Welcome to the first entry in my blog for New England Shadows and Spirits. I don't expect you to be a believer in ghosts but I would hope that you read the entries with an open mind. One thing I would like to mention in this initial entry is that New England's history is as old as the country. Some of our local cities and town are the oldest in America, with Portsmouth being the third oldest city in our nation and neighboring Kittery the oldest town in Maine. New Hampshire's first permanent European settlement began in 1623, just a few short years after the Pilgrims settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts. By 1640, New Hampshire's Seacoast was divided among four towns or "plantations," Dover, Portsmouth, Exeter, and Hampton. With nearly 400 years of history our area is rich in legends, tall tales and ghost stories.

Let's start our journey with a mysterious forgotten German castle with an uncertain future and ghost stories to match. The story is that of Kimball Castle in Gilford. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, yet the castle has no electricity or running water. Sadly the windows are boarded up and the five bedrooms, two bathrooms and adjoining servants' quarters all need repair and extensive restoration.

In 1895 Benjamin Ames Kimball purchased 300 acres on Lockes Hill, set out on beautiful Belknap Point. Spectacular views from the castle encompassed 300 degrees of what was known as "The Broads" of Lake Winnipesaukee. It took two years (1897-1899) and $50,000 to complete the castle. Kimball was president of the Concord & Montreal Railroad during unstable times in the industry due to consolidations and mergers. According to the Lake Winnipesaukee Historical Society the castle's design copies a castle along the Rhine River in Germany that Kimball saw on vacation. Kimball spent winters in Concord, New Hampshire at the mansion that still stands in front of the Capital Theatre on Main Street. In the summer he moved to Gilford and had a railroad station built down the hill from his property so he could commute to and from work in his private rail car. Kimball died in 1919.

In 1960 when Charlotte Kimball, Benjamin's daughter-in-law and last heir, died her will stipulated that the property never be used for commercial purposes. I have heard that she stayed many years there alone there and didn't like living in the cold, dark and dreary castle. She left the estate and several hundred thousand dollars to a charitable foundation with the stipulation that they create a nature preserve on the site. Unfortunately, the preserve was never created and in 1981 the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office took control of the land and offered it to the Town of Gilford if they could save the Castle and create the preserve.

Various town committees studied the site for years but voters decided they did not want town money spent restoring the Castle. Finally, the Attorney General threatened to take the property back if the Town did not make some progress. In 1990 the Town convinced the Attorney General that the best way to carry out the goals of Charlotte Kimball's will was to remove the stipulation against commercial development on the land surrounding the Castle and subdivide it off. The Town then created the Locke's Hill Nature Preserve on the remaining 260 acres and laid out hiking and skiing trails on it. Today the castle is in pretty sad shape and was recently put up for sale. The current owner had hoped to create a landmark Hotel similar to the Mountain View Grand in Whitefield or the Balsams in Dixville Notch. The property needs extensive repair and it seems as though their majestic days have passed like the summer breezes do across lake Winnipesaukee.

As the breezes flow in and out of this drafty castle the stories of otherworldly inhabitants are whispered. I have heard that the grave of their prized thoroughbred horse (who is buried on the grounds) is haunted and that strange apparitions have been seen in that area, yet when approached they seem to disappear. People have stated that they have felt a presence in and around the house and believed that someone was watching them, and many cold spots have been discovered throughout the castle. I have also heard that a former caretaker reported that large heavy doors would open an close at will most unexpectedly. Also strange lights have been seen in the former sewing room of Mrs. Kimball. The kitchen is said to be a very active area for whatever presence that still inhabits the castle with sightings of a silent, mysterious woman wandering about. Perhaps if there are ghosts they are most unhappy about the many years of vandalism that took their toll during the 60's and 70's when the castle was stripped by vandals who have took every piece of rare tapestries, hand crafted furniture, and exquisite paintings from the castle. The gates were ripped off their supports and even a fireplace mantel from one of the bedrooms was taken. Also, the oak banisters on the balcony were stolen and all of the four dragon gargoyles on the castle's parapets were taken. Certainly enough to make any spirit, alive or dead upset. The once breathtaking terraced gardens are now overgrown with tall grasses and weeds and overshadowed by the growth over the years.

The castle grounds are basically off-limits to the public and visitors are not allowed without prior permission. You can visit Lockes Hill which was once part of the Kimball estate, and is now the Kimball Wildlife Forest, preserved for the study and enjoyment of wildlife habitat. A two-mile trail loops over the summit of Lockes Hill and provides gorgeous views of approximately 40 islands in Lake Winnipesaukee. You can find the trailhead on Route 11 in Gilford. If you would like to see photographs and learn more about Kimball Castle - visit http://www.kimballcastle.com Some of the historical information used for this entry can be found there along with more about Benjamin Ames Kimball.

Welcome to the world of blogging. I find ghost stories very interesting and a bit scary too! I will be interviewing some of the cast from the new movie "The Legend of Lucy Keyes, The lost Child of Wachusett Mountain 1751". It was filmed in Princeton, NH and is one of the oldest ghost stories in the state of New Hampshire. Check out the trailer for the movie at www.lucykeyes.com It stars Academy Award Nominee Julie Delpy and a terrific cast of old and new stars.

Best Regards,
Diandra S.
Teens Unplugged
www.blogthecoast.com/teens_unplugged.html

As a former guide for "Ghostly Tours of Portsmouth & York", I know the Seacoast is rich in tales of mystery! Look forward to reading your stories! Welcome to Blog-Land!

AS a lifelong resident of New Hampshire, I'm looking forward to reading about some of our "darker" places.

I would really like to hea about some of the older cemeteries in the seacoast towns like Rye, Hampton, North hampton and Newcastle, interesting stuff!

Thanks folkls for the great comments and welcome. It shouldn't be a long wait until I get to some tales from YOUR neighborhood....

This blog has some real potential to go places! There are so many wonderful ghost stories here, New England is really rich in ghostly tales. Our history is not just 400 years old it is ancient. The Wabanaki confederation is and was an important part of the SeaCoast areas history. I'm very interested in Native American ghost stories or ghost stories from King Phillip's War.
For those of you interested in local, independent spooky movies check out the following website.
http://thesacrifice@numachi.com. It's both scary and a post card for the ethereal beauty of our area in the fall. It was filmed partly in Dover and Kittery.
Cheers,
Lady Vetivera

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