"The True Story of Bannerman’s Island" :: Bannerman Castle Trust’s 30th Anniversary Exhibition in Beacon, NY

The Bannerman Castle Trust, (BCT) and Bannerman Island Gallery located at 150 Main Street in Beacon, NY proudly present a special 30th Anniversary Exhibition and Celebration featuring artwork, photographs, antiques & artifacts from historic Bannerman Island and Castle, that begins with a public opening reception on Saturday September 14th from 4:00-6:00pm. All are welcome.

Photo Credit: Bannerman Castle Sunset - by L.A. Clark

What Is The Bannerman Castle Trust?

Photo Credit: Bannerman Island Museum Interior - by L.A. Clark

The Bannerman Castle Trust organization has existed and operated as a not-for-profit “Friends” group comprised of dedicated volunteers and staff for over 30 years. Working with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, the BCT has made incredible advances on Bannerman Island, taking it from an abandoned and over-grown island of historic ruins (dating back to 1900) to the incredible public destination it is today.

Photo Credit: 1. Gordon Colby (Francis Bannerman's great-great grandson) donates original Bannerman Desk, - standing with BCT Executive Director Neil Caplan and BCT Development Director, Kelly Ellenwood (Photo by Lili Colby)

Since 1994, the BCT has been working to find resources and funding to stabilize the island’s historic structures and has made it their mission to educate the public on the value and history of Bannerman Island (originally known as Pollepel Island), to make it a safe and welcoming place for the public to enjoy as an educational, cultural, historical and recreational facility, promoting heritage tourism in the Hudson Valley.

Who Is Francis Bannerman?

Military Antiques dealer and amateur architect Francis Bannerman worked and resided on his island from 1900 until his death in 1918 and had built several structures including the iconic “folly” castle (arsenal) to store surplus militaria, and a summer residence that resembled a small castle where he and his wife Helen Boyce Bannerman would stay during weekends and summer months away from their city residence at the Hotel Margaret in Brooklyn Heights. Bannerman’s restored roll-top desk that that was gifted by Gordon Bannerman Colby and his wife Lili will be featured in the show. 19th century paintings by artist Francis William Loring (found in the Bannerman residence) were donated by Jane Bannerman and will also be on exhibit.

The Bannerman Exhibition

Photo Credit: From Bannerman Island Tour Boat - by Neil Caplan

The exhibition will be on display through January 2025. Gallery hours are Saturday’s & Sunday’s from 12:00 noon to 5:00pm and most weekday afternoons by chance or appointment by calling 845-831-1001.

The exhibition is FREE and open to the public, and group tours are also available. Additional 30th Anniversary programs include a special Community Accessibility Excursion to the island in October, and a High Tea & Talk with Executive Director Neil Caplan at Beacon's Swann Inn on Sunday, September 29th. The historic Gothic Revival era Swann Inn houses a number of extraordinary Bannerman Island paintings and drawings.

Bannerman's Island is accessible by the Estuary Steward Tour Boat, leaving the Beacon, NY Dock by reservation only from May – October each year. If you are interested in taking a tour of the island or in attending one of the BCT’s fabulous events, please visit www.bannermancastle.org for tickets.

Bannerman Island's First Tours of 2021 Starts This Sunday, June 20

Bannerman Island's First Tours of 2021
Day: June 20, 2021
Time: 11 am - 5 pm
Location: Pollepel Island, Fishkill, NY
Here's your chance to visit Bannerman Island on the Hudson River! Cruises for the Island will be departing from the waterfronts in Beacon and Newburgh, New York, on the Estuary Steward. Tours will likely sell out in advance and follow all COVID protocols
Tour Highlights:

• A scenic cruise on the Hudson River to and from the Island.

• A guided walking tour of Bannerman Island where you'll learn about the Island, the work being done on it, and it's storied past; including areas previously not accessible to the public.

• Enjoy walking among the many gardens that are maintained around the Island.

• Entry into the recently-opened Bannerman family residence.

• Multiple photo opportunities in one of the most picturesque settings in the Hudson Valley.
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New Bathrooms On Bannerman Island - Civilized Circumstances At The Enchanting Castle

Photo Credit: Olivia Abel

Part of the fun of visiting Bannerman Castle, the abandoned structure perched on an island in the middle of the Hudson River, has always been the feeling that you’ve left civilization behind. Sure, it’s only a 20-minute boat ride from the Beacon dock, and the mysterious edifice is visible every day to thousands of Metro-North commuters on the Hudson Line. Still, once you step foot on the craggy Pollepel Island (now commonly referred to as Bannerman Island), it is easy to get swept away in both the history and the mystery. But things are getting a lot more civilized this summer.

Photo Credit: Olivia Abel

State-Of-The-Art Restrooms Added & More Improvements

While activity on the island—lively historic tours, special events and performances—has been increasing each year, 2019 marks a major milestone. Not only is there a blockbuster lineup of music, theatre, and movie nights, but—wait for it —an actual state-of-the art, two-room permanent restroom has just been installed. No longer will visitors have to follow up Shakespeare or another show with a long trek down a steep staircase to access two portable toilets. In fact, we think the new handicapped-accessible restroom, designed and built by a team of 10 senior West Point engineering cadets, may now be one of the best public bathrooms in all of Beacon! 

Photo Credit: Olivia Abel

The last couple of years have seen a host of major improvements to the island. In 2017 a new visitors center/museum opened in the round Bannerman residence building, perfectly situated on top of a hill with panoramic views. (Most eye-catching is a rusty bathtub used in the original house.) A cute “gift shop” area displays Bannerman Island paraphernalia: mugs, magnets, calendars, and more.

A proper gift shop at Bannerman Castle on Bannerman Island.
Photo Credit: Olivia Abel

Learn The History of Bannerman Island

Here, the history of the island is laid out with old photographs and memorabilia. We learn about Frank Bannerman IV, who built the main castle between 1901 to 1918 to store his collection of antique military equipment, and how his family continued to use the residence through the 1930s. We see how the property fell into ruin after 1957, when the last superintendent retired, and how the interior of the castle was destroyed by a devastating three-day fire in the summer of 1969. Luckily, Neil Caplan, a local real estate broker and theatre enthusiast fell in love with the island, organized a nonprofit aimed at restoring it to its former glory, and first started leading tours in 2004.

Last year, a new stage was installed outside the visitors center. Frank Marquette, who with his wife runs the traveling theatre company Theatre on the Road, had such success with his nighttime production of Dracula there last year —The New York Times cooed: “An exceptionally skillful version of the classic thriller, fascinating”—that he is bringing it back for two more days in September. The company is also producing the classic comedy Arsenic and Old Lace for four days in July. As an added bonus, the daughter of Boris Karloff, who starred in the 1962 movie, will be on the island for two of those days to talk about why this show meant so much to her father.

Photo Credit: Olivia Abel

Movie Lineup & Events This Summer

Six movies will be shown this year. The season kicks off with Ferris Bueller’s Day Off on May 31, and also includes The Wizard of Oz (July 5), Jurassic Park (August 2), House of Wax (September 6) and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (September 27). It’s no surprise that—given the sometimes eerie crumbling castle surroundings— the two showings of the cult classic Psycho are almost sold out (June 7 and 8). 

Other special events include farm-fresh dinners and musical performances on the third Sunday of each month, from May through October. 

No matter what brought you to the island—a show or one of the 1.5-hour guided walking tours— an ever-present added bonus is the natural beauty that surrounds you at every turn. A dedicated team of volunteers tend to the carefully-cultivated gardens, which are sponsored by Adams Fairacre Farms; that’s a good thing, as the island has been designated a monarch butterfly waystation. And of course there are the ever-present views. From Frank Marquette, “The Bannerman experience is completely unique. There is just nothing else like this,” says Marquette. “Of course, there are some challenges—there are mosquitos, there are trains going by—but people are willing to overlook these things because of the gorgeous, exotic setting. And, of course, those views.”