Gilford’s Kimball Castle to be demolished after blaze
Following a fire at Gilford’s Kimball Castle, fire officials have advised the historic structure’s owner to tear it down. Here’s what you need to know.
Kimball Castle has been an iconic part of the Gilford, New Hampshire landscape since it was first constructed in the 1890s. It originally served as the summer home of Benjamin Ames Kimball, the former president of the Concord, Montreal, and Boston railway. The picturesque structure was built by Italian stonemasons and featured a breathtaking view of Lake Winnipesaukee. Now, the building that has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982, is set to be torn down following a devastating fire on August 27.
According to WMUR9, Gilford’s fire department initially received calls reporting a blaze at 3:45 a.m. Stephen Carrier, the Gilford Fire Chief, told the outlet that crews were unsure of “what was on fire,” and “they began to receive more calls indicating that there was a large brush fire on the side of Route 11 or Lakeshore Road in the area of Scenic Drive.” Once arriving in the area, the crews realized that Kimball Castle was ablaze, and that flames had spread into the nearby brush.
Carrier said it was a second alarm fire, and that the roof had already collapsed by the time the department arrived. Shortly after, the floors began collapsing as well, which has left the structure in an unsafe and unusable condition. It took the fire crew around two hours to get the blaze under control, and to prevent the brush fire from spreading even further, after approximately two acres were already burned. Gilford’s fire officials were assisted by other community departments nearby. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.
The remaining structure is unsalvagable
Unfortunately, due to the extent of the damage, Gilford’s Fire Chief Stephen Carrier has advised the owner of Kimball Castle to tear the historic structure down. The exterior walls remain intact, but Carrier indicated that’s not enough to prevent further damage or issues from taking place.
Speaking with the Laconia Daily Sun, Gilford’s Fire Chief said, “The remaining structure is unsafe and creates a significant safety hazard. It is sad to see this happen to a building with such historical significance. The owner was contacted and the structure has been ordered to be taken down due to instability and fire damage.”
Dustin Parent, Gilford’s Deputy Police Chief, said that Kimball Castle did not have any power in the structure and that no one was living in it, or in the nearby carriage house, at the time of Wednesday’s blaze.
An investigation into what started the fire is currently ongoing
There’s currently an open investigation into what caused the fire at Kimball Castle in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Deputy Police Chief Dustin Parent told the Laconia Daily Sun that there’s been a history of trespassing at the property, despite the fact that there are numerous signs indicating that “nobody is allowed up there.”
The Gilford Police are requesting that anyone with information regarding the blaze should contact them directly. “Anyone with footage of the fire, suspicious persons, and/or suspicious vehicles in the immediate area is asked to submit them to aid in this investigation,” their Facebook post read. If you have any information or evidence, you may submit it through the appropriate form here.
Gilford fire officials have indicated that the State Fire Marshal’s Office is assisting in the investigation since the castle was a historic building.
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