Castles on an island are not what one may think of when visiting New York—unless, of course, they’re in some kind of Broadway production. But in order to see some actual castles, one may have to travel more than 300 miles northeast from the island of Manhattan to the Thousand Islands in upstate New York.
An archipelago of about 1,864 islands, 1000 Islands (pronounced “thousand islands”), is located in Jefferson and St. Lawrence Counties in the United States and Ontario in Canada. A bridge by the same name connects the two countries from Wellesley Island to Hill Island, respectively. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Mackenzie King formally opened this bridge in 1938.
These islands are homes and sanctuaries to many different plant and animal species. Waterfowls, wild turkeys, osprey, great blue herons, turtles, mink, and the white-tailed deer are but some of the animals that can be found on these islands.
With names such as Whiskey Island, Lone Brother Island, Three Brothers Island, Price is Right Island (a contestant for the game show won an island as a prize in 1964), and even Willie Nelson Island, to name a few, one can just imagine the kinds of stories there must be for these plots of land to bear such names.
Singer Castle
The seven-acre Dark Island was so named because it was heavily wooded and didn’t let much light penetrate the canopy of trees. Purchased by Frederick Bourne—entrepreneur, yachtsman, and self-made millionaire—in 1902 for $5,000, he wanted to build a hunting lodge. He immediately commenced construction the following year.
American Beaux-Arts architect Ernest Flagg based the design of the hunting lodge on the Woodstock Palace, which was featured in an 1826 novel called “Woodstock” by Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott. The many secret passageways described in the book were reflected in the design for Bourne’s lodge.
Originally called “The Towers,” it is now more popularly known as the Singer Castle, as Bourne was president of the Singer Manufacturing Company from 1889 to 1905.
The five-story hunting lodge and summer home has 28 rooms. It was completed by the family to the tune of $500,000 and was actively occupied by a member of the family.
Once visitors step into the castle’s grand wooden doors, they enter the Great Hall. Italian masons shaped the stones from local quarries to build this medieval-themed room, complete with knights’ armors, swords, and shields. There may be an old Singer sewing machine in one corner, and visitors will find plenty of those throughout the castle.
As you follow your guide, moving from one room to another and from one floor to the next, you will find furnishings that are original to Bourne’s time, or items that are original to his youngest daughter Marjorie’s time in 1928, when she took sole possession of the castle by buying her siblings’ shares. Learn about “bed” eccentricities such as Bourne insisting on his headboard being higher than his wife’s and how affluence was measured by the number of beds, as well as the location of bedrooms depending on your social status.
Though one would never think to hang around in a lady’s bathroom, visitors will find many ahead-of-its-time gadgets in Marjorie’s private wing such as a rainfall showerhead, a bathtub with Jetstream heads, a light therapy box (an invention by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, who was more popular for his breakfast cereals), a heated towel rack, and an Acme combo stove and refrigerator.
Boldt Castle
Built at around the same time as Singer Castle, the castle is located on the five-acre Heart Island, a romantic name befitting a castle built by George Boldt of Waldorf Astoria Hotel fame for his beloved wife Louise. In fact, one of the first things Boldt did when he purchased the island was to alter its shape into a heart.Construction began in 1900 with detailed plans for a six-story, 120-room castle with towers, tunnels, gardens, and a dovecote. He engaged the services of G.W. & W.H. Hewitt architectural firm to build what was to be one of the largest private homes in the United States at that time. While still under construction, the family spent some summers here until Louise died suddenly in 1904. Construction was immediately halted, and the castle was never completed. Abandoned for more than 70 years, it became victim to weather and vandals until the Thousand Island Bridges Authority rescued it and resuscitated it back to life in the late 1970s.
Today, visitors can still get a sense of the grandeur of Boldt Castle even though there are some unfinished parts to the castle. In a self-guided tour, visitors may start out in a reception room—a welcoming seating area—with its architectural details nicely restored, giving visitors an idea of the wealth of its occupants.
Outside, there is more to explore. The 60-foot dovecote housed Boldt’s favorite fowls and was the first structure to be completed on the island. The Alster Tower was built as a “Playhouse.” It had underground bowling lanes (visitors can see what’s left of them), a billiard room, a library, a ballroom, and some apartments on the upper floors. It stands as a red sandstone tower standing guard on the edge of the river.
If You Go
The best way to see both castles is to join the boat tours operating from Alexandria Bay or Clayton on the American side. They offer different tours at different price points, while some may just offer a transport service for a reduced fee.Strollers, food, and drinks are not allowed inside the castle walls. There are many stairs and steps to climb, so wear appropriate footwear, and there are no elevators to accommodate those who may need it. For a quick meal, there is a little cafe when you get to Boldt Castle. Allow almost a full day to visit both islands.
After Oct. 14, the tourist season closes and visitors may have to wait till the following spring to visit these castles. In the meantime, we can imagine what it must have been like to live out a fairy tale life in one of these luxurious spaces.
