Charles Ray found a shallow spot near the outlet of the lake and decided to build his own island. It's built up with rocks taken from old stone walls, which he bought for $1.00 a yard.

Some of the rocks were taken out to the island in the winter. When the ice melted, the rocks would settle into place. Some were hauled out by boat during the summer. The cracks and holes were filled in with coal ashes and then all was leveled off with oak and hemlock bark from the tannery. This bark waste was produced by the tannery after the tannic acid was removed and used in the tanning process.

The cottage was built with field stone, which was carefully hand selected by Charlie himself. All the stones were handled very carefully to avoid chipping or scratching them. The tower was his pride and joy; every stone was meticulously placed. (The tower also contains a privy.)

One of his biggest problems was getting the deed to the island, which did not exist on any record or map. After many arguments the State of Maine finally gave him a deed to an island in Lake Anasagunticook.

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