Dark Island facts for kids
Dark Island is a special place in the Thousand Islands region, found near Chippewa Bay. It's part of Hammond, in St. Lawrence County, New York. This island is famous for its historic building, "The Towers," which is now known as Singer Castle. The island is very close to the border between Canada and the United States.
Singer Castle has 28 rooms, including bedrooms, bathrooms, a big Drawing Room, a library, and a kitchen. It even has secret passageways! One secret panel in the library used to open when a specific book was pulled from a shelf.
The south side of Dark Island is very close to a shipping channel where large cargo ships often pass by. This area is also great for fishing, especially for largemouth bass and northern pike.
Contents
The Story of Singer Castle
The main architect for Singer Castle was Ernest Flagg. He designed it for Frederick Gilbert Bourne, who was the president of the Singer Manufacturing Company, famous for making Singer Sewing Machines. Frederick Bourne's daughter, Marjorie Bourne Thayer, added more parts to the castle in 1928. Ernest Flagg also designed the Singer Company's skyscraper headquarters in New York City, which was the tallest building in the world at the time. He also worked on the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
Singer Castle was one of the last "castles" built in the Thousand Islands between 1888 and 1905. Frederick Bourne started building it around the same time that the larger Boldt Castle was being finished nearby. The castle's design, planned in 1903, was inspired by a castle in Woodstock, England, which was described in Sir Walter Scott's book Woodstock.
After Frederick Bourne passed away in 1919, his daughter Marjorie took over the property.
Who Owned the Castle Next?
Later, a Roman Catholic group called the Brothers of the Christian Schools (also known as the Christian Brothers) bought Dark Island. They also bought a large house called Indian Neck Hall on Long Island. Since they didn't have much use for the island castle, the Christian Brothers sold Dark Island in 1965 for about $5,000. It was then used by a charity called the Harold Martin Evangelistic Association.
Singer Castle's Recent History
When the Harold Martin Evangelistic Association owned the castle, it was sometimes called "Jorstadt Castle." Dr. Harold Martin, who ran the charity, held religious services on the island every Sunday.
Over more than thirty years, some of the castle's original items were lost or stolen. Also, because it cost a lot to keep up, some parts of the castle started to fall apart. Stories about secret passageways and even a dungeon made Dark Island seem even more mysterious.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Dark Island was put up for sale. It was advertised as a possible "private home, company retreat, or hunting lodge." People from all over the world were interested, but it wasn't sold until 2001.
Opening to the Public
In 2001, a company called Dark Island Tours, Inc., bought the castle. This company was started by German businessman Farhad Vladi and two European partners. They worked hard to fix up and restore Dark Island so that people could visit it. Tours started in 2003.
Even though some things were lost over the years, the inside of the castle still looks much like it did when the Bourne family lived there. Unlike Boldt Castle nearby, Dark Island was always a private home until it opened for public tours.
In 2006, Dark Island was listed for sale again through Sotheby's International Realty for $22 million.
Images for kids
-
Singer Castle in 2009
