The Flower of the Lake
Nestled on the West Shore of beautiful Lake Tahoe, the Fleur du Lac Estate has been a center of social, business and boating activity, a curiosity for tourists, and an enigma for local residents for more than 85 years. Designed and constructed by famous industrialist Henry J. Kaiser, Sr. in 1935, Fleur du Lac, which means "flower of the lake," has transitioned from a private retreat, to a summer family compound, to an exclusive boy's school, to the movie set for the motion picture Godfather II, and back again to an estate, this time with multiple owners. Along the way, Fleur du Lac almost became a Presidential retreat, a corporate compound, a high-density condominium project, and a State of California park. Fleur du Lac has had the most interesting history of any of the "golden era" estates on Lake Tahoe.
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Like many other historic properties, the most interesting aspects of Fleur du Lac's past are not necessarily the details of the structures themselves, but the stories of the people and events that created the property and shaped it to what it is today. Each of the four former owners of Fleur du Lac had similar, but importantly different, dreams for the Estate. They were from very different social and economic backgrounds and had different levels of means to achieve their dreams.
Our book presents not only the development of the Estate, but also the individual family dynamics that led to very different results for the four owners. We hope that we have presented the story of the Flower of the Lake in an interesting, intriguing, and enjoyable fashion. Enjoy!
Bob Boldt Paula Boldt