About Kimball Castle
Fortifications, Historic, Interesting Places, Castles
Kimball Castle is the former summer estate of railroad magnate Benjamin Ames Kimball. It is located on a prominent hill overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee in the town of Gilford, New Hampshire, United States. Although portions of the Kimball's original 300-acre (120 ha) estate have been subdivided, much of it remains conservation land managed by the town. The 20.1-acre (8.1 ha) subdivided portion on which the 2-1/2 story medieval-style castle stands is privately owned and no longer part of the Charlotte Kimball trust. Benjamin Kimball, a director of railroad companies operating in the region, built the castle and estate outbuildings beginning in 1894, and used it as his summer estate until his death in 1920, in his home in Concord. The castle was built by Italian stonemasons using local granite and materials imported from Europe; its construction cost was about $50,000.
