Singer Castle on Dark Island. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Front door of Singer Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Towering amongst the pines on Dark Island, Singer Castle is one of the most impressive American mansions spawned by New York’s Industrial Age. Nestled in the Thousand Islands, the castle draws tourists from all over the world, many of whom board the 3.5 hour Uncle Sam Boat Tours, departing from Alexandria Bay, New York.
Formerly known as The Towers and Dark Island Castle, the renamed Singer Castle appeared in the movie The Skulls (2000), starring Joshua Jackson, Leslie Bibb and the late Paul Walker. It is notably located near Deer Island, which is owned by the Russell Trust Association and is the real-life retreat for the Skull and Bones secret society.
Built in 1905, on a seven-acre property, it shares many similar features with its larger neighbor, Boldt Castle, located further up the St. Lawrence River on the five acres of Heart Island. Dark Island itself was once in the territorial range of the native tribes of the Algonquin and Huron, who referred to it as Lone Star Island.
Suit of Medieval Armor at Singer Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
On my first visit, I boarded the Island Wanderer, a double-deck, paddle wheel tour boat built in 1971. After an 11-mile boat ride to the Island, I enjoyed a guided tour through the spectacular home designed by the American architect Ernest Flagg (1857-1947). Known for working in the Beaux-Arts style, which is a modern blend of French Neoclassicism with Renaissance and Baroque inspirations, he also designed the Singer Building in New York City, Washington University‘s Corcoran School of the Arts and Design and the U.S. Naval Academy. Although he drew ideas from Sir Walter Scott’s depiction of Woodstock Palace in Oxfordshire, England after reading his novel Woodstock, Flagg subsequently made sure his drawings were an original masterpiece and not merely a copy of another medieval fortress.
Built by Frederick Gilbert Bourne (1851-1919) , who was a New York City millionaire and the 5th President of the Singer Sewing Machine Company, the 28-room, four-story estate belonged to the Bourne family for several decades. It boasts a winding bridle walkway leading up to the front door, a fortresslike granite facade, the elegant stereotomy of sandstone arches, exquisite pink and green Italian Carrara marble fireplaces, secret passageways for servants, an underground tunnel system, a dungeon, and a library filled with a noteworthy collection of rare first-edition books.
Like George Boldt (1851-1916), who commissioned Boldt Castle as a gift to his wife Louise, Bourne wanted to build a spectacular home for his wife Emma and their family. When Boldt stopped construction of his castle, following the tragic death of his wife, many of the workers continued to be employed in the building of Singer Castle. Unlike Boldt Castle, which was never finished or lived in, Singer Castle was completed and is enjoyed and occupied to this day. Surprisingly, guests can even reserve the Royal Suite for an overnight stay, starting at $795/$875, depending on the day of the week. For more information about reservations for the Royal Suite, contact Dark Island Tours, which owns and operates the castle at the present time, at SingerCastle.com.
I look forward to returning to Dark Island again someday. It would be a pleasure to be able to photograph the areas of the castle I didn’t see and do an overnight stay. In the mean time, here are some of the photographs I took during my first visit. Enjoy!
– Michael Aaron Gallagher
Library in Singer Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
In the library, on the left side of the fireplace, the wooden panel above the electrical outlet opens to reveal a hidden passage. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Sprinkled throughout the castle are sewing machines as reminders of its ties to the Singer Sewing Machine Company. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Chess board and Pullman railroad car window seats at Singer Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Window Seat in Singer Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Frederick Bourne’s Master Bedroom in Singer Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Telephone at Singer Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Washroom at Singer Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Oil painting, telephone and photograph at Singer Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Marjorie Thayer Master Bedroom at Singer Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Hidden door in the hallway that leads to a secret passageway in Singer Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Secret passage behind the closet wall at Singer Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
View from the writing desk at Singer Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Looking out the bedroom window at Singer Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Wine Cellar at Singer Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Available in the gift shop, the Dark Island book, explains the history of Singer Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Silver tea set at Singer Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Sport Therapy Room at Singer Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
A first edition copy of “Poison” (1926), a mystery novel by Lee Thayer, sits on a light therapy sauna in the Sport Therapy Room at Singer Castle. Lee Thayer was a pseudonym for author and artist Emma Redington Thayer (1874-1973). According to the New York Times, she wrote a series of approximately 60 mysteries about private investigator Peter Clancy. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Sink in the Sports Therapy Room at Singer Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
View of Singer Castle from the lawn, which was formerly the tennis courts. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Garden and castle wall at Singer Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Clock Tower at Singer Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Boathouse at Singer Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Singer Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.