Famous Thousand Islands Castle Abandoned 70 Years May Soon See New Life
The famous castle that has been abandoned in the Thousand Islands for 70 years and on the market for the past ten, may actually be getting new life.
The Carleton Island Villa could soon have a new owner who has big plans. A Florida real estate investor has offered to buy the old mansion that has been listed for $495,000 for more than a decade. It was recently reduced to $375,000. and is now under contingency.
Crumbling Castle
The crumbling castle on Carleton Island in Cape Vincent, New York, was built in 1895 for William Wyckoff, the president of Remington Arms and Typewriter Company. It was designed by William Henry Miller, an architect known for his work on Cornell University. Wyckoff never got to enjoy his home though. He died of a heart attack the night he moved in, according to Thousands Island Life. His wife is said to have passed away about a month before the mansion was finished.
The mansion was handed down to Wyckoff's youngest son Clarence and was used until around 1927. Now it sits abandoned on an island of 6.9 acres surrounded by almost a thousand feet of waterfront on the St Lawrence River. The removal of doors and windows has left the stone foundation deteriorating on the outside and the wood frame crumbling on the inside.
Ronald Clapp wants to breathe new life into the old villa that he realizes needs a lot of work. “It certainly is going to be a challenge, but I am looking for a challenge,” Clapp told NNY 360.
The first challenge will be to see what can be salvaged from the mansion that has sat empty for 70 years. Clapp hopes to have a roof on before winter to prevent any further damage and then begin work on possibly turning it into a Bed & Breakfast.
I guess we'll all just have to wait and see what happens to what was once a beauty on the St Lawrence River.