Boldt Castle, a Top Thousand Islands Tour
George Boldt's Abandoned New York Mansion is Taste of Guilded Age
Jul 25, 2009
From its grand marble staircase and vibrant skylight dome to dozens of empty rooms with stark-white plaster walls, Boldt Castle provides a study in contrasts – the splendor of America's Guilded Age coupled with the disregard of time, the elements and vandals.
Located near Alexandria Bay, N.Y., on Heart Island (one of more than 1,800 islands in the St. Lawrence Seaway), the magnificent structure, modeled after 16th-century European castles, rises six stories from foundation to towers' top and contains more than 120 rooms. Its architecture – with granite walls and steel and concrete roofs and floors – combines medieval forms and classical detail with more modern features, such as large, plate-glass windows and extensive porticos.
Boldt Castle was Abandoned by its Builder, Hotel Magnate George C. Boldt
If it had been completed, the mansion could have comfortably housed more than 20 families of four, each with their own bathroom. Yet, no one lived even one day in it.
George C. Boldt, a poor, Prussian-born immigrant turned hotel magnate who managed the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City and the Bellevue-Stratford in Philadelphia, began construction of the castle in 1900, intending it to be a summer home for his family and, many say, a tribute to his wife Louise Keher Boldt. But, after spending $2.5 million (the equivalent of more than $66 million today), he suddenly halted construction after her untimely death in 1904. About 300 workers put their tools down and left, and it is said Boldt himself never set foot on Heart Island again.
Until 1977, when the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority assumed ownership, the castle and other island structures stood empty and neglected. People also roamed the island unchecked, some vandalizing the property. Today the bridge authority continues to renovate and preserve Boldt Castle using net profits from its tourism operation.
Self-Guided Boldt Castle Tour Features Renovated and Unfinished Rooms
The ground and second floors will transport visitors back into early 20th-century opulence, with its cast terra cotta, tapestries and fine furniture (some which belonged to the Boldt family). The ballroom, dining room, library, billiard room, family bed chambers and more are meticulously restored to original plans.
However, as guests climb higher or take the refurbished elevator, they will find mainly unfinished rooms, many still marked with graffiti.
In addition to the restored areas, other highlights of the self-guided castle tour are:
- The foundation, or basement, where the partially restored indoor swimming pool is. Children especially will love the "secret" passageways originally designed for servants to transport goods without being seen.
- A display about Boldt family history.
- A close-up view of the multicolored skylight dome and a roof parlor and observation deck on the fourth floor.
- A peek through boarded-up tower doorways.
Other buildings on the grounds include:
- The Dove-Cote, which was the first structure the Boldt's built on the island. It includes a "hennery" designed to hold fancy dinner-table fowl.
- The Italian Garden.
- The Arch, intended as the formal entry for watercraft.
- The Alster Tower (Play House), a mini-castle where the Boldt family stayed during castle construction.
- The Power House, which would have supplied electricity for the island.
Visitors Must Take a Boat to Heart Island, an International Border
Tourists must take a boat to Boldt Castle, which is an international border between the United States and Canada. Uncle Sam's Boat Tours provide passage from Alexandria Bay. For information about tours, visit the official Boldt Castle Web site.
For information about visiting from Canada, see Exploring Boldt Castle, What to do in Gananoque.
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