Major funding for this program was provided by the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs State Historic Preservation Office.

Additional funding was provided by Nevada Humanities and the Nevada Arts Council.

MUSIC >>Alicia Barber: Back in 1920s, Norman Biltz and his partner George Springmeyer, began dividing up a tract of land that clambered up the hills overlooking the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe.

Biltz was in the early stages of a career in real estate development.

A career that would ultimately make him a millionaire.

But this was only the 1920's, and he had yet to survive the depression, ease himself into the Nevada political machine, and marry an east-coast heiress.

One of the first lots he sold in the Tahoe area was to a lawyer named Withers.

His client wanted a home that reflected the Tahoe Rustic style - a cabin with all the accoutrements.

The result is a lodge that hugs the hillside, landscaping of lofty pines regal firs, and immense boulders.

The setting, the structure, all are a part of our view of the Withers Log Cabin.

MUSIC >>Barber: When the Withers Log cabin was built in the early 1930s, it was one of the largest of ten houses.

The rest of the subdivision was pristine.

It sat at the bottom of an irregular set of steps that ebb and flow with the hillside.

As we descend, we pass through trees, around boulders.

there are paths, a bench, and a petite waterfall tumbling over and through large rounded rocks.

MUSIC At the base of the stairs there is a flagstone patio.

It affords a view of stunning Lake Tahoe.

A barbeque stands wedged between two massive granite boulders.

The house is a one and a half story structure.

The lower portion of the home is built of unpeeled or bark covered half-logs, while the upper portion is shingled.

The logs are slightly squared and don't cross in a conventional manner.

The steep side gable is crossed by lower gables of the same pitch, giving the house a cruciform roofline.

The roof is clad in composition shingles, cut to a semi-octagonal decorative pattern.

The window fenestration is typically grouped six-light wood casement.

Present owners, Carol Diamond and Mike Saba, have done little to change the exterior.

The shingle was added, as was the native rock front.

Both changes were made due to deterioration of the original construction.

>>Mella Harmon: This house is a marvelous example of the Resort Rustic architecture that was being built at Lake Tahoe, uh, during the late 20's and early 30's when Lake Tahoe was just beginning to open up to the automobile tourists and people from surrounding areas.

The Tahoe Rustic Style, uh, is a sort of an indigeous, indigenous style to the Lake Tahoe area.

Um, it, to my mind, the Resort Rustic style at Lake Tahoe, um, also embodies the ethics of the Craftsman Period which was largely at the turn of the 20th Century through maybe 1940.

Um, and that is that it drew on the natural elements of the land and the landscape.

You'll see the, the wood, the, the log homes or if not log homes, shingled homes.

Uh, the use of boulders and stone on facades.

Uh, the integration of the building into the landscape in sort of a natural fashion so that it looks like it's growing out the, the landscape.

What would be come, a few years later, the organic, um, concept of, uh, Frank Lloyd Wright.

And, so to my mind that would be the, the Resort Rustic Style that, that we see at Lake Tahoe.

>>Barber: Though no architect is credited with the design of the home, the details incorporated into the house would suggest that an architect was used.

>>Christy Fockler: Many believe that it was Frederick DeLongchamps who was Nevada State Architect.

And, he did design many structures up here in Lake Tahoe in this Rustic Resort style.

The buildings that we know he designed have a lot of the features that exist here at the Wither's Log Cabin.

Features such as the log construction, the chinking method which then again, like I said before accentuates that log construction, the masonry stone foundation, steeply pitched gabled roofs, shingled portions of the house like for example on the gabled ends, um, the window fenestration on the, in the, and the symmetry of those window are very consistent in the designs that we know that he did design.

>>Barber: The interior of the house is symmetrical.

The partially octagonal front door leads into the entry way which sits to one side of the kitchen.

There's a similar space on the other side.

The kitchen was renovated some time ago, and now sports newer cabinets and countertops, but it's footprint has remained true.

The door to the kitchen is constructed of slabs of wood.

It celebrates the knotholes and small remnants of branches that texture it.

The walls are made of unsheathed logs with a filling placed between each one.

>>Fockler: On both exterior and interior they are filled with a light colored chinking.

And, chinking is a traditional construction method that is made up of either a rough mortar, a plaster or clay material that is filled with almost anything that you could find around that's easily available.

It could be pieces of wood chips or moss, um, straw, sometimes they even used pieces of newspaper and they fill in the chinking, fill with the, the plaster or mortar material and then they filled those wedges between the logs, between the rounded logs.

And, in doing so, in the traditional building methods, in doing so this would keep wind, rain, rodents, insects out of the spaces between the logs.

And, in the Wither's home, in this particular cabin, it very much accentuates that log construction.

>>Barber: The entry ceiling is textured, though this is not nature's design.

>>Fockler: The ceilings are a handcrafted method that they call adzing in which the carpenter would take a tool and hammer just almost like chisel little sections out of the long board and they, it's a handcrafted method used to sort of give it a rough texture.

In the vestibule area it's like a crosshatching diamond pattern that again is a hand-tooled construction or hand-tooled detail that they used to give the ceiling a little bit of pattern.

>>Barber: Steps take us down into a long, open space.

A baby grand occupies one end of the room.

Wrought iron wall sconces hung on log corbels provide a seductive lighting.

Vertical log beams support the ceiling, form the corners, and edge the windows and doors.

MUSIC >>Barber: A stone fireplace in an inglenook dominates the central area.

Originally this fireplace carried the burden of heating the entire cabin.

The design ensured that the heat would rise through the symmetrical stairways.

The broad, clear-finished boards of the ceiling over this space have also been textured, albeit with a different pattern.

The visual warmth of the room is tangible.

The front portion of the house is patterned with windows.

The originals have been replaced, but the replacements mirror their predecessors.

The view of the lake is breathtaking.

MUSIC >>Barber: At the end of this extended room is the dining room.

The door ahead would take us into the room mirroring the entryway on the other side of the kitchen, but we climb to the second level.

The stair balustrades are curved natural branches.

An antler horn chandelier was added to each stairwell by previous owners - an appropriate touch.

MUSIC >>Barber: The walls on the second level - though still a warm and textured knotty pine - are no longer the half- squared logs of the lower level.

Stairs at the center of the hallway take us to another long open space, a mezzanine area.

Here heat is supplied by a cobblestone chimney face and hearth built by a well-known Tahoe craftsman, Greg Beck.

The room is now an office and home theatre combination, but Carol and Mike speculate that it may have originally been open to allow for dormitory sleeping.

As a retreat, guests would have been welcome, and this space could house many.

A cleverly hidden bathroom is produced from behind the bookshelves.

Who were the Withers?

We know that the two met when Katherine traveled west in 1922 to secure a divorce.

Two years latter she married T.L.

Withers, a Reno attorney.

It was Katherine who purchased the Tahoe property in 1931.

>>Harmon: They lived in Reno and that's where their lives were.

Um, Mr. Withers was a lawyer and Mrs. Withers, um, did a lot of community work with the hospitals and the Red Cross and things like that.

So, this would've been their vacation getaway home.

And, I suspect that they probably came up here, uh, both in the summer and the winter, um, because it has everything you need to live here year round.

It's, it's more than just a, a camp building.

It's a, it's a real home.

Uh, and I think they probably used it a lot.

I certainly would.

>>Barber: And what was the appeal of a cabin in the mountains?

>>Harmon: Um, in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, um, the Industrial Revolution had been going on for quite a while.

Lots of people lived in cities and were pretty darned tired of it, it was a stultifying existence, um, to many.

And, those who could really sought to get completely away from it and be in an area where it was very primitive and they could, um, you know, commune with nature in a way, um, and, um, be completely away from the pressures of what had become, you know, modern America with the hustle and bustle and, and major economies and all sorts of activities.

So, this was a primitive adventure, um, for many to come out here.

>>Barber: The Withers bought the property from Norman Biltz, a real estate developer who was a major "player" in the growth of Nevada.

In 1954, Fortune Magazine dubbed Biltz the "Duke of Nevada".

Born in 1902 in Bridgeport, Connecticut he had come a long way, both geographically and financially.

A born entrepreneur, he started his first business at age 10.

A shoeshine boy who never worked the streets.

He went to people's houses to give them their shine.

While he was there, he might hear that his customer was planning to move, or to buy a new rug.

He'd take his newly acquired knowledge, approach a moving company or rug dealer, and for a quarter, pass it on.

>>Norman Henry Biltz Nash: My grandfather in his early years had a, had a very strong-minded German father who I think was very domineering and, and probably caused him to, uh, be more of a renegade.

He didn't do well in school.

Uh, in fact, he got kicked out of school.

I don't believe he got past the sixth grade in formal education.

And, at an early age he decided to set out, wanted to get out of the control of his father and, and set off for San Francisco to, uh, take on any type of jobs that were available and make a living on his own.

>>Barber: An early marriage failed.

It was about 1920 that Biltz began his trek across country.

After criss-crossing the states, working a variety of menial jobs, Biltz landed in Reno and real estate.

In 1929 he met his second wife, a divorcee with three children.

>>Nash: The family had a prominence in, in New York and, uh, they, she had a very protected life in many ways.

Uh, the family was always interested in making sure that if you got into a relationship with someone that they came from a good background.

You know, when they found out that she was having a relationship with him I believe the family was probably very opposed to it not knowing anything about this person, he was young, didn't come from any background that they typically would think would be the type of person that was acceptable.

And, so I believe he had that hurdle to overcome.

>>Barber: Biltz gladly cleaned up his act, controlled his gambling, curbed his drinking, and worked to be worthy of his wife and his step children.

And so Biltz married Esther Auchincloss, an aunt of Jacqueline Kennedy Onasssis.

And the confidence that Esther had in her husband proved to be well-founded.

>>Nash: My grandfather, I believe at a very early age saw the opportunity that Tahoe presented.

He knew that as the infrastructure improved, roads from San Francisco, roads from Reno to the Lake area, because during the early or, I should say, uh, 1927-28, Tahoe had, I don' t believe, a, a phonebook of more than 3 or 4 pages.

There were not that many people up here.

In fact, I believe this area right where we are, Crystal Bay, was really the extent of most of the growth that had occurred.

It was when the Cal Neva had a guest lodge and people could bring their people and, and he used it as a place to introduce them to the state.

>>Barber: And he did just that.

>>Nash: If I were to characterize my grandfather I would say that he was the nucleus of what stimulated growth in Nevada.

He became associated with a person by the name of Sherman in the early, uh, late, well, actually I won't say early, but probably right around 1927, 1928, which, as we all know, was a very prosperous time in the country, a lot of things were happening, the stock market was great, everything was moving up to more or less what we found out later a climactical end.

In 1927 he, he set out to find what distinguished, people who, brought property, for instance, in Nevada as opposed to California.

One of the things that Nevada offered was it was a new, young state, had a tremendous amount of, uh, land area, but had very few people.

Had a tremendous amount of resources.

One of the, the most outstanding resources the state possessed was Lake Tahoe.

And, right in this location is where Sherman and my grandfather started to bring people in to buy property that later, uh, would be developed.

But, in doing that he had to convince a number of people why would you come to Nevada?

>>Barber: Biltz helped to develop what became known as the "One Sound State" program - attracting individuals with money to invest in the state.

>>Nash: In 193, uh, 9, my grandfather, uh, did his own publication which was called "Nevada: The Last Frontier".

And, in this he went through all of the various, uh, aspects of the industries that Nevada had, the, everything from mining to ranching to hotels, casinos, uh, went into various aspects such as the, uh, natural, uh, attractions, Lake Tahoe, uh, the residential developments, uh, the things that would attract people from other walks, other places in the country to come to Nevada and establish residency.

And, this is what he set out to do.

The idea was if you bring the money in you can accomplish your goals.

He had a vision, I believe, very early in his life, now in 1927, '29, '30 period he was only 30 years old.

And, it' s remarkable when you look back and to see that he had, uh, the foresight to corral all of these wealthy people that were out there and tried to bring 'em in to help develop the state.

>>Barber: Some of the estimated 50 or 60 millionaires that Normal Biltz encouraged to become residents included Max Fleischmann, E.L. Cord, Bing Crosby, and Wilbur May And how he did it reflected his strong, vibrant personality.

>>Nash: The story was that in those early days, trying to make a dollar, he, he did everything possible.

And, I believe it was Robert Stack, who was, uh, the oatmeal, uh, Quaker Oat fortune.

And, he brought him, he was a cripple, uh, I believe he was, had polio and my grandfather brought him up and it was a snowy day, uh, bad weather, but they were on location and he said, "I gotta show you this piece of property.

You gotta buy it."

And, I guess he was... determined that he was gonna sell this piece of property.

But, in order to do so he had to pack Stack on his back to show him the property.

Through snow.

Two feet, three feet of snow just to get him there so he could examine the property and make a decision.

And, so that was, that was, and he did end up buying the property.

MUSIC >>Barber: There are two matching bedrooms on the second floor.

One is used as an office; the other a guest bedroom.

They're spacious, and have private baths.

The sloping roofline adds visual interest, as does the paneled wall.

It's obvious that one of these rooms was the original master bedroom.

But soon after Carol and Mike bought the house, Mike hoisted himself through a small square opening in the ceiling that gave access to the attic.

There was nothing there, unless you counted the spiders, the cobwebs, the looming, vaulted roofline, and a huge exposed area of dark nothingness.

If we retrace our steps from the bedroom down the hall, we find a concealed door that opens to the staircase to the master bedroom that Mike and Carole created.

MUSIC >>Fockler: The space upstairs is... how do I describe it?

It makes you feel like you are a part of the house.

MUSIC >>Fockler: The space upstairs is a wonderful, wonderful space.

MUSIC >>Fockler: It's warm, inviting.

It, it showcases and shows off a natural environment, the natural feel of the wood.

It's a welcoming space.

And, I think that you feel so comfortable being up there.

I want to sit there and drink my cup of coffee all day and, and sit up there and look out the window and look at the Lake and the beauty of Lake Tahoe in that space.

MUSIC >>Barber: There are constant surprises in this suite.

The pounded copper doors made by local artisans.

The same can be said of the copper lights, the hand painted tiles, and the copper railing over the glass banister.

MUSIC >>Barber: The rock chimney has been built with the mezzanine chimney in mind.

The pine boards have been fully chosen to continue the innate pattern of the wood from one board to the next.

The logs used around the windows were hand selected for their interesting and intricate birthmarks.

MUSIC >>Barber: The suite is amazing in that it is so different and yet, at the heart of it, so similar to the original construction.

MUSIC >>Fockler: I definitely feel that the integrity of the house has been maintained in the renovation of the attic space.

Although it is different in its look and it's, and slightly different in its feel in that it's a lighter wood it feels a little bit more airy, it still, it isn't so modernized and so out of place with the rest of the house that it feels like a brand new design.

It, it fits in very well with what is historically here.

>>Barber: Due to the diligence of Carol and Mike, the Withers Log Cabin has been lovingly restored, and meticulously maintained.

MUSIC >>Harmon: It's very difficult for me as an architectural historian to see the wonderful, uh, rustic homes being demolished and modern architecture being put up at the Lake.

Although I realize that times change and so do tastes, um, but I think we're really getting away, and with modern architecture, from that organic feel and the relationship of architecture to the landscape.

And, here you are at this gorgeous alpine lake, what is that's here but the landscape?

The landscape is the preeminent aspect of this area.

So, to remove the architecture that connects the built environment to the natural landscape, I think, is, is really a shame.

>>Barber: Since one of the architects that Biltz worked with was Frederick Delongchamps, it's been speculated that he may have been the designer for Withers.

When no documentation exists, the puzzle provokes thought.

All of the pieces are laid out, joined together, and seem to form the whole.

Known Delongchamps plans are examined.

His training as a mining engineer is taken into consideration - how else could one place this house on this incline?

His well-know attention to detail, his love of symmetry.

It all adds up.

But without those drawings, without some further hard evidence - the speculation will remain just that.

If you'd like to know more about the Withers Log Cabin, or any of the houses in our series, go to our website knpb.org.

Until next time, preserve the architecture and enjoy the heritage in your neighborhood.

House with a History is available on DVD in a three volume set.

Each volume contains three episodes.

To order a copy call 1-775-784-4555 or order online at knpb.org MUSIC Major funding for this program was provided by the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs State Historic Preservation Office.

Additional funding was provided by Nevada Humanities and the Nevada Arts Council.