Singer Castle Video

Singer Castle Video

Singer Castle winter aerial view Hammond, New York, United States A part of American history and local folklore meet at Singer Castle on Dark Island, located on the St. Lawrence Seaway. Singer Castle is the only castle on our river to be completed, fully furnished and resided in during the heyday of the ‚great builders‘ and industrials in New York. The Castle remained in the possession of the original Bourne family from its construction in 1905 until the mid 1960’s.Tons of granite quarried from nearby Oak Island were brought over ice and water in 1902-1904 to construct Singer Castle (and at the same time Boldt Castle). Mr. Frederick Gilbert Bourne who resided at the Dakota Apartments, New York City was a self-made millionaire. The Bourne family had a 1,000-acre summer estate in Oakdale, Long Island. Mr. Bourne wanted to surprise his wife Emma and their children with an island ‚hunting‘ retreat. He purchased Dark Island and had designed and built the castle originally known as „The Towers” for a cost of US $500,000. Italian stonecutters were engaged to shape the granite for the 4-story, 28-room castle, 4-story Tower, and an elaborate boathouse (one of three) which housed a workshop and powerhouse and one of Bourne’s steam-powered vessels, the tunnels, turrets and other curious architectural details including a 2-story ice house – essential for fine entertaining at the turn of the century, dungeons and underground passageways.  www.singercastle.com In Winter at Singer Castle the St. Lawrence River is frozen over and we are bundled up to give you a most awesome Aerial Castle view. 

 Jeffry Weldon