Bancroft's castle was built by General William Bancroft

William Bancroft

William Amos Bancroft was a Massachusetts businessman, soldier and politician who served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and on the Common Council, Board of Aldermen, and as the Mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts....

 in 1906 atop Gibbet Hill in Groton, Massachusetts

Groton, Massachusetts

Groton is a town located in northwestern Middlesex County, Massachusetts. The population was 10,646 at the 2010 census. It is home to two noted prep schools: Groton School, founded in 1884, and Lawrence Academy at Groton, founded in 1793. The historic town hosts the National Shepley Hill Horse...

. Since 2000, the "castle" became part of Groton's conservation trust and was opened to the public.

History and uses

Bancroft built the structure as a gift for his wife. He originally intended it as a bungalow to accompany a larger castle-like house, but lost funding before the additions could be realized.

In 1918, physician Harold Ayres purchased the bungalow and renovated it into a private sanitarium.

During the 1930s, the Groton Hunt Club used the bungalow for entertainment. During a July 4 fireworks celebration in 1932, the bungalow caught fire - leaving only the exterior stone walls intact.