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After surviving the Titanic, Richard Beckwith sought peace and quiet. He found it by constructing 58 Wiggin Farm Road on Squam Lake, in the picturesque town of Moultonborough, N.H.
The summer property is listed for $9,500,000.
Beckwith, his wife, and teenage daughter were passengers on the Titanic, but made it into the lifeboats. Some claim their story was potentially a source of inspiration for the famed 1997 film “Titanic.” Legend has it that the family was aboard the ship in an attempt to get the teen away from a potential boyfriend, The Wall Street Journal, which broke the story on the listing, reported. Ultimately, the boyfriend found himself on the lifeboat as well, and the parents had a change of heart.
“Some newspaper accounts, filed just after the survivors reached New York, claimed that Behr had proposed to Helen while they were still in their lifeboat,” the Journal wrote, adding that the couple later married with the Beckwith parents’ blessing.
These days, the eight-bed, 3.5-bath property, which was built in 1899, is a shingled home on the market for the first time in more than a century. Set on just under 4 acres and boasting 964 feet of shorefront, the home measures 5,605 square feet.
A long drive through the woods leads to the luxury property, which welcomes guests up a few steps onto the wraparound porch, which has screened-in sections. The entrance leads into a welcoming living room, home to a three-sided white brick fireplace under beautiful wooden beams.
But it’s the view that strikes you upon entrance.
“When you walk into the house, you’re just immediately drawn to the views of the lake,” said Joe Dussault of Dussault Real Estate, who is the co-listing agent with Jacalyn Dussault. “These long lake views [see] across to the Squam Range. And if the sun were going down, you would have views of beautiful sunrises and sunsets.”
Wood floors run throughout the home, which features many original elements, including the door handles and windows. The dining room also has a share of the three-sided fireplace in the corner. From there, a walk-through pantry leads into the kitchen, which blends original rustic features with more modern white appliances. It also has a second pantry for additional storage. There’s a small parlor on the first floor with access to a half-bath, as well as Palladian doors that open to the screened-in porch.
A staircase from the living room leads to the second floor, which is home to eight bedrooms and three bathrooms, each with claw-foot tubs. The primary suite boasts stunning views of the outdoors on three sides. All of the bedrooms have beadboard walls and ceilings, which emphasize the rustic nature of the home.
A staircase leads up to the partially finished third floor, and there is a small unfinished basement.
There’s a 555-square-foot boathouse on the property with dock space on both sides, as well as a few other small structures: a former ice house, a pump house, and an old chicken coop. There’s also a two-car detached garage. A sandy swimming area and a large dock make it easy to go for a swim. The home could potentially be winterized for year-round use.
If the property gets its $9,500,000 asking price, it would be the highest ever paid for a home on Squam Lake, Dussault told the WSJ.
Jacalyn Dussault emphasized the tranquility of Squam Lake, thanks to its protection by conservation easements in comparison to other bodies of water in the region.
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CONCORD, N.H. — Those who attend crowded outdoor events in New Hampshire may soon notice troopers deploying a new tool to identify potential threats from above.
New Hampshire State Police secured permission on Wednesday to buy a mobile trailer equipped with a drone detection system that uses cameras, radar, and artificial intelligence to monitor the skies for small unmanned aircraft systems that might pose a threat to public safety.
Robert L. Quinn, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Safety, said the system will be useful at a variety of public gatherings, including festivals, sporting events, and protests. His written explanation for the purchase mentioned several events known to draw crowds in the state, including seafood festivals, Independence Day fireworks, and Laconia Motorcycle Week.
“This system will address emerging security threats, protect critical infrastructure, safeguard public events, and enhance emergency response capabilities,” he wrote.
This technology will be new to the New Hampshire State Police, but it comes from a company that has been providing similar services to other states. Dedrone Holdings Inc. — which was acquired last fall by Axon, a major manufacturer of body-worn cameras for police — offers instant access to drone detection data in more than 50 metro areas, including Greater Boston, through an app.
The “Dedrone Rapid Response” mobile unit that New Hampshire is buying is a physical piece of equipment with a self-contained generator and a tower that extends more than 44 feet into the air, enabling radio frequency detection within a 5-mile radius, according to the company.
New Hampshire’s five-member Executive Council approved the $275,000 purchase on Wednesday, without discussion.
Quinn referred follow-up questions to a department spokesperson, Tyler P. Dumont, who said the money is coming from federal Homeland Security grant funds.
While the use of surveillance and emerging technologies by law enforcement always leads to questions about the protection of civil liberties, Dumont said state personnel will aim to use the Dedrone tool in a way that enhances public safety without infringing on the privacy or legal rights of individuals and drone operators.
“We will implement safeguards to ensure that any usage of AI is supplemented by human review and verification, and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations,” he said.
What’s more, the drone detection system is a monitoring tool that won’t be used to disable any aircraft deemed a potential threat, he added.
Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.
A motorcyclist was killed in a crash with an SUV in a town in New Hampshire on Tuesday, authorities said.
Officers responding to a report of a collision on Charles Bancroft Highway in Litchfield found a damaged Toyota Rav4 and a Harley-Davidson resting in a southbound travel lane, and the motorcycle driver unresponsive on the ground, according to the Litchfield Police Department.
The motorcyclist, who police identified as 41-year-old Jean Lopes, of Hudson, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Preliminary findings indicated that the motorcycle driver struck the rear of the Rav4, police noted.
The New Hampshire Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has been tasked with examining Lopes.
An investigation into the crash remains ongoing.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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