Gilford

Doris L. Chitty, Geoffrey B. Ruggles

• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN: 9781467134149
• eBook ISBN: 9781439653524
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

The town of Gilford has always known its purpose, and even today, residents take pride in their town's history. Initially settled in 1777 within the town of Gilmanton, Gilford became incorporated on June 16, 1812. Unique in relation to its neighboring towns, Gilford originated as a farming settlement, with pastures being cleared as early as 1762. The construction of the Lake Shore Railroad brought many tourists, so many that residents began to build additional stories onto their homes in order to offer lodging to these travelers. Visitors flocked to the area to enjoy the beautiful Belknap Mountain Range, scenic roads and hiking trails, and the beaches and boat docks on Lake Winnipesaukee. Kimball Castle atop Locke's Hill is a focal point that has been viewed by generations of people traveling to Gilford and is noted for being one of the most haunted places in the state. The town remains a sought-after destination, and the historians of Gilford continue to work diligently to preserve the town's village, historic treasures, and past.

One

BEAUTIFUL BELKNAP
MOUNTAIN, BRIDGES,
AND ROADS

FIRE LOOKOUT TOWER ON MOUNT BELKNAP. The state forest on Mount Belknap consists of approximately 545 acres. The tower was raised 10 feet in 1979, and a new cab was built. Once known as Audrey 8, the tower was a spotting station during World War II. Hikers still set out to reach the tower for magnificent views of Mount Washington, the Winnipesaukee Islands, Portsmouth Harbor, and Mount Wachusett in Vermont. (Courtesy of the Gilford Public Library.)

THE VIEW FROM YOUNG ROAD. This view is known to some as Inspiration Point. (Courtesy of Shirley Burns.)

HIKERS ON BELKNAP MOUNTAIN. The Bacon and Weeks families once shared ownership of a pasture on Belknap Mountain Road. Together here resting after their long hike are, from left to right, (first row) F. Milo Bacon, William Weeks, Frank Bacon, and Grace H. Weeks; (second row) Stark Weeks. Grace has a few handmade hiking sticks to her side. It was a relaxing treat to be able to take time out from working to see the view on top of Mount Belknap after a hard work week. (Courtesy of Susan Leach.)

GILFORD BROOK. Gilford Brook runs from the base of Mount Belknap to Lake Winnipesaukee. It enters the lake to the left of Lockes and Rock Island. During the mill era, quite a lot of sawdust was sent down the brook. The owners of the village sawmill, the Morrill family, made money by buying land to cut into lumber and then selling the cut land as pasture. The mill closed in the 1890s. (Courtesy of Gilford Public Library.)

WORTH THE HIKE. Imagine for a moment, the task of having to hike up the mountains in a long skirt and sun hat. One’s shoes most likely had small heels, and the bottoms were made of slippery leather. These women did not seem to mind. Perhaps the thought of finally reaching the top for such a magnificent view brought added determination. The state began protecting the Belknap Mountain Range in 1928 and by 2009 had 1,629 acres as part of the Belknap Mountain State Forest. (Courtesy of the Laconia Public Library.)

THE BELKNAP MOUNTAIN FIRE WATCHMAN’S CABIN. The Gilford Fire Department was a division of the Public Works Highway Division until 1948. The watchman’s cabin was built in 1915 and enlarged in 1934. Nearby there was a 13-foot-deep well with a hand pump. In 1976, Richard “Richie” Stuart started working as watchman in the cabin and lived there in 1980. His father, Jeremiah Jacob Stuart, replaced the three-over-three windows with one larger window, and his work caught on. By doing so, the watchman had a much better view, and many cabins throughout the state quickly changed their windows as well. Jeremiah lived to be 101. Richie painted the inside and replaced the floor. Two bunk beds were originally built for the watchmen. The cabin had a full kitchen with a gas stove and wood stove for heat. The bathroom was an outhouse. The porch was once screened in. In 1984, the Red Hill fire was reported by Richie. Chief James Hayes and Richie learned it had been set in six places. Several fires occurred on Belknap Mountain during the next few years. Richie had over 1,800 reports, and he was called “Hawkeye” by locals. (Courtesy of Susan Leach.)

MOUNT BELKNAP, GUNSTOCK MOUNTAIN, 1912. This is the view from Schoolhouse Hill Road. This mountain has quite a few names: Mount Belknap, Gunstock Mountain, or Mount Major. It is the most elevated and sits in the eastern part of town. It sits 2,384 feet in elevation. The carriage road, off Belknap Mountain Road, will bring one two-thirds of the way up to the highest peak. (Courtesy of Susan Leach.)

EAST STREET. Easy Street is one of the few “streets” Gilford has. Note the gaslight. There were a few gaslights that lit the village. (Courtesy of Gilford Public Library.)

SCHOOLHOUSE HILL ROAD. This is the old road to the village, once the home of the first meetinghouse, called Schoolhouse Meetinghouse. This image of the side-by-side barns was made by well-known artist and photographer Loran Percy. Percy captured the beautiful old barns and road in one of his paintings. Prints were also made of his work. His art gallery was on Cherry Valley Road, just before Cat Path. Percy has captured quite a few of the scenic spots in town. Gunstock Recreational Area and the Gilford Public Library have some of his work on display as well as the town hall. His wife, Jane Percy, is one of Gilford’s historians. (Courtesy of the Gilford Public Library.)

BRINGING THE BUGGY. Mount Belknap is seen in the background of this image, taken from Belknap Mountain Road in the horse-and-carriage era. The dirt road is a mass of wagon-wheel tracks, and one can see a single-horse wagon hitched to the fencing on the left. (Courtesy of the Thompson-Ames Historical Society.)

NORTH MAIN STREET. North Main Street is now Schoolhouse Hill Road. This is before Route 11A’s intersection. On the left one can see the Morrill Farm; across on the right was the site of the first District 8 schoolhouse. (Courtesy of the Gilford Public Library.)

SOUTH MAIN STREET. Heading down what is now Belknap Mountain Roa...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Foreword
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1. Beautiful Belknap Mountain, Bridges, and Roads
• 2. Community Buildings and Celebrations
• 3. The Castles of Gilford
• 4. Horses, Carriages, and the Farm
• 5. Boating and the Lakeshores
• 6. Lake Shore Railroad
• 7. Skiing and Lodging
• 8. Gilford Schooling
• 9. Gilford Town Folk
• 10. Remembering the Past