Ragged Island, Tuftonboro
Ragged Island is a 11.4-acre island just to the west of Cow Island and southeast of the “Hole in the Wall”.
The island now owned by the Lakes Region Conservation Trust (LRCT), having been purchased on July 31, 1978. The previous owners Wheeler and Jane Beckett, owned the island for over forty years, purchasing it, along with Little Ragged, from Alice E. Lilly on October 1, 1936.
Wheeler Beckett was a world reknowned composer and conductor, working for Richmond Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic Orchestra and San Francisco Symphony were just some of his stops. The Beckett’s did little to the island from when they purchased it, with the exception of adding a studio at the north end of the island which housed Mr. Beckett’s grand piano. The other end of the island had the boathouse, the main lodge, which was used as the living room and sleeping quarters. There was a large veranda on the front of this building looking out towards Sandy Island, down the Broads and the Belknap Mountain Range. Not too far from this building was another which was used as the kitchen and dining room. This building had murals painted by Jane Beckett’s sister, with scenes from Greece, Egypt and India.
Although this island is small, it is flat, with some great beaches. The cove where the studio once stood is a wonderful place to explore with either snorkels or kayaks. Children would canoe over to Ragged from Little Bear to pick blueberries, as the blueberries were plentiful and large. Children would also swim at the beach, and if the Beckett’s were in residence and found them they invariably were asked to leave.
Now that the island is owned by LRCT it is open to the public with a hiking trail around the island and educational programs, including a nature guide for the previously mentioned trail. Sadly, most of the buildings have been removed over the years due to vandalism but the island itself is still a wonderful place to visit and explore.
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