"By degrees the castles are built." – Irish proverb
LUCERNE, Calif. – Lake County's famous castle is situated in beautiful Lucerne, just over 7 miles east-northeast of Lakeport.
Lucerne and its regal castle boast lofty views of the largest natural lake in California, overlooking Clear Lake's 68 square miles.
Situated at 1,329 feet above sea level, the castle is now home to Marymount California University's Lakeside Campus.
The castle's colorful history spans back in time to when women were flappers. The term “flapper,” is a slang word that denotes an avian species flapping its wings. Dresses worn in the roaring 20s were less restricting and catered more to the comfort of women than the previous styles.
Lake County was roughly 60 years old when the Clear Lake Beach Company invested in land to start the town of Lucerne in the 1920s.
The next step for the progression of the picturesque town was for investors of the Lucerne Hotel Corp., instigated by Richard Palmer and Louis Becker to sell stock for the hotel corporation.
Soon after, in 1926 the hotel's construction began.
Alas, the Great Depression struck and construction came to a halt in 1929.
After a further series of setbacks, in 1934 the Clear Lake Beach Company entered bankruptcy.
It wasn't too long before the economy picked up again and Mr. West of the Cruickshank Company was able to complete construction of the hotel in 1938.
The hotel entered several roller coaster-like phases, with new owners opening and soon closing the hotel again and again.
It was sold to the Northern California Baptist Association in the 1950s, and once again it was sold over and over, never staying open for long.
In 2010 the county of Lake bought the hotel for $1.35 million.
Finally, in 2012 Lake County's first four-year university, Marymount California University, entered into a 15-year lease with the county of Lake to begin a college in the 75,000 square-foot iconic building.
According to the university's Web site, the university's Lucerne home is described as follows: “At a historic, castle-like edifice, surrounded by towering oaks, overlooking the largest freshwater lake in California, Marymount is proud to offer its newest campus – and a unique opportunity for upper-division and graduate students to advance or complete their academic degrees."
Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is an educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also writes for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.