A General's Hilltop Castle

We’ve been on a castle hunt and as European travel is out for who knows how long, we've stayed closer to home, right here in New England. Several weeks ago we visited the remains of Madame Sherri's Castle Sherri, in West Chesterfield, NH, 90 minutes from Nashua.

A shorter 30 minute drive took us to Groton, MA, in search of a castle on Gibbet Hill. Just like in that previous expedition, what we found didn't really begin as a castle. 

Bancroft's castle, as it's now called, is named after General William Amos Bancroft, the Groton native who built it in 1906. Bancroft rose to the rank of brigadier general during the Spanish-American War and had previously served in the Massachusetts militia. 

A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, he made his fortune in transportation. First, as superintendent of the Cambridge Street Railway, then as the first president of the West End Street Railway, which later became the Boston Elevated Railway. Bancroft oversaw the implementation of electric trolleys while there. Later, he returned to his law practice and politics, serving on the Cambridge Board of Aldermen and served as mayor of Cambridge in the 1890s.

Shawfieldmont (Groton, MA, Historical Society)

Despite his years away from Groton, Bancroft returned to build his retirement home on the summit of Gibbet Hill, calling it Shawfieldmont. Construction began (and ended) with the bungalow and tower shown above. Rocks were hauled from all over Groton to construct the tower and stonework was done by a crew of Italian masons. Despite the ravages of time and New England weather, the tower remains in remarkably good condition today.

Unfortunately, before Bancroft's project advanced to construction of the large mansion and horse stables he envisioned, the money ran out.

Bancroft kept the property for 12 years before selling it to Harold Ayers, a well-known physician, in 1918. Ayers converted the bungalow into the Groton Private Hospital, a private sanatorium which accepted “all but insane or contagious” patients for $20 per week. During 

Boston Sunday Globe

the 1920s, patients would take in spectacular views on long open porches while suffering through ailments including tuberculosis. The hospital was advertised as unique with absolute quiet, pure air and a home atmosphere. It embraced the open air treatments popular during that time. 

Dr. Ayres cared for patients and ran a farm on the hill. After WW I, he treated veterans through a newly-funded insurance program. In 1920, a new building was built and 65 patients were in residence.

The sanatorium closed down toward the end of the decade and by the early 1930s it was gone. The property then transitioned from private hospital to social center, as the Groton Hunt Club used it to host fox hunts, dances, and social events.

Lowell Sun, 1932

Those festivities were also short-lived and ended in July 1932 after trespassers got careless with some firecrackers during a July 4th celebration and tossed a firecracker onto the bungalow roof. The bungalow caught fire and burnt down leaving only the stone walls and tower standing. It was never rebuilt. 

The estate lies on conservation land. The castle and trails became part of Groton's protected open space in 2000 when the site was opened to the public. The paths leading up to the castle and at the top of the hill are maintained, but the hike is a bit steep, narrow and quite rocky in areas. 

There's no cost to wander and inspect the tower, great double hearth and stone walls. The ruins are also a venue for wedding ceremonies in conjunction with the nearby Gibbet Hill Grill. One was being set up the day of our visit. Luckily, we had already finished exploring the site.

The hill itself has an interesting backstory especially in this season of ghosts and goblins. 

In 1645, it was named for the English gibbet, another word for gallows. Stories circulated about public executions where criminals were hanged so citizens could see the penalty of crime. 

While the legends and rumors have persisted over the years, no evidence has been found of any hilltop executions. It's more widely accepted that the name was from Groton’s English settlers who settled there in the 17th century.

Not only are these ruins quite amazing to see, the hilltop is also a great place to take in views of Groton, Mt. Wachusett, and, on very clear days, the White Mountains of NH.

It's interesting to us as NJ natives and former residents, that there's always a Jersey connection as shown on this plate spotted when leaving.