Even today, you can read on one side a sign that reads “Bannerman’s Island Arsenal”. Viafore did not return, and Graswald was charged with his murder. Also known as Pollopel Island, Pollopel's Island, Bannerman's Island, and Bannerman Island, it is the site of Bannerman's Castle. Around 30 6-inch (152 mm) ex-Navy guns were acquired by the Army, but sources do not indicate whether any of these were sent to France. . The castle is currently the property of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and is mostly in ruins. Construction of the massive arsenal on Pollopel Island began in 1901. . Construction halted with Bannerman’s death in 1918, and the island has experienced a turbulent history since then. Explore the mystery and enjoy the history of Bannerman Island! TOURS & EVENTS. Bannerman Island Arsenal - YouTube. [2][3] Pollepel is a Dutch word meaning "(pot) ladle", The island is about 50 miles (80 km) north of New York City[4] and about 1,000 feet (300 m) from the Hudson River's eastern bank. You may NOT reproduce this content without permission. Pollepel Island is about 50 miles (80 km) north of New York City and about 1,000 feet (300 m) from the Hudson River's eastern shore. The store on the 500-block of Broadway opened in 1897 to outfit volunteers for the Spanish–American War. In recent years, the Bannerman Castle Trust was founded to preserve the island. We and our partners process personal data such as IP Address, Unique ID, browsing data for: Use precise geolocation data | Actively scan device characteristics for identification.. Bannerman purchased Pollepel Island in 1900 when his insatiable hobby of scrap collecting gave way to becoming a massive arms company. I glimpsed towers and crenellation, an illegible ancestral escutcheon, and sky through what had once been windows. Pollepel Island (Dutch for "wooden ladle") is a 6.5 acre rocky outcrop, located about 50 miles north of the city. [2][8], Bannerman purchased the island in November 1900,[2][3][8] for use as a storage facility for his growing surplus business. On December 28th 2009, an official on the Metro-North rail line noticed an entire corner of the massive tower collapsed due to the weathering of the aging mortar and unprotected bricks. On June 28, 2015, the public art piece Constellation by Beacon-based artist Melissa McGill debuted on and around the castle ruins. . [6] General George Washington later signed a plan to use the island as a military prison; however, there is no evidence that a prison was ever built there. Pollepel Island is an island in the Hudson River. . Construction was halted when Bannerman died in 1918, but the business continued to operate under his sons, Frank VII and David. . Just two hours north of New York City, in Beacon, sits an imposing, mysterious structure. The Trust is dedicated to pooling resources and funding to stabilize buildings on Pollepel Island and to raise awareness and educate the public and governmental organizations about the island's value and history. . It was the creation of a nineteenth-century businessman and served as an advertisement … [19][20] and has since been released from prison. In 1865 Francis Bannerman VI opened a military surplus store near the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York, buying up old Civil War equipment from the government at a wholesale price and offering them to the general public. In 1959, the family decided to move the Manhattan business to Long Island and empty the store on Broadway and Pollepel Island's castle of all remaining supplies. Bannerman Castle Trust. The following year the project began – Bannerman designed the buildings (including a small mansion for himself and guests) and then allowed those constructing them free range with architectural interpretation. During the Revolutionary War, patriots attempted to prevent the British from passing upriver by emplacing 106 chevaux de frise (upright logs tipped with iron points) between the island and Plum Point across the river (see Hudson River Chains). [8] The business bought weapons directly from the Spanish government before it evacuated Cuba; and then purchased over 90 percent of the Spanish guns, ammunition, and equipment captured by the United States military and auctioned off by the United States government. 1902 - 1964 . [2][9] Bannerman's illustrated mail order catalog expanded to 300 pages; and became a reference for collectors of antique military equipment. Proceeds from the book go to the Bannerman Castle Trust in its ongoing efforts to preserve and improve the island's structures. Situated approximately 1,000 feet from the east shore, it proved to be the perfect distance from the city for the storage of a huge arsenal. As the business grew, Bannerman purchased Pollepel Island in 1900 to store his growing supply of military equipment. The funny thing is that this storage space looks like a castle. May 1 - October 31. In 1901, he used his own black powder to blast a section of the island level, then erected his first warehouse, a plain concrete building, upon which he hung a large banner advertising his Broadway store. The main characters in Adventures of a Cat-Whiskered Girl by Daniel Pinkwater (2010), set in the 1950s, visit Pollepel Island and hang out with a family of trolls who are squatting in the abandoned castle. . [2][3], Sometime during the week before December 28, 2009, parts of the castle collapsed. It contains about 6.5 acres (26,000 m2), most of it rock. Share. (Contact box is open on this page: let me know if you want to see a close up of any section. [5], Francis Bannerman VI, the castle's eponym, was born on March 24, 1851, in Northern Ireland, according to Civil Registration records for Ireland, and emigrated to the United States with his parents in 1854. . . Another time, a cannon mistakenly fired a shell over a nearby mountain and through a barn (although no people or animals were injured). The ornate design only served as an advertisement for what Francis called “Bannerman’s Island Arsenal.” The castle was never actually completed – construction stopped after Bannerman died in 1918. In the early years, visitors would gather on a spot on the eastern shore of the river and ring a brass bell, signaling the employees to bring their rowboats across. Chunks of cement had decomposed, revealing badly damaged brick. [17][18] On July 24, 2017, she pled guilty to criminally negligent homicide. Along with building docks and repairing some particularly dangerous areas, they also hold walking tours and various events under their supervision. Copy link. . [21], Currently (2021) the island is under the care of "The Bannerman Castle Trust, Inc." which is a non-profit organization of “Friends” of volunteers who work with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historical Preservation. The Bannerman Island Arsenal on the Hudson. [4] The island and buildings were bought by New York State in 1967, after the old military merchandise had been removed, and tours of the island were given in 1968. Board the Pollepel for a 30 minute trip to the island, where you get a guided tour. [5] However, on August 8, 1969, fire devastated the Arsenal, and the roofs and floors were destroyed. Francis Bannerman was born March 24, 1851, in Dundee, Scotland, and immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1854. Bannerman designed the buildings himself and let the constructors interpret the designs on their own. All non-user contributed content is © Tom Kirsch, unless noted otherwise. 2 (behind the gantry crane). The collapse was reported by a motorist and by officials on the Metro-North.[16]. . The Army's 6-inch gun units in France primarily used former Army coast defense weapons; none of these units completed training and thus did not see action.[12][13]. . The arsenal was never completed and construction ended after Bannerman died in 1918. Frank Bannerman’s son, David, discovered the island accidentally on a canoe trip on the Hudson and Frank went on to purchase it from the owners, Thomas and Mary family on December 5, 1900. The Bannermans purchased it from … Bannerman bought the old guns, presumably at scrap value. Brian Altonen has a wonderful page with photos of the island taken around 1960, showing some of the vintage weapons that were stored there being hauled away by boat and more history about Bannerman's business. In 1920, 200 tons of munitions exploded, injuring three people and catapulting a 25-foot long chunk of stone onto the shore of the mainland, damaging the rail line that ran along the river. Accordinglty, “Bannerman now needed an arsenal.” Or, more accurately speaking: he needed a private island. . Officials estimated 30-40 percent of the front wall and about half of the east wall was gone. On April 19, 2015, the island was the destination of a kayak trip taken by Angelika Graswald and her fiancé, Vincent Viafore. Caissons from several chevaux de frise still rest at the river bottom. Seeland, an Ulster County resident, lived with her family who were residents of Pollepel Island in the early part of 20th century. The work consists of seventeen LEDs mounted on metal poles of varying heights, which when lighted for two hours each night are intended to create the appearance of a new constellation. Call or visit web for full schedule. | Photo: Wikimedia Commons Undeterred, Bannerman purchased the island for $1600 (about $50,000 today). On-island guided hard hat tours were recently made available through the Bannerman's Castle Trust. By the 1960's the place was abandoned, and was eventually acquired by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. [11], Most of the building was devoted to the stores of army surplus but Bannerman built another castle in a smaller scale on top of the island near the main structure as a residence, often using items from his surplus collection for decorative touches. The construction of Bannerman's Castle: The ultimate Army-Navy store :: Guns.com Bannerman himself designed the buildings, often decorated with military items from his collection, and let the constructors interpret his designs as they saw fit. While portions of the exterior walls still stand, all the internal floors and non-structural walls have since burned down. Tap to unmute. His grandfather was from Dundee, Scotland where he worked as a 'linenman'. "[22] It is based on photographs, interviews and journals of Eleanor Seeland. [22] The book contains almost 200 vintage photographs, and the text documents the island's growth and decline. Watch later. Today, Bannerman Island provides a resting place for the ruins of a genuine Scottish castle, although the castle was not built to serve as a home. When Bannerman bought the island in 1900, it had only been used for occasional summer picnics. . . . Bannerman himself designed the buildings, often decorated with military items from his collection, and let the constructors interpret his designs as they saw fit. The massive brick facade of the tower provided an excellent advertising space to promote his business to anyone traveling up the Hudson via ship or rail. One side of the castle, which carries the words "Bannermans' Island Arsenal", is also visible to southbound riders. . Shopping. Two years later, a massive explosion, fueled by nearly 200 tons of gunpowder and shells, destroyed a large portion of the castle. I will try to rephotograph some of these pictures for more detailed closeups later.) Bannerman Island and Arsenal. Wesley Gottlock and Barbara H. Gottlock authored a children's book called, "My Name is Eleanor. . [4] The island was placed off-limits to the public. [2][3], Circa 1900–1910 the US Navy re-gunned a number of older ships. Before Bannerman bought the island, its only previous use had been for occasional summer picnics. [24], In the Season 7 episode of The Venture Bros., The Forecast Manufacturer, the Island is the Base of Operations for the super-villain Organization known as "The Peril Partnership," however, it is actually a rogue version of the Canadian-based villain organization. If you would like to share it, please use the social media buttons provided or write something up with a link to this website, thanks. Info. [8], In 1867 the business occupied a ship chandlery on Atlantic Avenue engaged in the purchase of worn rope for papermaking. To Purchase Tour Tickets and General Tour Questions please call (845) 203-1316 or book online! Book Now. The . The island has been the victim of vandalism, trespass, neglect, and decay. . Buried on an island in the Hudson, beneath the brittle body of century old castle walls and thin hair of tangled vines, lie Civil War bayonet scabbards and the ashes of Irish linen bed sheets. . . [Image: Bannerman’s Island, copyright Shaun O’Boyle]. Pollepel Bannerman Island Cruise and WalkingTours. In 1917, following the American entry into World War I, Bannerman sold a number of these weapons to the US Army, which intended to mount them on new carriages as field guns for the Western Front. Saturdays, Sundays, and Selected Fridays.

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