The antique fire truck outside the firehouse during the Kingston “Snowflake Festival”
I was recently visiting Kingston, NY for an event and while walking around the downtown the doors of the Volunteer Firemen’s Hall & Museum of Kingston was open for visitors. Even if you are not a fire fighter it is such an interesting museum on the history of fire fighting and the role the Kingston Fire Department had in the formation of the City of Kingston.
The early horse drawn fire equipment
The museum welcoming people to the Kingston “Snowflake Festival” in 2022
On the main floor is four pieces of equipment from various stages of the department. The engines are from the turn of the last century featuring horse drawn ladders and steam engines and then the latest equipment from the early teens and twenties from the automotive stage. Each piece of equipment has been carefully maintained and is in pristine shape.
The museum decorated for Christmas for the recent “Kingston Snowflake Festival”
It is interesting to see how different each rig is at that stage of its history but how much has not really changed with the use of the equipment when fighting a fire.
The bay area of the old firehouse with the antique equipment
One of the more interesting pieces in the collection is the beautifully detailed Parade piece from the late 1800’s (circa around 1890’s) which has gorgeous details and intricate craftsmanship work to it. This interesting piece of equipment was the pride of the department on parade day and is one of the few of its type in the country.
The Fire Department Parade Piece
Along the walls is all sorts of pictures of old fires, men who were once members of the department, ribbons and awards, old systems for calling for firemen from the horns that used to sound the alarms to the more modern telegraph equipment to the current paging systems.
The roster upstairs
The fire department equipment pieces
Upstairs you can visit the furnished headquarters of a firehouse circa 1890’s to 1920 with vintage furniture, decorations and composites of firemen long ago. There is even a mannequin of a fire fighter sliding down a pole that leads to the first floor. Here and there are more decorative equipment pieces, furnishings and awards.
The upstairs of the Kingston Volunteer Museum
The museum has a little something for everyone and if you are interesting in knowing more of the history of the fire service and want to hear the stories by members current and retired from the Kingston Fire Department, then the Volunteer Firemen’s Hall & Museum is the place to visit.
Old decorations from fire equipment at the Volunteer Firemen’s Hall & Museum
History of the Museum and Fire Fighting in Kingston, NY:
Ulster County has a remarkable over 350 year history of noble fire fighting. See it up-close and personal at the Volunteer Firemen’s Hall & Museum of Kingston.
The award case upstairs at the firehouse
When Kingston City Hall burned on June 4th, 1927, the third alarm was sounded from the building’s own bell tower before it crashed to the ground. Fire calls in Kingston today are answered through the 911 system with a three minute response time. Ever watched a TV show about firemen and their firehouse? The ‘squawk’ to a call is unmistakable.
The upstairs in the firehouse
Seven volunteer fire companies and the Exempt Association of Kingston recognized the importance of preserving and protecting firematic artifacts as well as establishing a meeting hall for volunteer fire organizations in Kingston and Ulster County. They were charged with finding a permanent home and signed a lease with the City of Kingston for Fair Street’s historic circa 1850 Wiltwyck Fire Station and the rest is history.
The Ladies Auxiliary and rosters
Walk through the large wooden doors to the home away from home of the 19th century firefighters.
The old Kingston, NY firehouse that now houses the museum
Disclaimer: this information was taken directly from the Volunteer Firemen’s Hall & Museum of Kingston pamphlet and I give them full credit for it. Please check out their website for more information.
The living area upstairs in the firehouse decorated for Christmas
I recently spent my afternoon at the Senate House and Museum in Kingston, NY taking a tour of the museum and the House next door. The Senate House itself had just finished its renovation and the gardens were in full bloom in 2023. It was a quiet afternoon, and I was the only patron for most of the afternoon. The grounds were full of beautiful foliage and flowers, so it was nice to walk around the grounds.
The Senate House story board
The Senate House had just reopened in 2023 after almost a four year renovation and because of the closure during COVID. The grounds are very pretty and well-landscaped and the outside has had a lot done to the gardens. The house was built for merchant Abraham Van Gaasbeek and his family. It stayed in the family for generations.
The Senate House at 296 Fair Street
We were able to tour the inside of the house and see the renovations that the State of New York made on this important structure. The home has been renovated by the state but the tour guide told us not with the historical integrity it should have had. It was not to the total interpretation of the life in the house. Still, it told the story about the people that lived there.
The Senate House Kitchen
Here you see the beehive oven, the working fireplace and many household items including waffle makers, cookie molds and candle making tools. The daily household tasks would be time consuming.
The Dining Space
The bedroom
In the original part of the house, the dining space and bedroom would be in a one room section of the home and as the family got larger, the house was added on to on both sides.
The Parlor
The Parlor was the fanciest room in the house with the best furnishings, decorations and a place of social interactions with guests. This rooms was for adult use at that time.
The Meeting Room for the leaders in change.
This was the room where plans by the patriots were made that changed the course of New York and the rest of the country. Now that the Senate House home is open again, you get a feel for what these people must have went through in developing the country during the Revolutionary War years.
When I visited the Senate House at the holidays for the “Snowflake Festival”, it was still closed for renovation but the grounds were open for touring, music and for a visit with Santa. It was a magical night on the grounds of the historical site and people had a nice time that evening. The grounds and the other buildings were decked out for the holidays.
The Senate House decked out for the Christmas holidays at the “Kingston Snowflake Festival” in 2022
The Senate House property decorated for the Kingston Snowflake Festival in 2022
Santa’s visit at the Senate House property in 2022
The history of the Kingston Stockade section of the city.
The main part of the park is the Senate House Museum, which is broken into three sections. The right side of the museum is the history of the City of Kingston and the matching artifacts. There is a description of manufacturing, merchant class and its military prominence. Here I learned about the growth of Kingston and its founding, its strategic spot on the Hudson River in the early colony, its role as diplomats to the Native Americans, which was not so pleasant and its growth after the war.
The first floor exhibitions on early life in Kingston
The history of the City of Kingston is described with the Native American settlements and the trade with the Dutch, the unsettling relationships that the two groups had with each other, the War years, the growth of industry and trade in early New York and manufacturing in the area.
The Native American exhibition
Early manufacturing and life in Kingston
The Artist’s sign
The Vanderlyn Exhibition of artist John Vanderlyn’s art
Artist John Vanderlyn’s works are featured on this part of the museum.
The left side of the museum is dedicated to the locally born artist, John Vanderlyn. His paintings line the walls of the museum of the artist at different stages of his career. His work was ahead of its time for the area, and it was noted in the collection that he forced himself to commission portraits to survive. His works advanced for the time because of his studying abroad now line the walls of the best museums in the country.
The exhibition of John Vanderlyn’s portraits
Artist John Vanderlyn’s bio in the museum
Members of the extended Vanderlyn family portraits
The second floor holds the furniture that is not historically correct with the Senate House and comes from different time periods. There is furniture, beds and chairs, spinning wheels, chamber pots and all sorts of accessories for the home and their uses in everyday life. Vintage furnishings with explanations on their use are a big part of the exhibit.
Artifacts from the past are displayed here
The everyday items used to spin material and create clothing
The Loughran House next door houses more of the furniture of the house and has a new exhibition “Back to the Future: The Evolution of Senate House”. This houses artifacts from the house.
The Senate House property during the “Kingston Snowflake Festival” in 2022
The Senate House property during Christmas 2024
The Senate House property during Christmas 2024
History of the Senate House:
(From Wiki/Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation pamphlet)
Amidst the turmoil of a British military invasion in the fall of 1777, the elected representations of rebellious New Yorkers met in Kingston to form a new state government. While convened in Kingston in September and October, New York’s first Senate met in the simple stone house of merchant Abraham Van Gaasbeek.
Here they adopted a system comprising of a senate, assembly, governor and judiciary that still exists today. Every one of the assembled delegates risked his life and property by being so openly disloyal to the Crown. Indeed, all were forced to flee for their lives when the British attacked and burned Kingston on October 16th.
While convened in Kingston in September and October, New York’s first Senate met in the simple stone house of Abraham Van Gaasbeek, a prosperous merchant trader who had suffered financial losses as a result of the war and personal losses in the recent deaths of his wife, Sara, his daughter and infant granddaughter. It was Sara’s grandfather, Wessel Ten Broeck, who built the original section of the house in 1676.
At first called Wiltwyck, Kingston was the third “city” established in the Dutch Colony of New Netherland. Planned and developed by the Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant in 1656, the town was renamed Kingston after the colony was seized by the English in 1664.
Wessel Ten Broeck’s one room Dutch style house was enlarged by succeeding owners in the 18th century. Each change reflected the increasing fortunes of the Ten Broeck/Van Gaasbeek family and demonstrated a gradual acceptance of English styles and customs over the persistent influence of the early Dutch. Kingston at the time of the American Revolution was still a noticeably “Dutch” town and most of its citizens supported the American cause. British Major General John Vaughan justified his destruction of the city because it was a “nursery for almost every villain in the country.”
In 1887, to recognize Senate House’s role in the formation of New York State, New York State acquired the property, which quickly became a vital community museum. A two-story Museum Building was constructed in 1927 to house and display the site’s burgeoning collection. Among its treasures are: major works by John Vanderlyn and other members of the Vanderlyn family of Kingston. The museum also includes the site’s popular new exhibit: “Kingston Stockage: New Netherlands’ Third City,” discussing Kingston’s early history.
(New York State Park History)
The Kingston Stockade: The City’s formation from the beginning
The Boonton Historical Society at 210 Main Street.
I recently visited the Boonton Historical Society on the Main Street of downtown Boonton, NJ in a quickly changing new Arts Community. Up the hill, several galleries have found a home, and the downtown is filling up with cottage industries catering to both locals and artists.
The Historical Society covers the history of Boonton and its role in New Jersey history especially with the creation of the Morris Canal and the Iron works that once dominated the area until about WWI.
The munitions of the town’s foundries
The town saw much prosperity during the Civil War, providing ammunition and supplies to the Union Army. Many of the nails used during this period came their foundries. They also supplied munitions, pails, building materials and the transportation of raw iron out of the town. When technology and the way we build changed, the businesses here started to dry up. The use of the Train system and major highways also changed the transportation, it affected the town’s businesses.
Still the Boonton area is home to many historic homes, a section of the Morris Canal and the remains of the iron works that burnt to the ground decades ago. There is an interesting exhibition of the town’s Police Department in the lower level and now as part of the changing gallery space an extensive exhibition on the NJ Trolley system that once dominated the state.
The Boonton Historical Society and Museum at Christmas 2022
The Permanent Collection:
The permanent exhibition space studies the history of the town, telling the story of the town’s beginnings as a manufacturing town, growth of the canals and shipping and agriculture to its current destination as a Arts Community. The museum is small and can be seen in about an hour to two hours if you like to read.
Don’t miss the room to the right of the museum which covers the timeline of the town and its prominent residents. It tells the story of how the growth of the iron works, the building of the dam and the coming of the railroads and the trolley system changed the town and the growth of its population. There was the history of the Boonton Fire Department.
Take time to read the displays and look at the exhibitions behind the case lines.
The Old Boonton Downtown and homes
The permanent collection of the town’s history
Downstairs is another gift shop with many unique items at extremely reasonable prices and in the room next to it was a display on the history of the Boonton Police Department over the years.
Police Chief’s Desk
Display of Police memorabilia
Special Events:
I recently went to the Boonton Historical Society for the December 2019 Holiday open House and it was a very nice afternoon. They some local students playing the guitar, keyboards and the flute with engaging music and holiday songs. The Open House did not return again until 2022 in the post-COVID era and it was a very festive afternoon even if the weather did not want to cooperate. There was wonderful music, delicious food and warm conversation. I got to talk with many of the Board Members on events going on at the museum.
There were some light refreshments with hot and cold appetizers and Christmas cookies.
They had specials in their gift shops and featured ornaments, books and stuffed animals at a reasonable price and had 1960’s and 70’s Christmas albums playing on the lower level of the museum. In 2022, one of the Trustees played the piano for the entertainment that was very nice. It was a nice mini concert.
It was a nice afternoon treat and the society did a nice job welcoming people. There was food and entertainment and even a visit from Santa Claus.
Santa visited the Boonton Historical Society at the Christmas Open House in 2022
The members of the Boonton Historical Society Board of Directors at the Christmas Open House in 2022 could not have been better hosts
The gift shop is pretty extensive and offers lots of good deals on merchandise
Walking Tours:
The Historical Society also has some interesting walking tours of Boonton. In May 2021, I visited Boonton for a walking tour in conjunction with the Boonton Trail Committee of the Boonton Iron Works and the Morris Canal starting with a tour of Grace Lord Park and the falls. It was interesting how the town developed around the Iron Works and why they were created there.
Boonton Iron Works Site in Boonton, NJ
We toured the back trails of the park along the Rockaway River to the site of the former Iron Works which are in the process of being torn down for development. The tour guide gave us the history of the Iron Works and their role in pig iron development and how the canal played a role in the transport of the finished product to markets all over the country. These famous ruins are under threat of being torn down for development which would be a shame.
The Grace Lord Park Falls
The Grace Lord Park where the tour took place at the very edge of Downtown Boonton, NJ is an amazing little park at Essex Avenue and Main Street is an amazing little park. On a recent trip to Boonton for a walking tour of the Downtown architecture and history of the downtown I stopped in the park again that was decorated for a Halloween event for the community. It looks like it will be a lot of fun.
City Hall decked out for the holidays
In October of 2022, I went on a interesting walking tour lead by museum member and long time resident of Boonton, NJ Nancy Charlton Questa, who took us through the downtown and discussing the history and current use of many of the unique and detailed buildings of Downtown Boonton. For such a small town, it at one time had been a major mining and steel town with access to the canal system of New Jersey. It had a Opera House and a theater which is amazing for a downtown this size.
Downtown Boonton, NJ has many historical buildings
Many of the buildings in the downtown are currently going through a renovation and will reopen as new restaurants, theaters and retail shops as the town is becoming more “hipster” and ‘artist’ driven with new galleries opening up. There are now three coffee shops and three bakeries in the downtown area.
The top of the Downtown Boonton, NJ in the fall
Ms. Charlton Questa knowledge of the town as a life long member of the community brought a lot of insights to the walking tour of what was there when she was growing up until today. It blended very nicely with the current exhibition at the museum “Small Businesses of the Past”. This is on the history of the town’s business district businesses. I highly recommend this walking tour when it is offered again in the Spring.
The Civil War Monument next to a historical bank
The museum is only open once a week on Sundays from 1:00pm-4:00pm and is run by volunteers. If you want to see how the State of New Jersey grew from a series of small towns to bustling industrial areas to sleepy back towns and back, visiting the Boonton Historical Society and Museum is a must visit.
The Boonton Library next to Darress Theater in Downtown Boonton, NJ
The Boonton Opera House next to the old Boonton Firehouse
The top of Downtown Boonton, NJ in the fall
Gaylord Park at the edge of Downtown Boonton, NJ where we toured both the Downtown and the Ironworks
New Exhibitions:
The Boonton Historical Society in conjunction with the North Jersey Electric Railway Historical Society and Liberty Historic Railway present this exhibition on the Trolley era. This display will include scale models of various types of trolley cars which operated in New Jersey, along with streetcar memorabilia and artifacts such as operator’s uniform jacket/hats, badges, books, publications, post cards, photos, videos, lithographs, signs, posters, tickets, lanterns, hardware and more (Boonton Historical Society).
The History of Boonton, NJ in the early years
In the Winter of 2021, the Boonton Historical Society opened a new exhibition entitled “Small Businesses of the Past”, which was an interesting look at the way downtowns evolve with the times.
“The Small Businesses of the Past” exhibition
It showed the role that immigrants played in building the downtown merchants’ shops and how they catered to fellow immigrants who worked at the iron plant and on the canal. It also explained how families passed these businesses down from generation to generation over time.
The Bakeries in town
The exhibition showed the bakeries, banks, taxi services and pharmacies that make up any downtown in the State of New Jersey. It is interesting to see things old Christmas club accounts, prescription bottles and promotional items that are given out when you open a new account.
Things that might not be part of the shopping experience today.
The mustache cups of the barbers in the area.
The businesses of Downtown Boonton over the years
In 2023, the exhibition is entitled: “Say Yes To The Dress”: Ladies dress through the decades. A reflection of ladies’ dress through pieces of the permanent collection and the collection of members. The exhibit features wedding, party and day dresses worn by women from the 1880’s to the 1930’s. Also displayed was a assortment of accessories including hats, gloves and novelties.
The exhibit: “Say Yes To The Dress.”
The exhibit showcases ladies dress through the ages and a reflection on how things have changed over the years.
A close up at the dress collection.
Lady preparing herself for a night out.
Lady enjoying tea with favorite friend.
This dress was worn by Mrs. Ethella Salmon and donated by Lloyd Charlton. Ethella was the daughter in law of Congressman Joshua Salmon and had worn this dress to President McKinley’s inaugural ball in 1901.
The display to the right
The display to the left.
Wedding dresses through the ages.
The accessories in the show.
It really shows how Boonton, NJ has changed over the years and a new wave of immigration with Jamaican and Latino businesses opening up are again changing the make-up of the downtown today. Downtown Boonton is going through another resurgence with new art galleries, restaurants and stores opening up where these businesses of the past once stood.
The latest exhibition was on Boontonware, dish ware that was created and manufactured in Boonton until 1980. These colorful dishes which graced many New Jersey and beyond dinner tables were once manufactured in town. I remember these dishes from the early 1970’s when our family had a set of red flowered dishes that we ate all our meals on.
The Boontonware display of dish ware
The display of Children’s dishes
More items from the Children’s line of Boontonware
The colorful dishware made in Boonton, NJ
The portraits of the former owners of the home where the museum is located, Dr. & Mrs. John Taylor
A trip to Downtown Boonton, NJ:
Downtown Boonton, NJ
The Mission Statement of the Boonton Historical Society & Museum:
The Boonton Historical Society and Museum is a non-profit organization incorporation in 1959 located in the town of Boonton, New Jersey. Its mission is to:
*Preserved and protect the town of Boonton’s unique cultural, architectural and industrial history.
*Preserved and share the area’s rich history, folklore, arts and humanities of the past and present.
*Encourage preservation and restoration of historic landmarks in the town.
*Protect and display the museum’s collections.
*Provide educational programs, guided historical tours and exhibitions to a diverse population.
The History of Dr. John Taylor House 210 Main Street Boonton, NJ (Home of the Museum):
The building was originally a private home built for Dr. John Taylor and his wife, Adelaide T. Kanouse. John L. Kanouse gave his daughter and her husband this lot as a Christmas present in 1897. Most likely, it was an enticement to get his family to move closer to him because they had been living in Succasunna and Mount Arlington where Dr. Taylor had practiced medicine for 15 years. The Taylor’s returned to Boonton and had the brick house built. Dr. Taylor continued his medical practice there.
In 1901, Adelaide’s parents came to live with them until her father died in 1905 and her mother in 1908. John L. Kanouse was one of Boonton’s most prominent citizens and was a successful businessman. He operated a food and supply store on Main Street, a coal yard on the Morris Canal and a modest farm between Kanouse and Roessler streets. He was elected Superintendent of Public Schools and held the office for twenty years. He served in the State Legislature and Board of Chosen Freeholder and as Associate Judge of Morris County and Tax Collector of Boonton.
Dr. Ellery Peck worked with Dr. Taylor in the building as an associate for seven years. Then in 1917, Dr. Peck went to serve in WWI and Dr. Taylor moved to Chula Vista, CA. After the war, the returning soldiers formed American Legion Post #124. Dr. Peck was one of the trustees of the Legion Post. He negotiated with the Taylor’s to purchase the building from the Post and dedicated it as a permanent memorial to veterans and a home for Post #124.
In 1922, the Town offices were moved from the Maxfield Fire House on Main Street to the John Taylor house. The Legion Post and the Town shared this building for 43 years until the present Town Hall was built in 1965. Since that time, the Boy Scouts, Civil Defense and Parking Authority have also used the building, having five floors there was enough room for everyone.
The Legion also offered space to the Boonton Historical Society. On November 11, 1980, the Society opened its museum on the second floor. This arrangement continued for ten years until Town Fathers deemed the building unsafe and it was closed to the public.
The building sat idle until the Committee to Save the John Taylor Building sought funding to renovate the building. That funding came from several sources. The largest portion came from a state grant but there were also sizable donations from the American Legion Post #124 and the Boonton Historical Society. More money came from individuals who were interested in seeing this portion of Boonton’s history kept alive and retained by the Town. The renovations were completed by professional tradesman and a few tireless volunteers. The building reopened in May 1997.
The original building had two triangle dormers on the top floor and a porch at the back of the main floor. They were removed sometime during the 1960’s. That work did solve the problem of a leaking roof but unfortunately, it made the building ineligible for designation to the historic register. Another mistake was made when the building was painted to solve the problem of leaking bricks. That mistake was undone when a civic group, Boonton’s United Community Effort, held a raffle to earn money to have the paint chemically removed and the bricks repointed.
The John Taylor House
Today, the building is shared by the American Legion and the Historical Society and Museum. The Town Fathers generously pay the expenses of the building and for that were are grateful (Boonton Historical Society).
Disclaimer: This information was taken from the Boonton Historical Society pamphlet and I give them full credit for the information.
The mysterious Bannerman Castle sits on an island in the middle of the Hudson River
The welcoming sign by the riverfront
I recently visited Bannerman Island (Pollepel Island) just outside of Beacon, New York on a cool cloudy day and I highly recommend the twenty minute boat trip to this mysterious and scenic island. The only way to visit the island is by boat or kayak and the ride is very quick depending on the weather and the waves on the Hudson River.
The dock at the Beacon Railroad station at the beginning of the tour
The dockside and park at the Beacon park
The view of the docks before the tour
The view of the bridge near the park and part of the boat tour
Arriving at the dock on Bannerman Island after your boat ride
The historic sign of General Lafayette’s landing at this site in 1824
Once you get to the island, you are greeted by the tour guide and then have to walk up 74 steps from the harbor to the ridge of the island so this is NOT ADA compliant. At the top of the stairs starts the path around the island. Our tour guide that lead the tour had been there since the tours started in 2004 and gave us many insights on the history of the island and its purpose to the Bannerman family.
The gardens at the hillside as you walk up the stairs at Bannerman Island in the Summer of 2024
The first stop on the tour is the view of the ruins of the old Munitions Storage building
Our first stop was the Bannerman Munitions Storage facilities that were in the form of a castle that can be seen from the rail system up to Poughkeepsie, NY. For years I thought (as most people do) that this was a home but it was the Bannerman Munitions Warehouse for all the Army surplus items that Mr. Bannerman had brought up here from New York City. All the Military items were stored up here and the orders were fulfilled from this island.
Walking by the ruins of the old castle
Walking by the castle on the pathway
The pathway by the river
Walking the pathway by the river
The company has not been in business since the early 60’s and when the children of the founder closed the company after the laws in the Federal Government changed to where private citizens could not sell explosive, it put a damper into operations. In 1967, the storage buildings were destroyed by fire and the compound was a shell of the former factory. The home was also abandoned at the top of the ridge when the family sold the island.
The Bannerman Island Munitions Storage Facility
Once you leave the former storage facility which is now being held up by stilts because the structure is so weak, you will proceed up the path past the formal gardens that are planted along the trail. The local garden clubs now come to the island to replant Mrs. Bannerman’s formal gardens and beautify the island.
The gardens on the pathway to the house
The gardens along the pathway
The gardens
The gardens along the pathway to the house
The gardens by the front of the house
The gardens by the front door of the Bannerman Mansion
At the top of the point, there is the former home of the Bannerman family that is currently under renovation. It houses a quick tour of the family and there is a small gift shop inside. The porch area has the most amazing views of the Hudson River and the surrounding mountains. Here the Friends of Bannerman Island show movies in the warmer months and hold plays just outside the home. The last movie had been “Abbott and Costello Meet the Frankenstein”, which had been sold out according to the tour guide.
The Bannerman House and Gardens
The main room in the house
The old kitchen in the Bannerman home
The restoration of the house
The house restoration
When you leave the house, there are two paths that you can follow around, one to Wee Bay at the bottom of the hill where you can see the beach and some of the river buildings. The other is the Red Trail around the hill of the island that takes you to the top of the hill to see spectacular views and back to the dock where you will pick up the boat. I suggest good walking shoes and patience. The Wee Bay trail is past the gardens. You take the trail down to the beach.
The pathway to the beach
The Bannerman sign before you head down the hill
The signs to Wee Bay Beach
The Wee Bay path tour
The Wee Bay path tour
The Wee Bay path tour
The views of the river from the Wee Path tour
The Wee Bay beach at the bottom of the trail
The beauty of the beach at the bottom of the hill
The docking buildings by the beach
Wee Bay Beach
The view from the beach
The view of the River buildings
I headed back to the top of the trail by the house and continued the walk around the house to walk the Red Trail on the other side of the house. I have to admit this is not for the faint hearted and you had better like hiking because it is not easy.
The beginning of the trails by the main house
The Red Trail gardens
The Red Trail by the house
The trail at the highest point on the Red Trail
The end of the Red Trail
The end of the trail by the castle
As you exit the tour, you will be heading down another flight of stairs to go back to the harbor. Please watch out for poison ivy! It is all over the place. Then it is back on the boat to the Beacon harbor. The tour guide gives you plenty of time to take pictures.
The view of Mount Beacon on the Hudson River
Finishing the tour and back to the boat
The tours are finished at the end of October and will reopen again in the Spring. You must book on line for the tours through the State website and the boats only hold 44 people so be sure to book in advance of when you want to go.
In 2019, I had lucked out in that three people did not show up for the 2:00pm tour and I was able to pay cash for the trip. In 2024 I booked online which is what I suggest.
For the views alone it is well worth the trip
The view of Downtown Beacon when you return to the dock
The boat awaited the next group who were at the dock when we returned
The view of the parks when you return
History of Bannerman Castle on Pollepel Island:
Bannerman Castle was built from 1901-1918 by Frank Bannerman IV as a warehouse to store his collection of antique military equipment from the Spanish American and Civil Wars. Bannerman was the father of the Army Navy Store. His world famous catalogue of military equipment became the “go to” source for collectors.
The ruins of the Bannerman Castle
The island housed seven structures that formed the Scottish baronial castle, including workers apartments, a summer residence and beautiful trails and gardens. A great fire in 1969 destroyed the interiors and left the shells you see today. Bannerman island opened for tours in 2004.
History of Francis Bannerman VI:
(from the parks website)
Francis Bannerman VI was born on March 24th, 1851 in Northern Ireland and emigrated to the United States in 1854. The family moved to Brooklyn, NY and began a military surplus business by the Brooklyn Navy Yard purchasing army surplus after the Civil War. The family continued to grow the business by buying weapons directly from the Spanish Government before it evacuated Cuba and then purchased 90% of the munitions auctioned off by the Federal Government that had been capture by American forces at the close of the Spanish-American War.
The family bought the island in 1900 to store the surplus items to their growing business. The warehouse in New York was too small and too dangerous to keep in the City anymore and they could keep their inventory isolated on the island.
The castle was visible from the water and had a giant advertisement sign right on the arsenal “Bannerman’s Island Arsenal” created into the wall of the building. With the change in federal and state laws on selling military weapons and the sinking of the ferryboat that served the island by 1950, the island was abandoned. The island and its buildings were bought by New York State in 1967 and is now run by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
(This information is a combination from Wiki and the island pamphlet)
I visited Downtown Beacon, NY when I was finished with the tour. I highly recommend the town to shop and eat lunch or dinner. Maybe just a drink by the river. It is really a nice town.
Downtown Beacon in Summer 2024
Downtown Beacon, NY in the Summer of 2024
Downtown Beacon by the falls in the Summer of 2024
Visiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical 
