Bannerman's Castle on Pollepel Island

Pollepel Island is an island in the Hudson River. An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant The Hudson River, called Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk, the Great Mohegan by the Iroquois, or as the Lenape Native Americans called it in Unami Also known as Pollopel Island, Pollopel's Island and Bannerman Island, it is the site of Bannerman's Castle. While the two versions of the name are "Pollepel" and "Pollopel", the correct term is "Pollepel",^[1][2] from the Dutch word for a wooden spoon. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname

Pollepel Islandis about 50 miles (80 km) north of New York City^[3] and about 1,000 feet (300 m) from the Hudson River's eastern shore. This is about the direction for other uses see North (disambiguation. The City of New York A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST internal designation HT-7U is an experimental Superconducting Tokamak Magnetic fusion energy ^[2] It contains about 6. 5 acres — most of it rock. The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U ^[2]

The principal feature on the island is Bannerman's Castle, an abandoned military surplus warehouse. A military is an Organization authorized by its Nation to use force usually including use of Weapons in defending its Country (or by attacking ^[1] It was built in the style of a castle by businessman Francis Bannerman VI (1851–1918). A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. ^[2] It remains one of a very small number of structures in the United States which can properly be called a castle. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Pollepel Island is sometimes referred to as Bannerman's Island. ^[4] One side of the castle carries the words "Bannerman's Island Arsenal". ^[1]

Early history

Pollepel Island was discovered during the first navigation of the Hudson River by early Dutch settlers in New York,^[5] at the "Northern Gate" of the Hudson Highlands. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The Hudson Highlands are the Mountains on both sides of the Hudson River in the U There are accounts Native Americans believed the island was haunted and European settlers also told tales about it, including the legend of Polly Pell, invented to explain the island's name after its Dutch origins had been forgotten. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States It is also said that sailors making their first journey up the Hudson River were left stationed at the island until the ship returned as a rite of passage. The Hudson River, called Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk, the Great Mohegan by the Iroquois, or as the Lenape Native Americans called it in Unami

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). In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" This article concerns Patriots in the American Revolution. For other uses see Patriot (disambiguation. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The cheval de frise (plural chevaux de frise) was a Medieval defensive obstacle consisting of a portable frame (sometimes just a simple log covered with Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 The Hudson River Chain may refer to any of several chains used as a blockade across the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey, intended to prevent Caissons from several chevaux de frise still rest at the river bottom. In Geotechnical engineering, a caisson is a retaining watertight structure used for example to work on the foundations of a Bridge pier, However, these obstructions did not stop a British flotilla from burning Kingston in 1777. Kingston is a City in Ulster County, New York, United States. ^[6] General George Washington later signed a plan to use the island as a military prison, however there has been no evidence that a prison was ever built there. George Washington (February 22 1732 December 14 1799 served as the first President of the United States of America (1789&ndash1797 and led the A military is an Organization authorized by its Nation to use force usually including use of Weapons in defending its Country (or by attacking A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned and usually deprived of a range of ^[5]

Bannerman's Castle

Construction and decay

View from the railroad on the left bank of the Hudson River

Francis Bannerman VI purchased the island in 1900 for use as a storage facility for his growing surplus business. Year 1900 ( MCM) was an exceptional Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar ^[7] After the Spanish-American War Bannerman bought 90% of the US army surplus, including a large quantity of ammunition. ^[5][7] Because his storeroom in New York City was not large enough, and to provide a safe location to store munitions, in the spring of 1901 he began to build an arsenal on Pollepel. Year 1901 ( MCMI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Bannerman designed the buildings himself and let the constructors interpret the designs on their own. ^[8] Most of the building were 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 castle, clearly visible from the shore of the river, served as a giant advertisement for his business. Advertising is a form of Communication that typically attempts to persuade potential Customers to Purchase or to consume more of a particular Brand On the side of the castle facing the eastern bank of the Hudson, Bannerman cast the legend "Bannerman's Island Arsenal" into the wall.

Construction ceased at Bannerman's death in 1918. Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common In August 1920, 200 pounds of shells and powder exploded in an ancillary structure, destroying a portion of the complex. Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar After the sinking of the ferryboat Pollepel, which had served the island, in a storm in 1950, the Arsenal and island were essentially left vacant. ^[3] 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. ^[5] However, on August 8, 1969, fire devastated the Arsenal, and the roofs and floors were destroyed. Events 1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[3] The island was placed off-limits to the public.

The castle today

Today, the castle is property of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and is mostly in ruins. The New York State Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation operates (as of 2004) 168 State parks 35 state Historic While the exterior walls still stand, all the internal floors and non-structural walls have since burned down. The island has been the victim of vandalism, trespass, neglect and decay. Vandalism is the behaviour attributed to the Vandals in respect of Culture: ruthless Destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or Venerable Trespass (Fr trespas a crime properly a stepping across from Lat ^[9] Several old bulkheads and causeways that submerge at high tide present a serious navigational hazard. A hazard is a situation which poses a level of threat to Life, Health, Property or environment. On-island guided hard hat tours have recently been made available through the Bannerman's Castle Trust. A hard hat is a type of Helmet predominantly used in workplace environments such as Construction sites to protect the head from injury by falling objects ^[10] The castle is easily visible to the riders of the Metro-North Railroad's Hudson line and Amtrak. The Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company, or MTA Metro-North Railroad, or more commonly Metro-North, is a Suburban commuter rail service The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Doing business as Amtrak, is a Government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 The sign is easily visible to southbound riders.

In literature

Dark fantasy author Caitlín R. Kiernan uses Bannerman's Castle and Pollepel Island as the setting for a number of the stories in her collection, Tales of Pain and Wonder (2000), including "Estate," "The Last Child of Lir," and "Salammbô. Dark fantasy is a subgenre that combines elements of fantasy including marvelous abilities with those of horror Caitlín Rebekah Kiernan (born May 26, 1964 in Skerries Dublin, Ireland) is the author of many Science fiction and Dark Tales of Pain and Wonder (2000 is Caitlin R Kiernan 's first short-story collection 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. " In these stories, the castle was constructed by a fictional industrialist named Silas Desvernine and is referred to simply as "Silas' Castle. "

"Bannerman Castle" by authors Barbara Gottlock and Thom Johnson was released through Arcadia Press in August of 2006. The book contains almost 200 vintage photographs, and the text documents the island's growth and decline. Proceeds from the book go the Bannerman Castle Trust in its ongoing efforts to preserve and improve the island's structures. For ordering information, contact the Bannerman Castle Trust.

Pollepel Island is a murder scene in Linda Fairstein's murder mystery, Killer Heat. Linda Fairstein (born 1947 is one of America's foremost legal experts on crimes of violence against women and children

References

External links

• Bannerman Castle Trust
• Bannerman Castle Photo Gallery
• Bannerman's Island photos by Shaun O'Boyle
• Bannerman Castle History on itsnewjersey.com
• 360º panorama of the castle and surrounding land
• Trip photos of Bannerman's Castle

• Pollepel Island is at coordinates 41°27′19″N 73°59′20″W / 41.455314, -73.98887 (Pollepel Island)Coordinates: 41°27′19″N 73°59′20″W / 41.455314, -73.98887 (Pollepel Island)