Disaster struck again in 1950 when a squall caused the sinking of the ferryboat Pollepel, which serviced the island. Nevertheless, the family continued to use the residence through the 1930s. Just two years later, 200 pounds of shells and powder exploded, destroying a portion of the complex. With the words “Bannerman’s Island Arsenal” cast in large type on the castle’s side, the building was also a giant advertisement for the business, and is still visible to train passengers on the Metro-North Hudson line.Ĭonstruction halted with Bannerman’s death in 1918, and the island has experienced a turbulent history since then.
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Bannerman beautified the paths and terraces with flowers and other plants, some of which can still be seen today. Bannerman took to decorating the home with items from his surplus collection, Mrs. Although most of the buildings served as storage for the business’ inventory, a smaller castle on the top of the island was built as the family’s summer home.
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Nearly all of the construction was completed without professional help from architects, engineers, or contractors. The designs for the elaborately decorated buildings were drafted by Bannerman himself, but the constructors were allowed to interpret these designs on their own. In 1900, the family purchased the island as a safe storage site and, a year later, construction began on a Scottish-style castle and residence. Fortunately for Bannerman, his son David happened across Pollepel Island while canoeing on the Hudson. So much equipment and ammunition was acquired in this transaction that city laws forced the businessman to look for storage outside of city limits. With an appetite for growth, Bannerman bought 90% of the US army surplus after the Spanish-American War, some of which was salvaged from the sunken USS Maine. It is estimated that 50% of the commemorative cannons placed in public areas throughout the United States were purchased through Bannerman’s. Army regiments bought from Bannerman during World War I. His customers ranged from the early American film industry to Buffalo Bill. Some notable merchandise sold by Bannerman included cannons from the Battle of Yorktown, unopened crates of Civil War uniforms, and relics from Admiral Perry’s expedition to the Arctic Circle.
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The business, called Bannerman’s, went from selling scrap metal and munitions, to full ships that Francis purchased at Navy auctions. In 1865, at the age of 14, Francis founded his own company to sell military surplus goods. While living and attending school in Brooklyn, New York, Francis began collecting and selling scrap from the harbor. It is indeed the remains of an empire.įrancis Bannerman was born in Dundee, Scotland in 1851 and immigrated to the United States at the age of three. On it stands what appears to be a crumbling Scottish castle. About 50 miles north of New York City, and only a thousand feet from the Hudson River’s eastern shore, there is a small, rocky island named Pollepel.
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