Grenadier Island is a

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

located out from Mud Bay in the town of Cape Vincent, 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 * '' ...

, United States. The island is long and wide.

History

Grenadier Island's first official settlement was by John Mitchel in the early 19th century, followed by the Bedford family. At least 14 families had settled upon the island prior to the official grant of a

land patent A land patent is a form of letters patent assigning official ownership of a particular tract of land that has gone through various legally-prescribed processes like surveying and documentation, followed by the letter's signing, sealing, and publi ...

in 1824, and these prior inhabitants were reluctant to give up their holdings as the island's land began to be sold by the new owners. Early industry on the island consisted primarily of fishing, in addition to lumbering and farming. It was visited by

General James Wilkinson James Wilkinson (March 24, 1757 – December 28, 1825) was an American soldier, politician, and double agent who was associated with several scandals and controversies. He served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, bu ...

and his troops after retreating from 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 ...

in 1812, when he landed his fleet in Basin Harbor. The island was at one time alternately known as ''Isle aux Chevreuils''.

Extant buildings

There are three buildings from the 19th century still standing on the island: The Schoolhouse, the Humphrey farm house, and the Stone House. The Stone House is located in the northeast corner of the island, while the Humphrey house and Schoolhouse are both in the middle of the island, closer to the northern shore.

Schoolhouse

The

Grenadier Island Schoolhouse Grenadier Island Schoolhouse, also known as School No. 16, is a historic one-room school building located on Grenadier Island, Cape Vincent, Jefferson County, New York. It was built about 1879, and is a one-story, two bay by two bay, frame build ...

is located in the middle of the island. It has a single room with an outhouse situated behind it. In the early 20th century it had around 13 students. It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 2012.

Humphrey farm house

The Humphrey farm house, also known as the "Carbide House", was a two-story home with a basement and an attic. The house has been abandoned for many decades, and has been gradually falling in upon itself for many years (as of 2014).

References

* http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~twigs2000/cv.html (Visited March 7, 2007) {{authority control Islands of Jefferson County, New York River islands of New York (state) Islands of the Saint Lawrence River Islands of New York (state)