Feature Friday - Boldt Castle, Thousand Islands, New York
Boldt Castle, Heart Island, Thousand Islands, New York
Boldt Castle is located on Heart Island on the Saint Lawrence River in the Thousand Islands area of New York. It was built by George C. Boldt for his wife, Louise.
Here are some interesting facts about George Boldt and Boldt Castle.
George C. Boldt was a millionaire, proprietor of the Waldorf Atoria Hotel in New York City. and manager of the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia. He was born April 25, 1851 in Germany and came to the US in 1864.
George did not believe in "luck." He deliberately used the number 13 during his life to prove it had nothing to do with success or failure. He was 13 when he came to the US. His home was at 1313 Locust Street. His office at the Waldorf was #13 W, Thirty Third Street. The waldorf was 13 stories high with a 13th floor which was usually omitted by other hotels. It had 13 entrances and 13 elevators. His daughter was born in room #13 in Berkeley, New Jersey.
Boldt Castle is a full size rhineland castle on Alexandria Bay.
The Boldt family spent summers in 1000 Islands while the castle was being built.
Construction of Boldt Castle began in 1900. It was built by 300 workers - stonemasons, carpenters, powerhouse, Italian gardens, drawbridge, children's playhouse, and a dove cote. George had planned on presenting the castle to Louise on Valentine's Day.
In January 1904, Boldt stopped all construction on the island because Louise died suddenly. He never returned to the island and died alone in 1916 in his room at the Waldorf Astoria. To this day, no one is allowed to stay overnight in the castle since George and Louis never had the chance.
For the next 73 years, the castle was neglected and left to the elements. The Thousand Islands Bridge Authority acquired Heart Island in 1977 and decided to restore it.
The male deer or stags throughout the island are "harts," a symbol of George's European lineage and is a part of the family coat-of-arms.
The stained-glass dome is made of over 6,000 pieces of hand-cut glass. The pieces vary in size from small as the tip of a pinkie to hand-sized.
The Boldt Yacht House on Wellesley Island is across from the castle and can be reached by free shuttle boat.
There is a collection of antique wooden boats on display, some from the original Boldt fleet.
Yacht House - http://www.boldtcastle.com/visitorinfo/yacht-house
Boldt Castle and the Boldt Yacht House - http://www.boldtcastle.com/visitorinfo/
Boldt Castle - 1000 Islands, New York Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/BoldtCastle/#
Boldt Castle - A Virtual Tour - https://boldtcastle.wordpress.com/stories/love-story/
