Visit to Boldt Castle

While on vacation I very much wanted to make a trip to one of my favorite places, Alexandria Bay, which always leads to a jaunt out to another one of my favorite places:

Boldt Castle on Heart Island (1000 Islands, NY)

The trip was very much to humor me because I know Husband and my sister wouldn't have put up a fight if I decided not to go. I used to go every summer for a day trip but I haven't been now since 2009 when my friend Jen got married at that very castle. 

I've done another post about this place. And maybe a little about the islands in general. I would so absolutely happily love to live there (the islands/area in general, not the castle)! Since I was little we've made regular pilgrimages out to that island (sometimes after a long boat tour of the islands). I remember going there when I was small and the place was almost a ruin. Birds flying around and the sun shining in from the holes in the roof. It was so gorgeous and sad. But now work is being done to finish the structures on the island. From what I've read, every structure was at one time finished except for the main building - the castle itself. My opinion? It shouldn't be finished. Ever. I think it gives the wrong impression to the people visiting that don't bother to read the little pamphlet they give you at the gate. BUT I won't get into that. 

Opinions aside, it was nice to visit again. It's a beautiful place no matter what.

Before a walk through the little town of Alex Bay and the shuttle ride over to the island, we parked for a bathroom break and so I could take some pictures of the nearby stuff. Aside from the above picture of Heart Island/Boldt Castle:

The small island to the front is known as "Mother-in-Law Island" and
the structure to the back is on Wesley Island and is the Boldt Yacht House.

Down the river from the castle is Hopewell Hall, formerly another
Boldt property. George Boldt died here and I think his daughter, Clover, 
lived here until she died as well (I may be a liar though).

My sis pointed out the anchor on the lawn of this
property and I thought it was neat.

Husband and Grant

So we took a shuttle out to the castle. We sort of figured Grant would freak out. It's a small boat and sits low in the water but he loved it! And we got to ride on one of the larger tour boats back to the mainland which he loved even more.

So pretty :)

A very exciting site for Grant!

I wanted to get a good pic of Grant at the castle and I managed
this one before my sister started getting him to make pirate faces.

"Arrrrrr!"

The "Hennery" or Dove-cote (I think I read that 
this also supplied water to the island. Maybe.)

We walked around the outside of the house a little before heading inside (at first looking for the bathroom and then just touring the inside). It's been a while since I've really walked through the main house. It's self guided so you can take as long as you want :)

Library

Ballroom (and Husband, Sister, and Grant)

Dining room (if I remember correctly, the Boldts
did own that furniture at one time)

Just outside the the dining room on the wrap around porch is a huge, gorgeous outside fire place. I took a picture of my Dad there in 2009 after the wedding (he was only too happy to pose) and this year we took a picture of Grant there too. It made me a little sad. It was my first time taking a trip to the Bay and to the castle without my parents.

And now back inside...

Billiard room

One of the upstairs rooms (I over heard someone talk about
how ornate their furnishings were and I wanted to scream
"They never lived in here!!!" but I held it in.)

From one of the 3rd floor balconies...just so pretty!

Grant sitting in one of the basement fireplaces

Me and Grant at one of my favorite places!
(yes his hand is in my shirt...I honestly don't know why)

Just a couple more shots from around the island:

The powerhouse

Another shot of the gorgeous outside.

And there it is. One of my favorite places and very possibly the most visited place on my list of favorites. I was so excited to bring Grant here. My sister figured he'd hate it (I think Husband thought so too). But you know what? He loved it. He loved the boat ride, he loved walking around the island and even loved wandering around in the castle. He wasn't a fan of the power house for some reason so we didn't stay in there long. But other than that, his first trip to Boldt Castle couldn't have been better. 

I took a lot more pictures but I figured you'd been subjected to enough.

Boldt Castle & the 1000 Islands

If Husband and I ever win the lottery, this is the first thing I'd buy:


Comfort Island in the 1000 Islands; currently for sale at the bargain price of $1,495,000

Or maybe this:



I love this place. Carlton Villa at the head of Carlton Island (have no clue who that man is in the picture). This place, as you can see, has been left to rot for years. But with work (lots and lots) it could look almost as good as it used to.



There is always an island for sale in the 1000 Islands. Most people who know me know that I love it there. It is quite possibly my favorite place on earth.

I don't consider myself "well traveled". But I can't imagine ever going somewhere as unique as the Islands. It's like being at the beach and being in the mountains at the same time. Only better. Yes, it has tourists - like the beach. And it has a woodsie feel and homes that I'm sure feel as warm and inviting as they look - like the mountains. I've taken the boat tours there more times than I can count and I see something every time that I didn't notice the time before. The 1000 Islands make every where else that I go seem generic.

For years I self-toured Boldt Castle just about every summer. The main attraction for the tiny town of Alexandria Bay. And I went every year and took the same pictures. Like so many other structures throughout the scenery of the Islands, it is a beautiful, ornamental home with a story attached to it. It's everywhere. George Boldt, a man who came to this country and worked his way from nothing, bought Heart Island (was Hart Island when he bought it but he changed it). He made plans to construct a castle on the island with several other buildings scattered on the island as a gift to his wife Louise to be presented to her on her birthday in 1905 - February 14th. A year before the completion of the castle he got word that his wife had died and he ordered all construction to be stopped and he never went out to the island again. The island and buildings were abandoned for years. I remember going as a kid and being able to look straight up through the roof of the place. It always just felt sad.



Boldt Castle on Heart Island

 

Taken from the balcony of our hotel during our trip for a friend's wedding in 2009


 

Taken by Husand during our 2007 trip



Again taken during our 2007 trip...it should depress me how much thinner I am here!



The Alster Tower but most call it the "Playhouse". The Boldt family used this as their residence during contruction of the castle.

  

The Boldt Yacht house.


 

The dome inside the castle.


 

View from the second floor looking down to the main entrance




Mom & Dad during our 2003 trip



Me & Nate (before he was Husband) during our 2003 trip

I think it may have been our 2003 trip when I bought a copy of Bold Castle: In Search of the Lost Story by Paul Malo (who died in 2008). I know you can't believe everything you read, but I honestly believe this man loved the 1000 Islands and was in search of the truth. He stated in his book that Louise Boldt took her own life at her townhome in New York City. He also stated that the castle isn't being restored according to the original plans - which the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority (the current owners) does have.

During our 2007 trip, after having read that book, the island was sad for other reasons. It still retained the "love story sadness" but when you look at after reading what should be done differently it becomes a new kind of sad. The structure was never finished and yet several rooms and the elevator now give off the impression that they looked that way in 1904. There is a study or library that has furniture in it that looks like it arrived from the Pottery Barn yesterday. The fountain pictured above was not in the original plans, it was made because they found that shell on the grounds. So, even though they are keeping it from ruins it doesn't have the appeal that it used to when it was just a crumbling monument of love.

However, on a brighter note, our most recent trip to the islands in 2009 was for my friend Jen's wedding. She and her hubby were married on the island and it definitely didn't feel sad that day. They've been happily married for a little over a year now and are expecting their first baby in July :)