| Union Leader August 6, 1992 Kimball Castle's Developers Await Decision on Restoration GILFORD - It may take another two years and as much as $2 million, but don Leavitt of Bear Island Restorations in Meredith is confident that historic Kimball Castle can be restored as an inn and restaurant. Leavitt said the decision on whether to proceed to the next phase of the project will be made by the end of the month, when cost estimates for the work are final. He said repairing the stonework of the castle will cost about $150,000, a third of what was originally estimated. He said the castle itself is more structurally sound than was believed. Leavitt and his partner, Rick Miller, recently moved the old Lakeport railroad station to a temporary location at the Laconia Airport in Gilford. They plan to bring it to the castle grounds once an agreement is reached for a plan on its development with the town of Gilford, which owns the castle. The castle was built nearly 100 years ago by railroad magnate Benjamin Ames Kimball, president of the Boston-Montreal railroad. The station, built in 1901, was owned by the rail line. Leavitt said the railroad station will provide three extra guest rooms, bringing the total at the castle site to 20 rooms. He said it can be placed behind the carriage house, making it blend in with the existing structures. He said the additional rooms are a key to having a profitable operation at the castle and said that when completed the castle could be "the premiere country inn in New England." Leavitt and Miller propose to create an inn and a 100-seat restaurant with a small lounge. An addition would be constructed on the south side of the castle for the restaurant's kitchen and lounge, as well as storage space, additional guest rooms and a conference room. He said the other buildings on the property would be restored for guest rooms and trees near the crest of the hill would be thinned to open up the view of the lake and mountains. The town negotiated an agreement earlier this year with Leavitt and Miller for development of the castle and the 13 acres of land surrounding it. The town took title to the castle and the 265 -acre Benjamin Kimball estate in the late 1980sa and has been trying to find a way to preserve the oft-vandalized structure since then. If the developer and the town agree on a development plan, Bear Island Restorations will have 18 months to come up with the money for the project. Leavitt said bank financing and private investment, or a combination of both, will provide the money for restoration of the castle. Because the structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, great care must be taken with the restoration, Leavitt said. But there also tax incentives which make the preservation effort worthwhile. "We will have to stay within some very strict standards when it comes to the design," said Leavitt. Bear Island Restorations was chosen by the town for the renovation project based on its experience in renovating the Red Hill Inn in Center Harbor.
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©2004 Peter K Kimball |