About 50 miles north of New York City, Pollepel Island sits just off the eastern shore of the Hudson River and catches the eyes of commuters on the Metro-North Line. What is this mysterious little island, and why is it home to the ruins of a castle?
The story begins with Francis Bannerman VI. At the end of the Civil War, Bannerman and his father opened a military surplus store that would move around New York until it landed at 501 Broadway in Manhattan. As the Gilded Age wore on, the business grew exponentially, until it offered everything from uniforms to cannons.
At the end of the Spanish-American War, Bannerman purchased some captured military goods for resale, including a large quantity of black powder. Bannerman couldn’t store that powder in his New York City store. Enter Pollepel Island. Bannerman purchased it in 1900 and began using some of the gunpowder to blast its hilly surface and make it more hospitable to building. Bannerman looked to his Scottish heritage as inspiration when designing his complex of buildings. The wall of the first arsenal served as an enormous billboard advertising his New York store.
Construction on the island continued all the way until Bannerman’s death in 1918. Two years later, the powder house blew, and the resulting explosion was heard as far as 75 miles away. From that point forward, the castle and surrounding buildings began falling into disrepair, until a fire in 1969 acted as the final nail in the coffin.
For years the island sat mysterious and abandoned, until the Bannerman Castle Trust was founded in 1994 by Neil Caplan. In 2004, tours of the island began, and the trust continues its restoration of the island to this day, making sure it does not fall into further disrepair and fixing what has been broken. The trust also puts on events each year to fundraise for their cause, teach both locals and visitors about the island's history, and provide entertainment.
Eighteen years later, the Bannerman Castle Trust is planning another season of arts and cultural programming. On the third Sunday of the month, May through October, the trust will host concerts that include self-guided tours of the island. Scheduled performers include The Costellos, Wild Irish Roses, and the Storm King Duo. A series of movies will also be screened throughout the summer, like The Princess Bride on July 1 and Young Frankenstein on September 3.
Bannerman also hosts a variety of theater events. On July 2, enjoy a five-course meal of farm fresh food presented by the Chef’s Consortium. Dinner will be accompanied by a performance of "Heroes, Monsters and Madmen," in which Broadway veteran Craig Schulman will revisit such iconic roles as the Phantom of the Opera, Jean Valjean, and Dr. Jekyll.
Another farm-to-table dinner will be held on September 3, with music provided by harpist and singer Thistle. These two events will also include an exhibition featuring the paintings and photographs of local artists. Other productions include the play “Scotland Road,” in which a young woman is rescued from a floating iceberg speaking only one word: Titanic. That production will run from July 21 to 24. There will also be a production of “Dracula” staged by Theatre on the Road September 15 to 18.
For tickets to all of these events, visit bannermancastle.org and, as Caplan puts it, get bitten by the Bannerman bug.
