scape
to a place out of the past and a far away land
he
history and legacy of castle architecture...Castles were built as defensive measures and offensive weapons, but often over time comfortable homes evolved within the fortified walls.
ee
the image of the towering fantasy castle above?
That's Boldt Castle and yes, it really exists.
Boldt Castle, located on Heart Island (New York) in the Thousand Islands of the St. Lawrence River, along the northern border of New York State, is the major landmark and tourist attraction of the region.
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Or click here to view a YouTube video! |
George Boldt, proprietor of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City and his family for several summers enjoyed an earlier frame cottage on Hart Island (the original name) which they greatly expanded. In 1900 the Boldts launched an ambitious construction campaign to build a huge masonry structure, one of the largest private homes in America. They engaged the architectural firm G. W. & W. D. Hewitt and hundreds of workers for a six-story "castle," a major international landmark. In addition four other masonry structures on the island are architecturally notable.
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Is Boldt Castle Haunted? |
| Although officially the castle management
claims a big fat "NO" on this, Mysterious Maryland
was able to get one eyewitness report to the
contrary.
Mary, a wedding guest at a ceremony held at the castle last year has this to say: "We were getting dressed in a room reserved for the bridesmaids when I heard a woman crying outside in the hall. I left to check it out and I saw, about 30 feet away, a woman dressed in white. She was sobbing dramatically. I began to walk toward her at which point she vanished. I was so shocked I didn't tell anyone for weeks." |
Equally distinctive is a huge yacht house on a neighboring island where the Boldts had another summer home and a vast estate, incorporating farms, canals, a golf course, tennis courts, stables, and a polo field.
The construction of Boldt Castle ceased abruptly in early 1904 after the death of Boldt's wife, Louise Kehrer Boldt. For 73 years, the castle and other stone structures were left exposed to the harsh winter weather and occasional vandals. The Thousand Islands Bridge Authority acquired Heart Island and the nearby yacht house in 1977, for one dollar, under the agreement that all revenues obtained from the castle operation would be applied towards restoration, so that the island would be preserved for the enjoyment of future generations. In the two decades after acquiring the property, the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority spent some fifteen million dollars for restoration and improvements here, and work continues annually. The initial goal of the restoration of Heart Island was not to finish what hadn't been completed, but to restore the island to the state it was in when construction was halted. Improvements have gone beyond that stage, however; A stained glass dome, marble floor, and grand staircase woodwork, for instance, now seen in the main hall, were not original but are modern innovations.
