New York is known for a lot of things, but one landmark not typically associated with the Empire State is castles. Many people don’t know that New York has a massive castle hiding in plain sight on Pollepel Island. Pollepel Island, located in Dutchess County, is also known as Bannerman Island after its most famous resident.
Bannerman Castle was built in 1900 by Frank Bannerman, a military surplus dealer. After the Spanish-American War, Bannerman found himself with so much excess stock that he had to move out of his small Manhattan shop.
Bannerman Castle Trust/Facebook
Bannerman’s company carried such a wide variety of weapons and ammunition that his mail-order catalog was over 300 pages! In 1900, Bannerman purchased the island and began constructing buildings to use as warehouses.
kenneily/Google Maps
He wanted to honor his Scottish heritage by building the warehouse in the form of a giant castle.
Garrett Ziegler/Flickr
The large castle on the property functioned as storage for Bannerman’s arsenal, but he also built a smaller castle up on the hill. This was his home, and since it was visible from across the river, it also served as a massive billboard for his company.
Bannerman Castle/Google Maps The side of his home said “Bannerman’s Island Arsenal” in large letters that are still visible today.
In 1918, Bannerman passed away and construction on the massive castle stopped. It remained vacant and was damaged in a fire in 1920 when gunpowder exploded.
Cara MacDonald/Google Maps
The state of New York purchased the island in 1967. Tours were given for a few years, but unfortunately much of the island was destroyed in a fire a few years later.
Jake Brenchley/Google Maps The fire burned for three days until it finally burned itself out, but the entirety of the castle’s interior was destroyed.
While the castle certainly no longer resembles its glory days of the early 1900s, its remnants are still an impressive feat of architectural design.
National Archives and Records Administration/Wikimedia Commons
A modern non-profit group known as the Bannerman Castle Trust raised money to build stabilizing supports for the castle in 2011. Tours of the island are offered seasonally and can be booked on the Bannerman Castle Trust website.
New York is known for a lot of things, but one landmark not typically associated with the Empire State is castles. Many people don’t know that New York has a massive castle hiding in plain sight on Pollepel Island. Pollepel Island, located in Dutchess County, is also known as Bannerman Island after its most famous resident.
New York is known for a lot of things, but one landmark not typically associated with the Empire State is castles. Many people don’t know that New York has a massive castle hiding in plain sight on Pollepel Island. Pollepel Island, located in Dutchess County, is also known as Bannerman Island after its most famous resident.
Bannerman Castle Trust/Facebook
kenneily/Google Maps
Garrett Ziegler/Flickr
Bannerman Castle/Google Maps
The side of his home said “Bannerman’s Island Arsenal” in large letters that are still visible today.
Cara MacDonald/Google Maps
Jake Brenchley/Google Maps
The fire burned for three days until it finally burned itself out, but the entirety of the castle’s interior was destroyed.
National Archives and Records Administration/Wikimedia Commons
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Address: Pollepel Island, Fishkill, NY 12508, USA
