predilection for order — one might better appreciate my minor obsession with the beautiful shingle work.
Though it’s the minor imperfections that make the repetition so enchanting.
Notice how the eaves flare up subtly at their edges. I think it’s so lovely.
It reminded me of traditional Sumatran houses — albeit an ultra-restrained, utterly Protestant version. Not that there was necessarily anything buttoned up about the original landowner, Lucky Baldwin, but his granddaughter Dextra (amazing name, right?) is the one who had the present house constructed. Apparently she lived a pretty quiet life. Except, I guess, for being married three times in the 1920s.
The last few are of the Heller estate’s intriguingly orientalist passage between the servants’ quarters and main house. What if the most interesting space is the one the live-in help passed through, over and over again each day? From the inside, a gorgeous screen of light. From the outside… Bridge of Sighs?
Below, gardens at the Pope estate.
A maintenance shed:
And finally, the tennis court. No estate, nor estate compound, would be complete without one, of course.
Seems to me that the Park Service (or in this case, the the U.S. Department of Agriculture — for what reason they have jurisdiction and not the Interior I still don’t understand) ought to be restoring that tennis court for, or rather, to, the people, no? Tallac became public property in the 1970s.
Oh yes, and the view:
I’ve been meaning to post on this – this place looks amazing. I like the shingles too. 🙂