Over Memorial Day weekend, the hubs and I took a boat tour to a formerly private island in the middle of the Hudson River, which has become a state park with tours available. Go Go Go!
The castle (a series of 7 warehouses) was designed and built by a Scotsman turned Brooklynite who needed a less dense and safer place to store his stock of arms, gunpowder, military related gear and general detritus of the early 1900s (one room was dedicated just to wagon wheels). He bought the island, and without any building permits or even plans (ah, early 20th century) constructed a Scottish castle/warehouse for his business and stone home for his family. Due to an explosion, a fire and neglect, it’s now in ruins, but the state is trying to restore it.
Show me the pics! OK–
the warehouse/castle from the boat and dock area
From the island, you can see it’s in pretty bad shape. The castle used as warehouse was built to look big from the shores of the Hudson, specifically from the Hudson Line train that runs along the eastern edge of the river. The turret columns actually got wider on the higher stories. So, not really meant to be sturdy like a real castle would be. But at one point we were told they had a moat and drawbridge!
The Bannerman Family’s home on the island, used as their summer home away from The City
Well it was a hard hat tour after all, chunks could crumble off those structures at any time. This was the view from the family house, looking south over the Hudson. West Point would be on the right just past the first ridge that juts out. Would’ve been much nicer on a sunny day, alas.
I’m sure the “Wee Bay Steps” didn’t used to go off into scrub bushes and poison ivy, but they do now! There was a pretty elaborate formal garden there that the Parks people have tried to recreate. Didn’t make for a good pic though.
But there were informal gardens everywhere!
If you go, depart from Beacon rather than Newburgh. It’s a really cute artsy/historic rivertown with shops and cafes perfect for an afternoon, and also the renovated Dia museum that moved up from NYC a few years back (you can also use their bathroom while waiting for the boat if you drive uphill a half mile or grab some grub and sit in their outdoor patio to chill a bit).