VISITS

Did you ever dream of staying in a castle?

If so, there is no need to go to Europe to fulfill your dream. New York has several castles. Wealthy Americans, looking for status, built mansions many of which were inspired by castles in Europe. Today some offer accommodations, others operate as a restaurant, while others are open for visitors.

Here are 10 castles worth visiting:

1Bannerman Castle

The crumbling castle is located on Pollepel Island in the Hudson River, near Beacon. The history of the island dates back to pre-Revolutionary times but gets its name from the family, the Bannermans, who purchased it n 1900 and constructed a Scottish-like castle. It was used as a summer residence. It was destroyed by fire followed by further destruction by vandals and the elements. In the late 1960s it was given to the Taconic Park Commission who is working to preserve it.

2

Boldt Castle

The most visited castle in NYS is Boldt Castle and Yacht House on Heart Island in the Thousand Islands a short boat ride from Alexandria Bay. Boldt Castle was built at the behest of millionaire George Boldt for his wife, who died before it was finished. Upon her death, Boldt ordered all work to cease and never returned to the island. For seven decades the buildings were at the mercy of the elements and vandals. In 1977 The Thousand Islands Bridge Authority acquired the property and has spent millions of dollars rehabilitating and restoring the buildings. The property is open to the public during the summer for daytime use only. It is a popular place for weddings.

3

Singer Castle

Also in the Thousand Islands on Dark Island, Singer Castle was lived in by members of the Frederick G. Bourne family from 1904 until the mid-1960s. Frederick Bourne was the CEO of the Singer Sewing Machine Co. There are many fascinating aspects to the castle including the servant tunnels and underground passageways. Much of the original furnishings are in the castle. It is a wedding destination that can include a stay in the royal suite. Tours are available.

4

Beardslee Castle

Located near Little Falls, Augustus Beardslee used craftsmen from Ireland and Switzerland to design and construct the limestone building in the style of an Irish castle. The interior suffered from two fires, one in 1919 and another in 1989. After a two-year restoration, the new owners opened Beardslee Castle as a restaurant. It is a popular venue for weddings and popular with ghost hunters who claim the building is haunted.

5

Amsterdam Castle

Located high on a hill overlooking the city of Amsterdam, the castle was built by Isaac Perry in 1827. Perry is best known as the designer of the Capitol Building in Albany. It originally served as the National Guard armory for Montgomery County, then as a B&B, before being purchased in 2015. The new owners spent four million dollars in renovations. Great Hall with a medieval flair with armament and heraldry is spectacular. The walls are covered with artwork reminiscent of art museums. The accommodations are large and modern, with walls of artwork. The castle host functions including weddings. There is no restaurant, but the accommodations come with light snacks.

Belhurst Castle

6Belhurst Castle in Geneva has a complicated and convoluted history dating back to when the site was a Seneca Indian village. In 1852 the land was purchased by Harrison G. Otis and dubbed the property “Bellehurst” meaning beautiful forest. The property changed ownership within the Otis family until it was purchased, in 1885, by Mrs. 7 Carrie Harron who was responsible for the construction of the castle. Fifty men worked for four years using some materials imported from Europe. The colorful history continued when it was purchased by Cornelius J. Dwyer who opened a restaurant and a gambling establishment that operated as a speakeasy during probation. In 1992 the property was purchased by Duane Reeder and has become a popular restaurant and wedding venue. 8 9

The castle, near the city of Hudson, was once the home and studio of painter Frederic Edwin Church. Church was a member of the Hudson River School of landscape painting. It is now a NYS historic and a National Historic Landmark popular with tourists. Church and his wife raised their four children there. The name comes from the old Latin name for Persia. The Persian-inspired castle has a panoramic view of the area. There are no accommodations but there are tours including one along five miles of Church designed roads.

Most of the castles of NYS are more than 100 years old, but dreams of castles never die. In Bolton Landing on Lake George, the Highland Castle is the result of a dream and promise. In 1978 John A. Lavender said to his 3-year-old son, “Someday, Jason, I will build you a castle.” And he did, with the help of his son. On the property there are three castle buildings and a restaurant. “Build it and they will come.” Olanda Castle

Highlands Castle Belvedere Castle

The castle is one of the highlights when visiting Central Park in New York City. The Italian name translates to “beautiful view.” The building was completed on a high rock mound in 1872 and as the name suggest it offers one of the best views in the park. Originally it was designed as an open-air lookout tower so there were no doors or windows. In 1919 the U. S. Weather Bureau added windows and door when it converted the building into a weather station. Today it houses one of the park’s visitor’s centers and a gift shop. Guided and audio tours are available.

10

Falaise

There are several castles on Long Island’s Gold Coast. Falaise is one of few intact historic homes. It was built in the 1920s in the style of a 13th-century Norman manor house for Harry F. Guggenheim and his wife, Caroline Morton. The medieval theme includes archways and thick wooden beams. The Guggenhiems furnished Falaise (French for cliff) with 16th and 17th century antiques gathered from their European travels. Docent-guided tours are available.

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By Mary Beth Roach

Anthony Q. David, 59

New superintendent of Syracuse City School District talks about coming back from retirement to head school

Q: You started with the Syracuse City School District in 1986 as a teaching assistant. You held some other positions within the district, moved over to the Liverpool Central School District in 1997. You came back to the City School District in 2016, and then you retired in 2019. You returned in the spring of 2022 as interim superintendent, then were named as permanent superintendent at the end of 2022. What was it about this position that brought you out of retirement?

A: Actually, an opportunity to help the community, our students and families. I think I was familiar enough with it and I really want to keep things moving after Superintendent Alicea had left because I thought he had done some wonderful things. I knew I could help continue some of those practices and direction.

Q: The school district has been ranked as one of the highest poverty school districts in the state. How do you address this challenge?

A: I’ve always had trouble with this particular question because even though poverty is a major impact on our students and their access to many things, I think when we work together with the community, we can deal with a lot of those issues. I think the answer to that question is really working with the community to deal with some of the issues that our students and families are having. Then coupled with the resources that the school district has, we try to mitigate many of those barriers.

Q: The school district is seeing a higher graduation rate in recent years. How do you propose to maintain that trend?

A: I’m going be cautious about that, to be honest with you. Some of the improvements that you might have seen were due to some of the rules of the pandemic to combat some of the things that people were going through during the pandemic. Those things go away. It’s not apples to apples at this point. I don’t think it’s going to necessarily be about maintaining, as much as it is about preparing students.

Q: What initiatives are you looking at to prepare the students?

A: We’re trying to make sure that, while students are in school, we’re giving them everything that we can academically and to help guide them. Then, we’re also partnering with community partners, parents, community agencies to make sure that things are happening outside of school, as well — whether it’s Saturday school, tutoring programs after hours, whether it’s having some of our sports teams go to study sessions. We’re just trying to provide more opportunities for students.

Q: What are some of your other goals?

A: I think the major goal is to break down the walls of school in general. I think so many people disengage especially as our students get into older grades, and don’t really have much to do with helping the educational system. In addition to that — providing our staff with professional development. We had an opportunity, when we went through the pandemic, to see how education could look different and how can we maximize those things that we learned during that time. I think it’s about working differently.

Q: You, yourself, are a product of the Syracuse City School District, having graduated from Henninger High School. When did you graduate, and as an alum, how does that background impact on your role now?

A: I graduated in 1982. It’s a huge honor to be in this role after going through our school system. I think what it represents is the fact that anyone can come from anywhere and make it to a level, such as this, and have an impact on the community. My family did not have a lot of money. I think by seeing me in this role, I can speak directly to our kids and our families and say ‘I’ve been exactly where you are. And yet I stand here in this particular role, trying to have an impact on what you can do in your future.’ I think being an example just by being here is having an impact of its own.

Q: What are some of the most favorite and least favorite parts of your job?

A: The most favorite is really speaking with students and staff, really talking to them and also community forums — just to speak to people openly and talk about what we’re trying to accomplish and what I think we can accomplish together. I think student voices are just as important as adult voices. I love having those conversations and getting insight from everyone. My least favorite of the job is a lot of social media moments where folks put out things that are very personal. Those are things we can’t answer to. So we have to allow those things to fester and it’s very disappointing. So it’s very difficult living through those times, especially when you know people are being unexpectedly and many times unfairly, blamed for things that may or may not be their fault.