Bannerman’s Island – Home For A Hudson River Castle
Francis Bannerman was obviously a pretty rich guy. After all, he had enough money to buy 90% of the Spanish-American War’s army surplus (the US side, at least). And then, because his Manhattan surplus store didn’t have the storage space (and because his neighbors weren’t wild about having a whole lot of ammunition on the block, Bannerman had a enough money to buy an entire island to store his goods upon. In 1900, that was a lot of money. Today, it would be astronomical.
The island Bannerman bought was called Pollepel Island. During New York’s settlement by the Dutch, the island was a source of great fear for the American Indians in the area, who believed that evil spirits inhabited it. That made it a great hiding place for rival tribes and settlers who wanted to avoid skirmishes with the natives.
The name of the island when Bannerman bought it, Pollepel, comes from a legend about a Dutch settler woman named Polly Pell. There are varying versions of the legend, but since I have some editorial control I will only tell you my favorite version. Polly Pell was in love with one man, but promised to a preacher who was much older than her. The fiance took Polly ice-skating on the frozen surface of the Hudson River and as they skated the ice began to crack. Polly’s true love, who was watching from the woods, rushed out to help Polly and her fiance and let them to this island in the Hudson River. The preacher was so grateful for their rescue, and seeing the obvious love between Polly and her secret sweetheart, let Polly off the hook and married the two lovebirds right on the spot.
Very unlikely, but oh well. It is all true. Or it isn’t. It is. It’s true. Partially, I’m sure.
Other reports say that The Flying Dutchman crashed on the island, while others claim that the Dutch believed that goblins lived on the island. The island was also a key strategic point during the Revolutionary War, and George Washington had plans to build a prison on the island, though nobody knows if that ever panned out. None of this deterred Bannerman from purchasing the island and building his arsenal/warehouse on it, as well as a private residence on the other end of the 6.5 acre rocky island.
Bannerman’s design was inspired by his Scottish heritage. He wanted a castle fit for a weapons king, and his warehouse and arsenal was large indeed, with several smaller side buildings that contained shells and live ammunition. The residence Bannerman built on the other side of the island was, of course, another castle, though smaller than the “warehouse” and missing the large sign that adorned the larger structure. It read “Bannerman’s Island Arsenal,” and served as an advertisement for his business in the city.
Unfortunately, the structure loses a little more of itself every day. Construction stopped when Bannerman died in 1918. His family continued to live on the island, but in 1920 one of the smaller structures which was home to hundreds of pounds of live ammunition, exploded violently, injuring Mrs. Bannerman, vaulting a wall of the structure all the way over to the mainland, and taking out a piece of the largest castle in the process.
I’m not sure if the family continued to live on the island after that, but in 1950, the ferryboat that carried passengers to and from the island sank in a big storm, and by then the family definitely didn’t live there. After the ferry sank, the warehouse and residence were deserted. The state bought the island in 1967 (not sure how much they paid for it), and they started allowing tours to take place in 1968. This only lasted a few months, because a raging fire erupted in August of 1969, burning up the roof and floors of the warehouse and blowing out the windows of the residence on the other end of the island. The island was pretty much condemned until very recently, when different tour groups started taking groups over in a very “enter at your own risk” sort of capacity. Hard hats are required on all visits.
Hudson Valley Outfitters and Storm King Adventure Tours run kayak tours of the island, whereas the less kayak-y types can take a tour with Hudson River Adventures and the Bannerman Castle Trust. They run by boat.
Senator Charles Schumer is trying to save the castle by seeking out funding under the Save America’s Treasures program and other means. Additionally, the Bannerman Castle Trust, Inc. accepts donations on their webpage, or you can send it to The Bannerman Castle Trust, Inc. at P.O Box 843, Glenham, NY 12527-0843, call them at 845-831-6346, or email them at admin@bannermancastle.org.
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