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| True New York Ghost Stories
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Boldt Castle
Heart Island, New York
Mr. George Boldt, not a name you really remember or one you will find in a lot of history books, but a man who certainly made his mark in Alexandria Bay. Boldt was a wealthy man due to his great creations in the hotel chain. He once owned and operated The Bellevue hotel in Philadelphia and also the Stratford hotel (now named the Waldorf) in New York City. Boldt not only gained his popularity with his business ventures but also gained it with his wife when he bought an island just outside Alexandria Bay which borders Canada and the US and started to build his wife the house of her dreams. Boldt and his wife Louise had a love that most people would call magic. They lived and breathed only for each other. George thought his wife was a princess and Louise loved to share her husband’s passion for hotels. She spent all her time with him helping clean the rooms of his many hotels and offering ideas on renovations and designs. They played a huge role in the success in what is now the Waldorf hotel in New York. They were closer than any married couple could be. The Boldts went on to have two children. George jr in 1879 and Louise in 1883. During a summer vacation in 1895 the family came across Heart Island. Mrs.Boldt immediately took a liking to it and George wasted no time in buying it. He planned on building her the house of her dreams. They spent many summers there before George mastered his most treasured plan yet. He thought his wife deserved to live like a queen in a castle with beautiful things surrounding his beautiful wife, and the best part was he wanted her to have it as a Valentines Day present. George began his construction in 1900 with over 300 construction workers pouring all their time and effort into its completion. At just 1.50 and hour these men slaved almost 9 to 10 hour days. Four long years and so much money, George and his workers poured their hearts into this castle, while Louise waited patiently. During the four years that she waited Louise became frail and suffered from a heart condition and unfortunately in January 1904 Louise succumbed to her condition. Right away Mr. Boldt contacted the workers and ordered an end to the construction on the 60,000 square foot, 120 room masterpiece. Never to really enjoy his castle on what is now called “Heart Island”, Mr. Boldt never stepped foot on the island again. Mr. Boldt died years later in 1916, leaving behind his unfinished work. Now here is where the story begins again. Many locals or tourist claim that they have seen Mrs. Boldt, some claiming they have seen her just months after she passed, on Heart Island. What’s even more strange is she has even been seen inside her unfinished castle. People claim they see this lady in white walking along the waters by her boathouse and mysterious lights going on inside when the castle is closed. Now with renovations continuing since around 1977 some say that the construction is awakening her again, many people have heard footsteps inside on floors above them. A folklore that has people talking about was her death, did she really die? Or run off with another man? Many people ask this question because of the sudden change of heart Mr. Boldt had in building the castle on Heart Island. Whatever the case may be Boldt castle will always have a special hold on anyone who visits whether it be for the love story or the ghost.
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