Castle in the Clouds
455 Old Mountain Rd
Moultonborough, NH
An eccentric millionaire's Arts and Crafts mansion perched high in the Ossipee Mountains, with sweeping views over Lake Winnipesaukee and a network of trails and waterfalls below.
Castle in the Clouds, properly named Lucknow, is a mountaintop estate built in the early twentieth century by Thomas Plant, a self-made shoe-manufacturing millionaire, high on the shoulder of the Ossipee Mountains above Lake Winnipesaukee. The stone-and-timber mansion is an early and unusually pure example of the Arts and Crafts style in America, and it was startlingly modern for its day, with features that anticipated conveniences most homes would not have for decades.
The setting is the real spectacle. The house stands roughly a thousand feet above the lake, so that from its terraces and windows the whole blue sweep of Winnipesaukee and its islands spreads out below. Around and beneath the mansion, the estate's thousands of acres hold a network of hiking trails that pass brooks, ponds, and waterfalls, making the site as much a mountain park as a historic house.
What Guests Love
- A commanding view over Lake Winnipesaukee from the mountainside mansion
- The distinctive early Arts and Crafts design and forward-looking gadgetry of the house
- Miles of hiking trails past brooks and waterfalls on the surrounding estate
- The dramatic mountain drive up to the castle itself
Worth Knowing
- The estate is seasonal, generally open late spring through fall; check before visiting
- The grounds and trails are extensive, so leave time beyond the house tour
- The access road is steep and winding; take it slowly
- There is a restaurant and cafe on site with the same big lake views
Details
Moultonborough, NH
Learn about Castle in the Clouds
Thomas Plant and his mountain
Thomas Gustave Plant rose from modest beginnings to make a fortune in the shoe industry, then sold out and set about building himself a mountain retreat unlike anything in the region. Between about 1913 and 1914 he assembled a vast estate and raised the mansion he called Lucknow, choosing a mountainside perch for its air, isolation, and the tremendous view.
Plant was a demanding and hands-on builder who wanted his house to be both beautiful and thoroughly modern. He spared little expense, and for a time lived there in grand style. But fortunes turn, and Plant's investments failed him in later years, so that the man who built a castle in the clouds ended up losing much of his wealth before his death, a poignant undertone to the estate's grandeur.
A house ahead of its time
Architecturally, Lucknow is a landmark of the Arts and Crafts movement, which prized natural materials, fine handcraft, and harmony with the landscape over Victorian excess. The house is built low and solid of local stone and wood, with hand-worked details and an intimacy of scale unusual for a rich man's mansion of the era.
It was also a showcase of early modern technology. The house included conveniences remarkable for the 1910s, from its own advanced systems for water and heating to clever built-in fixtures, so that touring it feels like meeting a home that reached forward into the century to come. Guides bring out these details, which make the visit as much about ingenuity as about wealth.
Trails, brooks, and waterfalls
The estate protects thousands of acres of the Ossipee Mountains, and a well-marked trail network invites visitors to explore beyond the house. Paths lead to overlooks, through the woods, and along the brooks that tumble down the mountainside, including several waterfalls that are highlights in their own right.
The Ossipees themselves are geologically striking, a nearly circular ring of hills that are the eroded remains of an ancient volcano. That origin gives the range its distinctive round shape on the map and its abrupt rise above the surrounding lowland, part of why the views from the estate are so commanding.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Profile Motel & Cottages
Honorable Mention391 Styles Bridges Highway, Lincoln, NH
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Things to Do Near Moultonborough
Lake Winnipesaukee
At the foot of the mountain, a short drive
New Hampshire's largest lake, with cruise boats, beaches, and lakeside towns like Meredith, Wolfeboro, and Weirs Beach.
Squam Lakes Natural Science Center
About 20 miles, a 30 minute drive
A live-animal trail and lake cruises on Squam Lake, the setting for the film On Golden Pond.
Weirs Beach
About 25 miles, a 35 minute drive
A classic lakeside boardwalk with arcades, cruise-boat docks, and the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad.