The History Of Upstate New York’s Haunted Castle On The Hudson

Recently, I was taking the Metro-North line from Poughkeepsie to New York City, and along the way I saw something out the window that took my breath away.

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It was the ruins of an old castle, sitting on an island in the middle of the Hudson River. It looked like something out of a Dark Souls game, and I knew I had to learn more about it.

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A Haunted Island

This all started with the initial colonization of the United States. The island (known as Pollepel at the time), was considered haunted by many of the indigenous tribes in the area, which led to colonizers using it to escape them in times of need.

After the American Revolution, the island was owned by William Van Wyck of Fishkill before passing it on to Mary G. Taft of Cornwall. Eventually, it came into possession of a man named Francis Bannerman of Brooklyn, purchasing it from the Taft's in 1900 after his son, David, came across it while canoeing down the Hudson.

Bannerman Castle

Bannerman was the head of the aptly named "Bannerman's" a weapons and ammunition provider. They used the island as a storage space for their merchandise, and in 1901, began construction on a replica Scottish Castle.

Despite being in the War business, the Bannerman's preferred peace, and would frequently use the island as a home away from home, gardening and building new walkways and terraces you can still see today. Now, the castle is in ruin, but still as beautiful. It's owned by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, allowing for the state to keep the island and castle as a historic and educational landmark of New York's history.