One Mile Island
 

Does anyone know anything about One Mile Island off Center Harbor? My father (Elmer Rowe) owned it from maybe the late 1930's until about 1952. We
were from New Jersey and spent our summers there. I remember we had a boat house in Center Harbor and went back and forth in a 17 foot Chris Craft runabout. Dad sold it to a Methodist minister (I think) who ran some kind of camp. We had many great times there. Is there anyone enjoying it now?

Welcome New Member
 

I do not believe it is inhabited. There are no houses that I can recall. It is surrounded by a lot of rocks and I seldom see any boats anchored near it.

One Mile island
 

The island is not inhabited and I would suspect that it hasn't seen anyone on it, as far as an owner, in a long time. There is a structure (one room cabin style) on the island that is abandoned as the windows and doors are missing or in poor repair. My daughter went to explore the island a couple of years ago and took some pictures. I'll try and find them and post.

One Mile Island
 

Thanks for the response. I hate to think of it going to pieces, we have such fond memories. I'd appreciate pictures if you can find them. I can see it on Google Earth, but it doesn't show any details. We rented the place for a week with another family, from the new owner. Our kids were young, so it would have been in the early '60s. It was in good shape then.

I believe One Mile Island is covered by an easement to the Lakes Region Conservation Trust.

http://www.lrct.org/

One Mile Island
 

LRCT does in fact have an easement on One Mile and Half Mile Islands. They are presently owned by the Danes and are not open to the public.

Thanks gf2020. It is indeed listed on the site as a LRCT property. Since it is not listed on the list of public access properties, I would imagine that I won't be allowing any more visits by my family to the island.

"Half Mile and One Mile Island Easements, 14 acres, Center Harbor (1981)"

One Mile Island
 

Does belonging to the LRCT mean no one can trespass? Seems rather harsh! We haven't been there in 50 years or so, but good friends from here (Melbourne, FL) recently moved to NH (in mid-winter?), and if we visited, I certainly would want to check things out.

I'm guessing that Kittyb might be a Dane, or may know one. Perhaps a personal appeal to allow a short visit.

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopo...mileisland.jpg
No postmark) "One of the smallest islands on the lake, near Center Harbor. Names of some islands indicate their distance from other points and do not refer to size of island"

Thanks for the memories mcdude as I used to visit Little One Mile for picnics, swimming, etc. Alas, the cabin is gone and its off-limits for shore visits. The photographer is either standing on One Mile or close to it's shore.

I looked up the easement on line at the Belknap Registry of Deeds. http://nhdeeds.com/belknap/BeHome.html
Book: 0816 Page: 0749
There is a reference to the camp if it is destroyed by fire or casualty it can be replaced to a size no larger than 25% of its original size. Also the "camp" can be maintained but cannot be materially changed in its character. There are other restrictions such as no cutting of trees or removing timber withing 50' of the mean shoreline.

Somebody mentioned the Danes. It seems to me that they owned the island before my dad bought it. Didn't they have a place up on the mountain overlooking the town?

They practically owned the whole harbor at one time and still have a significant portion of land owned. I have never had any dealings with them, but I am inclined to give them their privacy.

One Mile Pic
 

My daughter had one picture still on her phone. Looking for more but here is a shot from the outside.

Is that the one that used to have the bridge to it?

Bridge?
 

You are probably are thinking of Half-mile. The stone bridge still stands, but even when it was in use they laid down boards to complete the middle section to allow the pigs and goats to cross over. Then remove the boards to trap them on the island.

Thanks Pineedles. I was always fascinated by that bridge.

The Danes had a big estate where Red Hill Inn and Belknap College was. See the Belknap College thread for a picture of the mansion, Founders Hall.

Here you go! DANE ESTATE

Conservation
 

Why does it seem like every time someone donates land to the Lakes region conservation it seems to go missing get posted and banned from use?
I seem to recall over the years many such happenings including the big fiasco over Castle in the Clouds.
I recently talked with someone involved with the area snowmobile club who said that although some access has been granted it is essentially minimal and many of the tree huggers frown on it.
They the conservation association, appear to be very one sided.
After the Castle incident I have decided not to contribute to any conservation association and honestly I’ve heard this repeated from more and more people around the lake in recent years.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d like to see a lot less development around the lake with more land left in its natural state.
There is nothing worse then looking up at a hillside and seeing a big house planted on it.
I guess it all boils down money.

What you say is very true and even many of the snowmobile clubs donated to them for the Castle. They promised that they would not close it off.

Lrct
 

What they say about LRCT is true. My family do not want 350 acres of prime farm land to be developed. We strongly believe in recreational use of the land by the public. There are hiking and cross country trails as well as a major snowmobile corrider crossing the property. We first approach LRCT and their philosophy about limiting the public use of the land did not go well with what we plan for land usage. We decided to donate the land to the town.

freedom of choice...
 

If the Danes owned the property today instead of donating it, it still wouldn't be open to the public... the fact that they did donate it to LRCT, but want to keep it in a 'natural state' and unused seems like a pretty generous thing to me...

It is all about choice, as BroadHopper points out, they wanted to do something different with their property and donated it to the town, still a very generous donation and people can enjoy it...

From my perspective any property donation to the town, to LRCT, to a State Forest, etc is a very noble and generous idea, and helps to preserve a limited resource (after all there are still plenty of opportunities for developers to buy property for development e.g. Kona)...

Kudos to both Broadhopper's family and the Danes!!!

ice ice go away and don't come back till a December day -PIG