After retiring in 1910, millionaire shoe industrialist Thomas G. Plant began developing his grand retirement estate in the Ossipee Mountains of New Hampshire. He purchased 6,300 acres of land in Moultonborough and Tuftonboro, and hired architect J. Williams Beal to design an Arts & Crafts mansion that harmonized with the majestic scenery of the Lakes Region. Between 1913 and 1914, Plant employed over 1,000 construction laborers. They built a mansion, outbuildings, and recreational features across the property, including a golf course and 45 miles of carriage and bridle trails. The mansion was outfitted with modern conveniences, including central vacuum, interphones, and refrigeration. Plant engaged renowned artisans like Tiffany, Caldwell, and Wragge for the mansion’s high-end finishes. Local newspapers speculated he was building a “castle” for his new bride, Olive Dewey of Toulon, Illinois.

Thomas Plant and Olive Dewey met while traveling abroad in 1912. Olive was a well-educated young woman with progressive views. She had worked as a bank teller and teacher before meeting Plant. The couple shared a love of theater, museums, opera, and travel. They were married in the spring of 1913. When the Plants moved in the following year, they named their beloved mountaintop home “Lucknow”, perhaps to honor their good fortune, and Olive penned a poem of the same name to commemorate the splendor of their estate.