Interesting Facts About The Boldt Castle In The Thousand Islands

The Boldt Castle is a grand structure standing firmly on the Heart Island, in the Thousand Islands that lay strewn in the St. Lawrence River, bordering the state of New York. The structure is not actually a real medieval castle, but was made to look so. Built at the turn of the 20th century, by the multi-millionaire George Boldt, it was meant to be a symbol of his love for his wife, Louise. George intended to present the castle to Louise on Valentine's Day, 1905. But not every love story has a happy ending and so was his. After the tragic death of Louise in 1904, four years after the beginning of the work on the castle and one year short of the castle’s completion; Boldt decided to stop the work on the castle and let it rot. The castle stayed empty for over 73 years before the current owners, the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority took control and spearheaded a major revamp of the area, which in turn has made Boldt Castle such a huge attraction in the Thousand Islands region. Explore some interesting and fun facts about the Boldt Castle with the following lines.

Interesting & Fun Facts About The Boldt Castle

George Boldt, the multi millionaire who started the work of the Boldt Castle as a gift to his wife, was also the owner of the world famous Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, which at a time was the world’s largest hotel.
The Boldt Castle was meant to be a full-sized Rhineland Castle. It was furnished with paintings, sculptures, mosaics, and tapestries from around the world.
The work was intended to be completed in 5 years (i.e. from 1900 to 1905).
The house was set to be gifted to Louise Boldt, wife of George Boldt, on the Valentine’s Day in 1905.
In 1900, 300 workers set out to build this massive Valentine’s Day present. The six floor castle has 120 spacious rooms. Apart from that, it also boasts of tunnels, drawbridge, a powerhouse, gardens and a dove cote.
Boldt terminated all the construction process after the tragic loss of his beloved Louisa. He never returned to the island, leaving behind the structure as a monument of his love.
After the death of Boldt in 1916, the castle was purchased by Edward John Noble, who owned the Beechnut Fruit Company. Over the next 50 years, the E.J. Noble Foundation ran Boldt Castle as a tourist attraction.
The next 60 or so years were terrible for the building. Visitors were allowed unrestricted movement on the island. The vandalism caused loss of lot of art, which included acts such as breaking the windows, graffiti writing and destroying buildings.
The effect of natural forces was also detrimental for the building. Before the revamp began in 1977, roofs had started to leak, timbers deteriorated and plaster peeled off the walls. A fire destroyed all, but the stone shell of the powerhouse.
In 1977, when the 1000 Island Bridge Authority acquired the property, it was decided that all net revenues would be used to restore, rehabilitate and preserve the structures for the enjoyment of future generations.
Since 1977, windows and roofs were repaired. The powerhouse was rebuilt and the ballroom was converted into a museum.
The castle has now become an interesting wedding host. In summer months, you can catch up wedding couples traveling to the Heart Island, sailing on boats across the Saint Lawrence River, to tie the nuptial knot.

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