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Bannerman Island-Hudson
Highlands State Park Opens in Beacon
Public Tours Start September 10, 2005 from the new ferry dock in
Beacon.
The Bannerman Castle Trust and The New York State
Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation announces the
start of regular tours of Bannerman Island, leaving from their newest
departure point in Beacon. Currently, the guided walking tour includes
Roberta Griffin’s art show, including paintings of Bannerman Island,
the Hudson Valley and historic views of Beacon.
Tours from the new ferry dock in Beacon will allow
greater access to tour Bannerman Island. Visitors from New York City can
now take Metro North’s Hudson Line from Grand Central Station to
Beacon, and walk across to the new ferry dock to catch the Pollepel to
Bannerman Island-Hudson Highlands State Parks.
The Bannerman Castle Trust, Inc. operates these
unique tours under a special arrangement with The New York State Office
of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Bannerman Castle is a
historic structure built on Pollepel Island by American entrepreneur
Frank Bannerman VI between 1901 and 1918. The castle was used to store
Mr. Bannerman’s collection of antique military equipment from the
Spanish American war. Frank Bannerman ran one of the first Army-Navy
stores in the country. Don’t miss this opportunity to tour this
majestic Hudson River Icon, situated on this one-of a kind island in the
spectacular Hudson River Highlands.
All tours are two and a half hours and include a
half-hour cruise to Bannerman Island-Hudson Highlands State Park, and a
one and a half hour guided tour of the island and a one half hour return
cruise to Newburgh or Beacon. The tour includes a new film featuring
renowned stage and screen actress, Jane Alexander, who narrates the
early history of Bannerman Island. The Bannerman Island-Hudson Highlands
State Park walking tour requires walking up and down 68 steps, steep
inclines and sometimes-rough trails. Strollers are not allowed on the
island. The island currently is not handicapped accessible.
Tours are given on Hudson River Adventure’s 55', 46 passenger
vessel, The Pollepel, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at noon,
departing from Torches Restaurant’s dock at the Newburgh waterfront.
Tours are also available from the new dock at the Beacon waterfront on
Saturdays and Sundays departing at 1:30 pm. Tickets: $40 per person.
Reservations are required. To reserve your tickets call Hudson River
Adventures at 845-220-2120 or 845-831-1001.
As most locals know, the castle on the
island that can be seen in the Hudson River just north of Breakneck
Tunnel off Route 9D is known as Bannerman’s Castle.
The island is of great interest to
history buffs because of the roles it played in the Revolutionary War
and the interest created by the castle on the island. The island is now
owned by the "people of the State of New York" under the
supervision of the Taconic State Park Commission which took possession
July 1, 1968. On August 8, 1969, a huge fire destroyed all the buildings
including the castle, except, of course, the masonry and concrete walls.
Francis Bannerman, contrary to many
inaccurate accounts, did not own the island until December 5, 1900. It
was then that Bannerman began making the island into a massive arsenal
for military materials and relics. According to a history of the island
by Charles S. Bannerman, grandson of Francis Bannerman, "...a
superintendent’s house had been built in 1901, and following that, the
Number I storehouse, of brick, was erected on the north side of the
Island.
Docks and breakwaters were formed by sinking old
barges filled
with stones, and after their settling, covering them with concrete.
Small crenellated towers were placed at the corners and openings in the
breakwaters, to form protected entrances to the harbor. According to
plans conceived and drawn up by Francis Bannerman, the large storehouse
by the landings and the family home on the top of the hill were built in
the style of old Scottish castles. (Francis Bannerman was born in
Dundee, Scotland in 1851).
While most of us know the island as
Bannerman’s Island, the actual historic name is Pollepel Island. Many
spellings of Pollepel are recorded. One notes that it is derived from
the word "polopel" which means spoon or potladle in Dutch.
This is thought to be true because of the story that vessels going up
and down the River put off on the Island any drunken and obstreperous
members of the Dutch sailing crews. They were picked up on the return
voyage sober and hungry. As the story goes.
Conditions on the island are dangerous.
Visitors are not permitted to land on the island. The Bannerman
Castle Trust organization runs periodic
boat excursions out to visit close to the island. The Trust will occasionally
bring escorted visitors to the island. For current listings of these
trips (if any),
see the coming
events pages.
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