Boldt Castle in the Thousand Islands. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Boldt Castle Main Staircase. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Michael Aaron Gallagher’s first visit to Boldt Castle.
When I was a child, I visited Boldt Castle in the Thousand Islands for the first time. The tragic love story behind its construction and eventual decay still captures my imagination to this day. According to many accounts, wealthy millionaire George Boldt (1851-1916), owner of the Waldorf Astoria New York luxury hotel, commissioned an island in the Thousand Islands to be be re-shaped like a heart. He subsequently renamed it Heart Island and set out to build a châteauesque (chateau-style) castle for his wife Louise Boldt.
The historic mansion is located near Singer Castle, amid the gorgeous landscape of the St. Lawrence River in the Thousand Islands region of New York State. This Gilded Age architectural masterpiece was destined to become a place for grand dinner parties attended by foreign dignitaries, wealthy business tycoons and the political elite. It was designed by the architectural firm G.W. and W.D Hewitt, who also created the famed Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Louise passed away in 1904, before George completed the construction of the castle. He was so broken-hearted that he left its empty shell to fall into disrepair, never to return again. Although he continued to visit his other estate on nearby Wellesley Island (site of the Boldt Yachthouse), which burned down in the 1980s, the castle remained unfinished for decades.
Stained glass dome at Boldt Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
During my first visit as a child, I remember the cold, undecorated rooms, and the eerily quiet stillness of the pool in the basement. Like a Stephen King novel, it felt as if you could close your eyes and you would suddenly be transported back in time, to the Roaring Twenties. All at once, you are at a lavish dinner party. The echo of music and laughter dance through the halls, as inebriated guests scurry to the private recesses of the enormous mansion on a late summer evening. But that vision would never be realized.
Today, the restoration continues slowly, spearheaded by the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority, who now owns and operates the tourist destination and wedding venue. They are picking up where George Boldt left off and doing what he was not capable of doing himself – making a glorious architectural marvel come to life. Despite his late wife never being able to enjoy the castle, its beauty is still appreciated by countless visitors each year.
Surprisingly, even though the first two floors have been restored and decorated, the castle has only appeared in the movie Fear No Evil (1981). The low-budget horror film by writer and director Frank LaLoggia, which was filmed on location in Upstate New York, shows several views of the castle ruins before the bulk of the restoration was conducted.
In my recent travels, I boarded a tour boat in Alexandria Bay, New York and returned to Boldt Castle. This time, I was a photographer setting out to document the progress of its restoration since my childhood. Like my return to the Biosphere 2 Center, it allowed me to add clarity to my memories through photography and see the castle from a new perspective.
If I return again, I will be sure to add new pictures of the things I may have missed the last time around. Enjoy!
– Michael Aaron Gallagher
Boldt Castle “Open to the Public” sign. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
The Power House and clock tower building at Boldt Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
The Ballroom at Boldt Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Descending The Grand Staircase overlooking the Billiard Room at Boldt Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
George Boldt’s bedroom suite at Boldt Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Bedroom at Boldt Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Old painting, piano and vase at Boldt Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Dining Room at Boldt Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
A quiet sitting area in Boldt Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Basement pool in Boldt Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Statue in the courtyard of Boldt Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
One of the tunnels beneath Boldt Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Crown molding of the stained glass dome at Boldt Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Statue at Boldt Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Archways and curved doors at Bolt Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
The Dove-Cote (Hennery) at Boldt Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
The Alster Tower (Playhouse) Column. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
The Billiard Table at Boldt Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
The Reception Room at Boldt Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
The Billiard Room at Boldt Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
The Piano at Boldt Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
The Pipe Organ at Boldt Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Fireplace at Boldt Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
The restoration of Boldt Castle continues to this day. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Graffiti in an unfinished room at Boldt Castle in the Thousand Islands. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
This room with a fireplace in the basement of Boldt Castle stands unfinished. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
Fountain at Boldt Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.
“Room with a view,” looking out at the Thousand Islands from the balcony of Boldt Castle. Photo by Michael Aaron Gallagher.