George Boldt, a German-American millionaire and proprietor of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, commissioned the six-story castle on Heart Island as a present to his wife. G. W. and W. D. Hewitt were the architects. Construction began in 1900 and stopped in early 1904, after the death of his wife, Louise.
The article describes the style as Chateauesque. The Alster Tower, modeled on a Rhineland defense tower, has slanting, uneven walls and holds a bowling alley and a stage. The basement has a swimming pool and a tunnel to the Power House.
Boldt never returned to the island, and the structures were left exposed for 73 years. The Thousand Islands Bridge Authority acquired the island in 1977 for one dollar and has spent more than $50 million on restoration. It is open as a seasonal attraction.
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