View source for Summerwind

{{About|the Wisconsin mansion|the 1965 song|Summer Wind}}
{{Infobox building
| name                = Summerwind
| former_names        =
| alternate_names     = Lamont Mansion
| etymology           = Summerwind, from the ''Carver Effect'' (1979)<br />[[Robert P. Lamont]], original namesake
| status              = Destroyed
| image               =
| image_alt           =
| image_size          =
| caption             =
| map_type            = Wisconsin
| map_alt             =
| map_caption         = Location of West Bay Lake on the Michigan–Wisconsin border
| altitude            =
| building_type       = Residential, Summer Home
| architectural_style = [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]]<ref name="Razed">{{cite news |url= https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19850211&id=5mYaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IyoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5584,547045 |title= Haunted or not, house to be razed |newspaper= Milwaukee Journal |first= Larry |last= Van Goethem |date= 11 February 1985|page=5}}</ref>
| material            = Wood<ref name="Lightning">{{cite news |title= Lightning razes 'haunted house' |agency= Associated Press |location= Ironwood, MI |newspaper= Daily Globe |date= 24 June 1988}}</ref>
| cost                =
| ren_cost            =
| owner               =
| location            = West Bay Lake,<ref>{{cite gnis|1580745|West Bay Lake (Michigan-Wisconsin)}}</ref> [[Vilas County, Wisconsin|Vilas County]], [[Wisconsin]]
| address             =
| location_town       = Town of [[Land O' Lakes, Wisconsin|Land O' Lakes]]
| location_country    = United States
| coordinates         = West Bay Lake location {{coord|46|12|15|N|89|25|34|W|display=inline,title}}
| groundbreaking_date =
| start_date          =
| completion_date     =
| renovation_date     = 1917<ref name="Razed" />
| destruction_date    = 19 June 1988<ref name="Lightning" />
| floor_count         = 2<!--from photographs-->
| floor_area          =
| grounds_area        = 1.5 acres
| rooms               = 20<ref name="Razed" />
| architect           =
| architecture_firm   =
| designations        = No Historical Designations
| ren_architect       = [[Thomas Tallmadge|Tallmadge and Watson]]
| ren_firm            =
| embedded            =
| references          =
}}

'''Summerwind''', formerly known as '''Lamont Mansion''', is a ruined [[mansion]] on the shores of West Bay Lake in [[Vilas County, Wisconsin|Vilas County]], [[Wisconsin]]. Located on private land, its ruins are closed to the public. A number of [[urban legends]] and [[ghost story|ghost stories]] in [[popular culture]] have contributed to its reputation as a [[haunted house]].<ref name="Milwaukee Journal">{{cite news|last1=Scott|first1=Beth|last2=Norman|first2=Michael|title=Ghosts had a favorite haunt|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19851021&id=Y24aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VioEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7137,598546|accessdate=24 October 2014|work=Excerpts from "Haunted Heartland"|publisher=Milwaukee Journal|date=October 21, 1985}}</ref>

== Legends ==
According to popular accounts, Summerwind was built in the early 20th century as a fishing lodge on the edge of West Bay Lake in [[Vilas County, Wisconsin|Vilas County]], in northeastern [[Wisconsin]], and in 1916, purchased by [[Robert P. Lamont|Robert Patterson Lamont]]. According to some stories circulated, Lamont employed Chicago architects for the remodeling. Some versions of the story name the architects as [[Thomas Tallmadge|Tallmadge and Watson]]. Supposedly the renovations took two years to complete.<ref name="QCT2">{{cite news|newspaper=[[Quad-City Times]]|title=Summerwind: More ghostly than ever |first=Bill|last=Wundram|date=October 29, 1995|url=http://qctimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/columnists/bill-wundram/summerwind-more-ghostly-than-ever/article_15955edb-9e1e-5fa2-9e9d-4d07361011df.html}}</ref><ref name="HP1">{{cite news|work=[[Huffington Post]]|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/corey-schjoth/haunted-travel-wisconsins_b_5021201.html|title=Haunted Travel: Wisconsin's Most Notorious Haunted House |first=Corey|last=Schjoth|date=March 25, 2014}}</ref>

Legends include claims that Lamont fired a pistol at a [[ghost]] one night and was so frightened that he and his family abandoned the house. Other legends include claims that subsequent owners Arnold and Ginger Hinshaw were so disturbed by hauntings that Arnold suffered a "nervous breakdown" and Ginger attempted suicide.<ref name="Milwaukee Journal" /><ref name="QCT1">{{cite news|newspaper=[[Quad-City Times]]|url=http://qctimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/columnists/bill-wundram/haunted-house-keeps-visitors-wondering/article_0434804e-eccb-51b1-8a18-cc3b71d20b7b.html|title=Haunted house keeps visitors wondering|first=Bill|last=Wundram|date=October 28, 2007}}</ref><ref name="WCT">{{cite news|publisher=[[Wisconsin Trails]] / [[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]|url=http://www.wisconsintrails.com/travel/Wisconsins-10-most-haunted-places-228389291.html|title=Travel – Wisconsin's 10 most haunted places|first=Chad|last=Lewis|date=2014}}</ref><ref name=SW1>{{cite book  | last =Godfrey | first =Linda S. | title =Strange Wisconsin: More Badger State Weirdness| publisher =Big Earth Publishing | year =2007 | page = 59 | isbn =978-1-931599-85-6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jRBPbFHCoV4C&pg=PA59}}</ref>

== Raymond Bober ==
Although most Land O' Lakes natives refer to the property as Lamont's mansion, supernatural tales first disseminated by Ginger Hinshaw's father Raymond Bober claim the mansion was haunted and refer to it as "Summerwind".<ref name="Lightning" /> Some versions of the story claim that Bober purchased the property only to abandon it because the mansion's rooms had the supernatural power to change shape and dimensions at will. In 1979, Bober (writing under the [[pen name]] "Wolfgang Von Bober"), authored a book called ''The Carver Effect: A Paranormal Experience'' in which he claimed the mansion was haunted by 18th century explorer [[Jonathan Carver]].<ref name="Milwaukee Journal" /><ref name=boberbook>{{cite book |last=Von Bober |first=Wolffgang |title=''The Carver Effect: A Paranormal Experience'' |publisher=Stackpole Books |year=1979 |isbn=0-8117-0329-0}}</ref> According to Bober's narrative, the property was often unoccupied due to alleged [[supernatural]] activity and the Hinshaws could not get workers to enter the home to do remodeling work.<ref name=101wismist>{{cite book |last=Balousek |first=Marv |title=101 Wisconsin Unsolved Mysteries |publisher=Badger Books |date=2000-11-15 |isbn=1-878569-70-8|pages= 17–19}}</ref> However according to one of Bober's neighbors, Bober did not live in the mansion, never spent the night in it and instead lived in a trailer on the property. At least two previous residents reportedly denied claims that the house was haunted and locals claimed the haunting stories did not begin until Bober's book was published.<ref name="Razed" /> A 1980 ''Life'' magazine photo essay including Summerwind among "Terrifying Tales of Nine Haunted Houses" apparently spread the supernatural tales originated in Bober's book.<ref>{{cite journal |title= Terrifying Tales of Nine Haunted Houses |first= Henry (Photographer) |last= Groskinsky |journal= Life Magazine |date= November 1980 |page= 152}} [http://theweirdusmessageboard.yuku.com/topic/2474/Life-Magazine-Haunted-House-Article-November-1980]</ref>  According to author Marv Balousek, locals never believed the home was haunted and were dismayed when the home became somewhat of a supernatural [[tourist attraction]].<ref name=101wismist />

== Fire ==
In 1985, officials for the town of [[Land O' Lakes, Wisconsin|Land O' Lakes]] made an attempt to demolish the vacant home. The Vilas County Sheriff said it was a staging area for local teens who burglarized or vandalized nearby cottages.<ref name="Razed" /> This attempt failed, but the abandoned mansion was later destroyed by fire following a lightning strike on June 19, 1988. Later that week, fire officials reported that the fire was not suspicious and arson was not suspected since neighbors reported being awakened when lightning struck the vacant home. However, fire officials also said that teenagers frequently used the location for parties and that they may have left a fire burning.<ref name="Lightning" />

== In popular culture ==
In October 2005, Summerwind was featured on a [[Discovery Channel]] episode of ''[[A Haunting]].''<ref>{{cite web|title=The Haunting of Summerwind|url=http://www.tv.com/shows/a-haunting/the-haunting-of-summerwind-869201/|website=A Haunting Season 1 Episode 2|publisher=tv.com|accessdate=24 October 2014}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Haunted house]]
* [[Stigmatized property]]
* [[Legend tripping]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== Further reading ==
*Norman, Michael (2011). "Haunted Wisconsin". Madison, WI: Terrace Books. {{ISBN|978-0-299-28594-4}}
* Scott, Beth & Michael Norman (1985). ''Haunted Heartland''. Madison, WI: Stanton & Lee. {{ISBN|0-88361-092-2}}
* Von Bober, Wolfgang (1979). ''The Carver Effect: A Paranormal Experience''. Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books. {{ISBN|0-8117-0329-0}}
* Hollatz, Tom, and Seal Dwyer.'' The Haunted Northwoods''. East Peoria, IL: North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc., 2000
* Hauck, Dennis William (2002) ''Haunted Places: The National Directory: Ghostly Abodes, Sacred Sites, UFO Landings, and Other Supernatural Locations''. [[Penguin Books]] {{ISBN|978-1-4406-7322-1}}

[[Category:Buildings and structures in Vilas County, Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Reportedly haunted locations in Wisconsin]]
[[Category:American legends]]