Possibly the most well traveled historic site of upstate New York’s “Thousand Islands,” Boldt Castle on Heart Island in Alexandria Bay captures a tale of love and tragedy to make any story lover swoon.
George C. Boldt may not be commonly known to most of us today. But we do recognize NYC’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel, of which he was the millionaire proprietor.
At the turn of the century, Boldt set out to build the castle as a grand gift for his wife, Louise. During the massive construction project, the family spent summers at their Wellesley Island Farms while workers fashioned all six stories and 120 rooms. No expense or detail was spared, including tunnels, a powerhouse, gardens, a playhouse (called the Alster Tower), and a dove cote that originally supplied water to the island’s structures. A renovated yacht house still houses some of the Boldt family’s vessels.
Dreams turned to tragedy in 1904 when Louise died suddenly. Heartbroken, George ordered an immediate halt to construction and never revisited his original plans. For more than seventy years, nature and the elements ran amuck over the castle and grounds.
Finally in 1977, the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority acquired the property. Since then millions of dollars have been invested into improving this bit of American history.
Heart Island itself is worth exploring. Its five acres include sculptured gardens to accent the various buildings. The gardens’ extensive planning depicts scenes honoring George and Louise’s love story. Visitors can tour the castle’s interior and grounds May through October.
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