Bannerman Castle

Pollepel Island was long held to be haunted by the Native Americans indigenous to the area, a belief which was propagated by Dutch sailors. For most of its history the island remained uninhabited, but in 1901 Francis Bannerman began construction on a castle to be used as a massive storeroom for his armory. Construction was still not complete when Bannerman died in 1918 and ceased altogether with his passing. Two years later some of his stock exploded, further damaging the unfinished castle, and in 1969 a fire broke which caused even more ruin. In 2009 another part of the castle collapsed in on itself. Tours of the island and cruises around it are now offered; some people have reported seeing apparitions.