Mansion Built by Titanic Survivor Hits Market in New Hampshire

Real estate

Situated on just under 4 acres and boasting 964 feet of waterfront in Moultonborough, NH, the home measures 5,605 square feet.

After surviving the Titanic, Richard Beckwith was looking for peace and quiet. He found it when he built 58 Wiggin Farm Road on Squam Lake in the picturesque town of Moultonborough, New Hampshire.

The summer property is listed at $9,500,000.

Beckwith, his wife and teenage daughter were passengers on the Titanic, But they made it into the lifeboats. Some say their story may have been the inspiration for the popular 1997 film “Titanic.” Legend has it that the family was on board the ship to try to lure the teen away from a potential boyfriend, reported the Wall Street Journal, which broke the story on the list. Eventually, the boyfriend ended up in the lifeboat as well, and the parents changed their minds.

“Some newspaper reports, published just after the survivors arrived in 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 blessing of the Beckwith parents.

Today, this eight-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom property, built in 1899, is a shingled home on the market for the first time in more than a century. Situated on just under 4 acres and boasting 964 feet of waterfront, the home measures 5,605 square feet.

A long driveway through the woods leads to the luxurious property, which welcomes guests a few steps up onto the wraparound porch, which features screened-in sections. The entry leads to a welcoming living room, housing a three-sided white brick fireplace under beautiful wood beams.

But it is the view that strikes you as soon as you enter.

“When you walk into the house, you’re immediately drawn to the lake view,” said Joe Dussault of Dussault Real Estate, who is the co-listing agent with Jacalyn Dussault. “Those long views of the lake (see) all the way to the Squam Range. And if the sun went down, you’d have views of beautiful sunrises and sunsets.”

Wood floors run throughout the home, which features many original features, including doorknobs and windows. The dining room also shares part of the three-sided fireplace in the corner. From here, a walk-through pantry leads to the kitchen, which combines original rustic features with more modern white appliances. It also has a second pantry for extra storage. There’s a small sitting room on the first floor with access to a half bathroom, as well as Palladian doors that open onto the screened porch.

A staircase from the living room leads to the second floor, which houses eight bedrooms and three bathrooms, each with a claw-foot tub. The master suite offers stunning views of the outdoors on three sides. All rooms have wood-paneled walls and ceilings, which emphasize the rustic character of the home.

A staircase leads to the partially finished third floor, and there is a small unfinished basement.

There is a 555-square-foot boathouse on the property with dock space on both sides, as well as a few other small structures: an old icehouse, a pump house, and an old chicken coop. There is also a separate two-car garage. A sandy swimming area and large dock make for easy swimming. The home could potentially be winterized for year-round use.

If the property fetches the $9,500,000 asking price, it would be the highest price ever paid for a home on Squam Lake, Dussault told the WSJ.

Jacalyn Dussault highlighted the tranquility of Squam Lake, thanks to its protection by conservation easements compared to other bodies of water in the region.