Then and Now: Kil Kare Castle

The boathouse that once accompanied this castle was demolished recently, and the building itself had to overcome a devastating fire in 2005.  But the structure remains, along with its rich history as the home of a medicine millionaire. Then: Colonel George G. Green was a "patent medicine" king.  In the period prior to government regulation, these popular remedies claimed to cure a wide variety of symptoms and illnesses.  Green's most popular medications were August Flower, Green's Ague Conquerer, and Boschee's German Syrup, all manufactured at his laboratories in Woodbridge, New Jersey.  He built the largest cottage at Breslin Park, high above the lake on Mount Harry.  Named "Kil Kare Castle," it was completed in 1895.

Now: Colonel Green enjoyed summering at the lake until his death in 1925, and the house remained in his family until 1945.  Later renamed "Twin Castle," it has since been a nursing home and an art gallery.  Over the years, the gardens down to the lake and the boat house were subdivided.  Converted to condominium apartments in the 1990s, the house was devastated by a fire in October 2005.  Happily, the condominium association was able to repair the damage and save the structure.

These and dozens of other "Then and Now" images and stories are available in an updated version of Lake Hopatcong: Then and Now by Marty Kane, president of the Lake Hopatcong Historical Museum. Purchase that and other lake-related history books here on the museum's website. And see hundreds of photos and other historical paraphernalia at the museum, which is located in Hopatcong State Park.