History (excerpt from Gilchrist 2019)
Built in 1851, it was, at that time, the largest ship on Lake Winnipesaukee. Its owners planned to link this service with the anticipated railroads. It would not only be the best mode of transportation to get to the northern end of Lake Winnipesaukee but would also connect to a train going to the White Mountains (Blaisdell 1975).
Lady of the Lake’s first captain was William Walker, one of the principal investors in the construction of the boat (Heald 1984). It was very prosperous for the next few years, having more success than nearly every major steamboat that was constructed in the years after it was launched. It became a symbol of tourism and Lake Winnipesaukee, offering unique excursion rides to Diamond Island, where the Diamond Island House was situated. This hotel was known for its rowdy gamblers and even included a bowling alley. While vacationers were a great part of Lady of the Lake’s business, its primary income came from transporting local passengers to and from their destinations across Lake Winnipesaukee. In its glory days, to many, it was seen as the safest way to get to the northern end of Lake Winnipesaukee because of its sheer size and stability. After several years, it was sold to the Boston, Concord, and Montreal Railroad. Under the control of the railroad, local historian Dr. Bruce Heald estimated it made a $30,000 profit in its years of operation (1849-1893) (Heald 1984).
Although Lady of the Lake was built as a stable and trustworthy boat, it was rebuilt some 20 years into its life after it burned to the waterline at Wolfeboro Town Docks. The fire did not discourage the Boston, Concord, and Montreal Railroad’s plans for the boat, as it was promptly rebuilt and sent back into passenger service. It also struck the Witches (a large group of exposed rocks outside of Meredith Bay) while carrying a private party on a nighttime excursion. Although this accident cost the company about $10,000, Lady of the Lake ceased passenger service for the remainder of that season. According to Bruce Heald, Lady of the Lake did not experience a single fatality during its years of service (Heald 1984).
A summer 1865 schedule of the Boston, Concord, and Montreal railroad refers to Lady of the Lake as the preferred steamer (Figure 4). This is the oldest identified example of an advertisement for Lady of the Lake and shows that, at that time, tourism may have been a major source of revenue. The poster advertises trips from Boston north through Concord and Manchester to the Lakes Region and then farther north to the White Mountains. The boat met the trains when they came in. The railroads advertised that you could leave Boston at 7:30 or 8:00 am and be to Center Harbor (a small town in the northern part of Winnipesaukee) in time to climb Red Hill (a small mountain in the north end of the Winnipesaukee with a view of the entire lake) the same day. Then, passengers could stay at the Center House in Center Harbor and take a steamboat to Wolfeboro (a large town in the northeastern part of the Winnipesaukee) in the morning. This poster may have been the impetus for these tourists to come to Lake Winnipesaukee.Having a poster with beautiful art on the sides, scenes of Winnipesaukee, and complete transportation schedules may have made this a very popular excursion route. Other routes went to Wolfeboro and Long Island, where the larger steamboats would connect with smaller steamboats to get into the shallower parts of Lake Winnipesaukee, such as the waters surrounding Melvin Village and Lee’s Mills (in Moultonborough Bay at the most northern end of the Winnipesaukee) (Boston, Concord & Montreal Rail Road 1865).
Lady of the Lake was quickly surpassed by the technological superiority of the Mount Washington. By 1894, Lady of the Lake was considered unprofitable for the railroad and was taken out of service. After this, it was towed to Lakeport, NH, and its machinery was disassembled and sold. It remained there until the following year when it was towed to Glendale, where a railroad tycoon was building a mansion overlooking the lake, which later became known as Kimball’s Castle. Lady of the Lake was then beached and used as housing for the stonemasons working on the castle. After the castle had been completed, all the wood above the basic structure of the hull was removed, filled with rocks, and towed out into Glendale Cove. Although they intended for this to cause it to sink, the hull refused to do so. They then decided to drill holes in its side, which finally caused the boat to sink to the bottom of the lake. It remains intact today and is a popular diving attraction on Lake Winnipesaukee (Blaisdell 1975; Dive Winnipesaukee 2018).
Diving Information
GPS: N 43 35.289 W 71 23.234
Depth: 15 feet to deck, 30 feet at the bottom.
Anchoring: GPS will take you to the hole in the center of the wreck. The wreck is in solid shape, and it is possible to tie smaller dive boats directly to it. The bottom around the shipwreck is sandy, making anchoring most boats easy.
Special Considerations: This shipwreck has been vandalized and looted since it was found (see photos). There are multiple spots on the wreck where divers have carved their names. Please treat the biggest shipwreck with respect!
