The Boldt Castle on Heart Island

Boldt Castle is a breathtaking structure on Heart Island on the St. Lawrence River in New York. Heart Island is situated in the picturesque Thousand Islands in Alexandria Bay. For more than one hundred years, Boldt Castle and its outlying structures have graced Heart Island. You would be hard pressed to find a more romantic castle in a more picturesque setting. Like the Taj Mahal before it, Boldt Castle was erected as a monument to a man's undying love for his wife.

In 1900, George Boldt was a man who had risen from the poverty of his youth to become a multimillionaire. He was the owner of the prestigious Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, and he was madly in love with his wife, Louise. He decided that he would use some of his money and his express his love for his wife by building the Boldt Castle on Heart Island for her. Construction on the castle and some of its outlying structures began in 1900.

George Boldt began by constructing a luxurious building called Aster Tower. The family stayed here during the summers while Castle Boldt was being constructed. The tower is made of stone and follows the 16^th century European style that George envisioned for all of the structures of Heart Island. Inside, the tower was much more modern. It was built with a room for dancing, called the "Shell Room," a library, a billiards room, a bowling alley, guest rooms, a café and kitchen.

The "Hennery" is another stone tower that was built on the island. This tower is far more humble than the Aster Tower, but just as striking. The lower part of the Hennery was used to supply water to the island. The upper part of the tower housed the Boldt's birds. The "Power House" is another stunning, yet practical structure that was built on Heart Island. It was complete with a clock tower and houses a steam generator that would have provided power to Boldt Castle and its surrounding buildings.

One of the most spectacular structures built by George Boldt, aside from Boldt Castle, is the Yacht House on neighboring Wellesley Island. The Yacht House is enormous and luxurious for its purpose. It contains 128 ft. slips that housed the Boldt family yachts and their houseboat. There are even living quarters in the house that were meant for the crew.

Two more notable structures on heart Island are The Arch and the Gazebo. The Arch is made of stone and is reportedly modeled after L'Arc de Triomphe. It was meant to be a grand passageway for friends arriving by boat, but construction ceased before it was able to be used for its intended purpose. The Gazebo is a small stone gazebo that can be used today for wedding ceremonies.

Now for the monument to unswerving love, Boldt Castle. Boldt Castle is as striking as any European castle. It is many towered and is six stories high with 365 windows. From the inground swimming pool on the foundation level to the highest room in the tallest tower, there are 120 rooms. Three hundred workers were needed to construct Bold Castle, at least as far as the construction was carried out. Four years after workers began construction on Boldt Castle, Louise Boldt died suddenly. George immediately ceased construction at Heart Island and never returned.

The castle was abandoned the way George had left it for 73 years. Finally, in 1977 the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority acquired the property. Renovations needed to be overseen on all of the structures, vandalism and time had taken their toll.

Aster Tower needed much work, but can be safely visited today. The Power House is renovated and now sports a new arch bridge and houses photos of the Thousand Islands' history. The Yacht House is also spectacularly renovated and even contains some of the Boldt family boats. Boldt Castle is now restored to its former glory and then some. There have been several renovations to the castle, including new windows and doors. Today, visitors can get a glimpse of Boldt family and Thousand Islands history in the museum on the ground level.

Sources

Boldt Castle, retrieved 7/30/09, Boldt Castle, 1000islands.com/castle

Boldt Castle and The Boldt Yacht House, retrieved 7/30/09, boldtcastle.com