Boldt Castle is one of the grandest of all of the Gilded Age mansions on Heart Island.
Boldt Castle is located at the heart of the Thousand Island Region in Alexandria Bay New York. It is considered by many to be the grandest of all of the Gilded Age mansions. Like many of the other homes constructed during this era, the sprawling eleven building estate was built on dreams and like so many dreams do, this one had a very tragic ending.
George C Boldt immigrated to America from Prussia during the 1860's. He arrived penniless, but through his drive and determination, became one of the wealthiest most powerful men in America. He owned the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City as well as the Bellevue Stratford in Philadelphia. But even greater than his drive for success was the love he had for his wife Louise. She was only fifteen years old when they married and she stayed by his side through his search for wealth and power. Mr. Boldt was considered by many to be a visionary and he was one of the lucky few who had enough money and influence to make his visions a reality. It was one of these dreams that led to the building of Boldt Castle.
In 1900, George began construction of a full sized replica of a Rhineland Castle. He choose Heart Island for this magnificent undertaking as the entire project was designed to be an everlasting tribute of the love he felt for his wife. He planned to present his gift to her on Valentine's Day 1905.
Mr. Boldt hired over 300 artisans, craftsman, and laborers. He invested over two and a half million dollars to build his castle. The main building rose six stories and included an elevator that would take residents from the underground swimming pool to the highest tower room. The mansion contained 120 rooms and the granite walls were extremely ornamental and beautifully decorated. Mr. Boldt designed the interior of the castle to contain hundreds of thousands if not millions of hearts so that his dearly beloved would always be reminded of his love for her. There were hearts carved into the woodwork, stained glass hearts and much, much more.
Marble statues were shipped in from Italy to decorate the Italian Garden. Boat loads of supplies and crews were arriving daily. When construction was completed on the Alster Tower, the Boldt family would come stay on the island and delight in the speed in which the project was being completed.
Work was well underway when Mr. Boldt sent a telegram to his crew telling them to stop work on the castle immediately. His beloved wife Louise, just 41 years old, had passed away just one year prior to the completion of the castle. Hundreds of workers set down their tools and left the island, never to return. George Boldt never again laid eyes on the island and its monument to his dead beloved. The castle remained frozen in time, as it was the day she died, for 73 years. It fell prey to the elements and vandals and was in a great state of disrepair when the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority acquired it.
The Bridge Authority decided to use the money generated by tourists to rehabilitate and restore the castle. The work began at the main building and then spread to the 10 other smaller buildings in the complex. Today, the first floor of the mansion holds a museum dedicated to Mr. and Mrs. Boldt. It contains original blueprints and designs for the project as well as wonderful photographs and artifacts.
Visitors can wander through the 120 rooms and just imagine what the castle would have been like if Louise had lived. Picture the parties that would have been held and all the prominent people of the era who would have been guests of the Boldt's. Imagine the beautiful artwork and hand crafted furnishings that would have filled each of the rooms. Examine the view out of all of the 365 windows, this would indeed have been a fairy tale come true for the Boldt family.
After touring the main building, the next stop is the Power House and Clock Tower. This tower is located on the eastern end of Heart Island. It would have housed steam generators that would have supplied electricity to the rest of the buildings. A stone bridge connects this to the island. This building as well houses displays and photographs of the era. The illuminated clock face in the tower would have been visible to all the ships nearby and for those who couldn't see it, its chimes would have let them know the time.
Alster Tower, more commonly known as the playhouse, was the first structure that was completed on the island. This charming miniature castle was most probably designed by George himself, allowing his imagination to run free to create a place for his guests and his children. This "playhouse" contains an elegant ballroom, named the Shell Room after the shape of its roof. The basement was to contain bowling alley and the rooms upstairs were to include a billiard room, library, bedrooms, kitchen areas.
The entrance arch was patterned after the Arch d'Triumph in France. It was designed to provide a formal entryway for the boats that would be delivering their guests from larger yachts or from the mainland itself. A drawbridge was to have been constructed from the Arch to the swan pond. This was scheduled to be one of the last items to be completed so it was unfinished at the time construction ceased.
The Yacht House, located on a nearby island, is large enough to accommodate masts up to 64 feet high and boats up to 128 feet in length. The doors were so large that they required a heavy engine as well as a crew of men just to open and close them. This building was also designed to house a shop to build racing launches as well as contain the living quarters for the crew and staff. The restoration of the Yacht House was completed in 1996 and it actually houses some of the boats once owned by the Boldt family.
Tour boats stop regularly at Heart Island each day. It is completely handicap accessible and offers snack bars as well as picnic areas. Make a day of it, this beautifully tragic castle is a must see if you are in the Thousand Islands Region.
