They also had a yacht
house that is presently the largest Cedar building on the
National Historic Registry. There was also a generator house to
produce their own power. Inside the house there are four floors.
The ground floor which is one of the floors that is the most
completed. Contains a billiard room, a reception room, vestibule,
dining room, hall, Mr. Boldt's office, a ballroom, a library
and a ground staircase to 2nd floor or foundation level. The
second floor (which is only partially finished) contains, Mr. and
Mrs. Boldts' bedrooms plus a loggia (partly opened room or
gallery) and several guest chambers. The third floor was similar
to the 2nd in layout but does not have the grand staircase. The
fourth floor has the dome of a skylight, (the skylight
particularly caught our eye because of the brilliance of its
colors) plus a number of servants rooms, a couple of guest
chambers (guess these were for the visiting in-laws you didn't
want to stay long), and openings onto observations decks. In the
Foundation level (equivalent to our basement area) were several
hallways, a lounge, mechanics room for the organ, and a swimming
pool. One of the grander outdoor structures was the Arch.
Modeled after Roman monuments, this water gate was to be the
formal entry for launches, delivering guests from large yachts
anchored in deep water, friends from other islands, and visitors
from the mainland. Stones were cut and delivered for double rows
of columns which would enclose a covered walk, extending from
each side of the arch. A drawbridge within the opening was to
provide a promenade on the embankment of the Swan Pond. When
Boldt decided that he wanted to turn their house into a fairytale
castle for his wife they decided to live in the Astral Tower
until the building was completed. The project was so extensive
that it would take approximately 5 years to build. Throughout the
house and grounds you will see the heart design repeated in many
different ways. One was a heart that was carved into the side of
the house. Around the house there were several gardens that were created so
that Mr. and Mrs. Boldt could stroll around their Island paradise
surrounded by the beauties of nature. One of the things that I
enjoyed on the outside of the house was a lovely fountain Mostly
they spent their summers on Heart Island as Mrs. Boldt's birthday
was on Valentines Day. Well, in January of 1904 with about 1 1/2
years to go on the construction of the house an order was sent to
the builders to stop all work. At the time three hundred workmen
dropped their tools and left the island, never to return. The
sculptures, Italian mantle pieces, imported tapestries and fine
furniture never reached their intended places in the ill-fated,
melancholy mansion. Mrs. Boldt had died of what was
then described as Consumption. Mr. Boldt stopped all work and
never again set foot on the island.
(We couldn't help shooting this picture wondering if the two boys
were thinking they were characters in a fairy tale or if they
were knights going to the rescue of some fair damsel in the
castle?)
Unfortunately from 1904 to until 1977, Boldt Castle, Heart Island
and the Boldt Yacht House slipped into a state of near
irreversible disrepair. In the fall of 1977 the Thousand Islands
Bridge Authority assumed ownership of these properties by a gift
from the E.J. Noble Foundation. Upon receiving the former Goerge
C. Boldt estate, the Authority instituted a stabilization program
to halt further deterioration and embarked on a long-term
rehabilitation plan that would preserve these historic buildings
and properties for generations to come. Throughout the years,
many improvements have been made and the Authority fully intends
to continue with its rehabilitation programs with planned
improvements well into the future. Today, visitors wander in awe
through the huge, empty rooms, imagining the luxury, splendor and
gaiety that might have been.
For information on
visiting times and prices, consult their website at:
www.boldtcastle.com.
Good Luck! Have Fun! and Stay Safe!
Laura
<<<<< Back HOME PAGE