Calumet Island is an island on the

St. Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (french: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, ) is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. Its headwaters begin flowing from Lake Ontario in a (roughly) northeasterly direction, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connecting ...

, located in the Town of Clayton in Jefferson County,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. The island formerly featured one of the earliest examples of the large castles built in the

Thousand Islands The Thousand Islands (french: Mille-Îles) constitute a North American archipelago of 1,864 islands that straddles the Canada–US border in the Saint Lawrence River as it emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. They stretch for abo ...

region during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, of which

Boldt Castle Boldt Castle is a major landmark and tourist attraction in the Thousand Islands region of the U.S. state of New York. Open to guests seasonally between mid-May and mid-October, it is located on Heart Island in the Saint Lawrence River. Heart Isl ...

is a surviving example.

History

New York tobacco tycoon Charles G. Emery, a pioneering developer of the Thousand Islands region during the 1800s, purchased what was then known as Powder Horn Island in 1882. He changed the island's name to "Calumet", a French, colonial-era word often used for a Native American

ceremonial pipe A ceremonial pipe is a particular type of smoking pipe, used by a number of cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Americas in their sacred ceremonies. Traditionally they are used to offer prayers in a religious ceremony, to make a ceremonial ...

, in reference to the island's shape. Construction of a castle began on the island in 1893, and was completed the following year. Once completed, the castle boasted 30 rooms, including a ballroom. Outbuildings and other improvements included a water tower, a lagoon for his steam yachts, a guesthouse, a boathouse and an ice house. The castle on Calumet Island was among the first such grand structures in the Thousand Islands region, predating the still-standing

, for which construction began in 1900, but built several years after the completion of

Castle Rest Castle Rest was the first of several "castles" built in the Thousand Islands region during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The castle was built in 1888 for George M. Pullman, and was a distinctive architectural work of Solon Spencer Beman. I ...

in 1888. Emery's second wife died on his birthday on July 20, 1907; in accordance to her wishes, she was allowed to pass away at the castle. Afterwards, Emery locked the castle door for good. Charles Emery died in 1915, leaving the $4 million estate to his son Frank and grandson Charles G. Emery II. The castle remained vacant until a fire destroyed much of the structure in 1956. Today, all that remains is the water tower (which has been converted to a light house), ice house, power house, skiff house, servant's house, boat house, and the staircase that led up to the castle. In the 1960s and early 1970s, Calumet Island was the site of the Calumet Island Marina, and included a restaurant and bar as well. As of 2011, the island is owned by the Rawson family who use it for summer holidays.

References

External links

Calumet Castle images
from the Thousand Islands Museum on New York Heritage {{authority control Islands of Jefferson County, New York Islands of the Thousand Islands in New York (state) Castles in New York (state)