2 teens charged in connection to Kimball Castle fire

Just over a year after a devastating fire destroyed the historic Kimball Castle, and burned surrounding woods, two people are charged with felony arson.

Joshua D. Pittman, 18, of Dover, was arrested on an active warrant for felony conspiracy to commit arson and misdemeanor criminal trespassing on Sept. 1.

The following day, Peyton N. Eastman, 19, of Portsmouth, was arrested on a warrant for felony arson and misdemeanor trespassing.

Kimball Castle, in Gilford, caught fire just before 4 a.m. on Aug. 27, 2025, despite being vacant and having no electricity, causing investigators to immediately deem the blaze suspicious. The landmark, located at 59 Lockes Hill Road, was completely destroyed, and Fire Chief Stephen Carrier said after the fire, the remaining structure was a safety hazard. The floors, ceiling and roof of the mostly stone structure had collapsed.

The castle was located in an area atop a hill, and while there are structures nearby, there were no other buildings affected. Drought conditions last summer caused the area to be exceptionally dry, and investigators believe embers from the fire caused a brush fire adjacent to the castle. The fire went all the way down to Lake Shore Road, near the scenic overlook and the entrance to Lockes Hill Trail.

Firefighters battled flames and sprayed down hot spots for hours after the castle fire was under control. Charred areas were visible just off Lake Shore, and part of the road was closed off as firefighters stopped the spread.

Gilford police and firefighters were at the scene Aug. 27, 2025, with state Fire Marshal's Office investigators surveying the area.

Chief Dustin Parent, who was deputy chief at the time of the fire but has since been promoted, was acting as a liaison between the Fire Marshal’s Office and the press. He immediately called the fire suspicious due to the lack of electricity in the building.

Gilford Police asked the public for information and surveillance footage. Investigators reportedly responded to a variety of leads, and ultimately asked for videos and photographs from trail cameras, cellphones and home surveillance cameras.

In September 2025, Parent said investigators were looking into three people of interest. A month later, Parent said the Fire Marshal’s Office was submitting search warrants, and investigators had identified four suspects to be interviewed. The Fire Marshal’s Office applied for a search warrant for electronic devices they thought could hold information related to the case.

Parent made clear the warrants were not for arrests, but hoped the search warrants could lead that direction. He did not have information about who was interviewed.

On April 21, the Fire Marshal’s Office relayed to Parent the investigation was “basically done,” and on May 12, the investigator was “finishing the criminal report.” It was then noted two adults and two juveniles were expected to be charged.

In July, former Gilford Town Administrator Scott Dunn said he had not heard anything new about the case, deferring to the Fire Marshal’s Office. Tyler Dumont, spokesperson for that office, said on July 30 the case remained “active and ongoing,” and no one had been charged to date.

After an emailed request for information about several fires in the Lakes Region, including that at Kimball Castle, on Sept. 2, the Fire Marshal’s Office replied in an email, “the Gilford case has not been completed yet and is not available to the public at this time."

Kimball Castle was built by an architect hired by Benjamin Ames Kimball, a state representative and railroad magnate. Kimball was president of the Concord and Montreal Railroad.

Kimball reportedly built the castle for $50,000, after being inspired by Medieval German castles. He died in 1920, and the property was willed to his daughter, Charlotte, who died in 1960. She left the land to the Mary Mitchell Humane Society. The castle went into disrepair, and in 2018, was purchased by Patrick and Melissa Starkey under Lockes Hill LLC. They declined to comment in the days after the fire.

According to information provided by the Fire Marshal’s Office on Friday afternoon, the investigation involved a multi-agency effort. This included Gilford Police and Fire, along with Durham, Laconia, Somersworth, Wolfeboro, and North Berwick, Maine, police.

“State Fire Marshal Sean P. Toomey would like to thank the Gilford Police Department and Gilford Fire Department for their continued partnership and assistance throughout this investigation,” the Fire Marshal’s Office stated. “Marshal Toomey would also like to recognize the officers with the Rochester Police Department and the Dover Police Department who assisted with locating and arresting the suspects.”

Pittman and Eastman were released on a promise to return to court. They are scheduled to be read their charges at 8:15 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8, in Laconia District Court.