What to do with Kimball Castle?
It is with sadness I read of the fire that destroyed Kimball Castle.
Kimball Castle was a granite mansion built by railroad magnate Benjamin Kimball overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee. He imported Italian stone mansions to build it. In recent years, it stood vacant despite numerous plans to repurpose it. And then a fire of unknown origin settled the question by destroying it. Authorities declared it a public danger and have ordered it demolished.
Which brought me to the question. What is to be done with the Kimball Castle rubble? Even after the demolition, the stones shouldn’t be left in piles as they still pose liability. YouTubers, TikTokers and urban explorers will continue to visit what will become an attractive nuisance. So the rubble must go too.
Why not create an artificial island in the lake with it? Why not in “The Witches” a notorious group of rocks and ledge that pose a danger to Lake Winnipesaukee’s boaters?
Dump the granite rubble and create an artificial island. On the island place beacon. Acquire a government surplus galvanized steel tower and place the beacon on it. Sheath the tower in wood painted white. Create a lighthouse. This would be a win-win for both memorializing the lost Kimball Castle and for enhancing public safety.