Bald Peak Colony, Moultonborough

[Long Island Baba]

I was at Bald Peak today for a benefit luncheon. What a beautiful place! I've read some background info on how the it all started, about the golf course, etc.

Can anyone share information on residences there? I understand it is quite exclusive...rumors that you need a few mil in the bank to even be eligible to live there...stuff like that.

Anything to share?

Is there a really a financial review? What are the annual fees? Stuff like that. I find this all very interesting....

Appreciate it!

Just curious. You know, in case I win the lottery! Ha!


Thanks!

[Senter Cove Guy]

I worked at Bald Peak for 4 summers, 1 as a busboy and 3 as a greenskeeper during my teenage years (which was a long time ago). It was a great place to work and I met a lot of interesting people and got to see how the rich and famous lived. I even met my wife there. No, she wasn't a member. Several times a summer, Bald Peak would hold parties for "the help". I was there and she attended with another "helper". Somehow or other we hit it off and the rest they say is history.

Back then I heard it was something like $10,000/yr to be a member so you can imagine what it costs today. The homes were beautiful. At the time Edward Bartsch was head of the greens committee. He owned a house just up the hill from the 18th fairway and green. His lawn was basically a green. Same grass and the same care required. A beautiful thing to see.

Babe Ruth played golf there and, of course, Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier visited in the 1950's. I was fortunate enough to have been able to play a few rounds of golf there as well.

I always said that, some day, I'd spend a week at the Bald Peak hotel. It never happened but, I have a lot of pleasant memories of years past.

[mcdude]

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopost/data/531/medium/20scanbaldpeakcolony.jpg
Aerial View of the Colony
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopost/data/15014/medium/20scanoldpeakcolony.jpg
Clubhouse in the 1930s

The Bald Peak Colony Club was founded by Thomas Plante, infamous builder of "Lucknow" or as we know it today, The Castle in the Clouds. He was ruthless in his quest to acquire all of the land between his castle and the lake which led to the spite fence (http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2672&highlight=spite+fence)at Weelahka Hall.

He began to develop the property in 1919.

He stood looking down from his mountain fastness upon the fine tract of land that lay between the village road (now route 109) and the lake shore. There were about 750 acres heavily wooded with pine, hemlock, maple, birch and oak which rose gradually from the lake to quite a plateau on which were the clearings of three small farms. These farms were known as the Browne, Horne and Caverly farms. At one place on the lake shore the huge pines stood back to admit of a natural sandy beach with was extremely beautiful. It came to him that he could share all this beauty with many others in no better way than to establish a residential golfing club. He pictured it as a club colony with cottages, a clubhouse and an 18-hole golf course.....the building of the clubhouse and nine cottages went forward - six on the ridge and three to the northeast of the clubhouse. There were (sic)also built a boathouse and a large dormitory garage for about 20 cars and the chauffeurs of the guests.

Those who applied for membership were carefully screened. The membership fee was $2,500. Of course this was a deterrent to many but he considered it not too high for what was offered.

The first families were; Barrows, Case, Clark, Corby, Drury, Elkins, Erickson, Evatt, Lahey, Ley, Lounsbury, Love, Low and Pettigrew.
From The Castle and the Club by Elizabeth Crawford Wilkin - 1964 - Melvin Village
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopost/data/15014/medium/bpcc1.jpg

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopost/data/15014/medium/bpcc3.jpg

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopost/data/15014/bpcc2.jpg

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopost/data/15014/medium/bpcc4.jpg

CLICK HERE TO ENLARGE THE MAP (http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopost/data/15014/bpcc4.jpg)

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Lakes Region Conservation Trust (http://www.lrct.org/castle-history2.html) has some great information too.
Thanks McDude! You're the best.

[SIKSUKR]

McDude,you never cease to amaze me at the volume of history you have at your fingertips.Thanks for more great stuff.

[Rattlesnake Gal]

McDude, did you get a shot of Bald Peak Colony from the water as we were going by? :D What a great day!

[mcdude]

I think I did. In the book by Crawford-Wilkin there is a photo of the beach with cabanas on it. When I saw the cabanas I think I took a shot because it was so different. Did not realize at the time that it was Bald Peack Colony Club beach. I'll have to look back through the camera's (did I use the apostrophe correctly?) memory card.
:coolsm: