Yacht House & Wellesley Island
Across the water on Wellesley Island is located the Boldt Yacht House. Mr. Boldt had several projects going on simultaneously with the construction of the castle, the Yacht House being the largest. Construction commenced in November of 1899 at a cost of $50,000.00. The steel for the structure was prefabricated in New York City and shipped to the site for erection. The structure is 150 feet long by 115 feet wide and houses four slips, one large enough to house the 104 foot steam yacht "Louise," and another to berth "La Duchess," Boldt's house boat which is 100 feet long and has a 20 foot beam. The main space rises 64 feet and the high doors are so heavy that an engine was required to move them. The structure could accommodate Mr. Boldt's fleet with masts and rigging still in place. The building also contains a machine shop, offices, living quarters, storage and a large shop where Mr. Boldt had his racing launches built. The circular tower, which housed reception rooms and the captain's quarters, featuring oak ceilings, moldings and wainscoting, ornately carved stair balusters and newel posts and fireplaces of cut stone. The Yacht House is the first of these remarkable buildings to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Among the other projects Mr. Boldt was working on was the construction of a curious network of canals on Wellesley Island. No one knows exactly the intended use of the canals, but it is believed they were to connect with the Lake of the Isles located in the middle of Wellesley Island.
Also during this time, Mr. Boldt was developing a showcase farm on this Wellesley Island property reputed to be one of the finest in the East. Produce from this farm went to supply his New York City and Philadelphia hotels. At one point over 900 dozen eggs per month were being shipped to his New York hotel alone along with hens, lamb and fresh produce of all types.
In June of 1900 work began on an eighteen hole golf course designed for Mr. Boldt by a New York City "expert" and at the same time his golf house was built on Wellesley Island.
Erected by Thousand
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Man-Made Features • Parks & Recreational Areas • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical month for this entry is November 1899.
Location. 44° 20.684′ N, 75° 55.415′ W. Marker is on Heart Island, New York, in Jefferson County. It can be reached from Heart Island. Marker is on the Boldt Castle grounds, only accessible by boat as it sits on Heart Island in the Saint Lawrence River. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Alexandria Bay NY 13607, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Upstate New York and in the Adirondacks & North Country. It is also in the American Northeast, on the Great Lakes, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, New Netherland, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers
Also see . . .
1. Boldt Castle Yacht House. (Submitted on November 22, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
2. Boldt, George C., Yacht House - National Archives. National Register of Historic Places documentation (Submitted on February 25, 2024, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 25, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 22, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 474 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 22, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
