exploring the historical 1,000 islands parkway to the ivy lea international crossing

proudly presents:

A Relaxing

Sunday Afternoon Drive

1,000 Islands Parkway,between Brockville and Ivy Lea, Ontario

written & photographed by: Fergus Ducharme.

So there I am sitting around doing nothing, wondering what to do on this Sunday

afternoon in mid-July. It’s not like it’s a candidate for the beach or the pool, it’s just

too damned cold.

One of the things I have always done on days like today is to simply climb into the

car and drive – doesn’t matter where, just let’s see where we end up…No one else

wants to come along so it’s a solo trip today I’m afraid.

I end up heading west, along the 1,000 Islands Parkway and what a nice relaxing

and interesting time I had.

At the outset, it may be worthwhile to have just a momentary geology/geography

lesson…

Created when glaciers scraped down the mountain tops during the last great ice

age, the Thousand Islands area boasts some of the most unique geography and

biological diversity in the world.

The region was named Manatonna, or ‘Garden of the Great Spirit, ’by the Indians,

but the more practical French gave the area the name it still bears – les Milles

Isles or ‘Thousand Islands’.

Discovered in the late 1800s by railway barons and industrialists as the

playground it is now renowned as, the Islands stretch between Kingston and

Brockville.

Although the area receives its fair share of storms, poor weather more often tends

to track either north or south of the islands. The natural land bridge and

geographical proximity between the United States and Canada – in spots just wide

enough for a small runabout – has helped carve the history of two great nations.

The mighty St. Lawrence River

Dark Island, a prominent feature of the St. Lawrence Seaway, is located in the

lower (eastern) Thousand Islands region, near Chippewa Bay. It is a part of the

Town of Hammond, in St. Lawrence County, New York.

A historic landmark here, "The Towers" was long known as Dark Island Castle

until recently renamed "Singer Castle". The island itself sits only a few yards

south of the Canadian-United States border that runs along the river. Because of

its proximity to Canada, it was used for rum-running during prohibition in the

United States.

The south side of the island is only about one hundred feet from the shipping

channel, and cargo ships frequently pass the island. Because of the depth of the

channel on one side, and the relative shallowness on the other, it is very good for

sport fishing of Largemouth Bass and Northern Pike.

Most of the architectural work at Dark Island is attributed to the prominent

American architect Ernest Flagg.

His client was Frederick Gilbert Bourne, president of the Singer Manufacturing

Company (now the Singer Corporation), producer of the Singer Sewing

Machine.

His daughter, Marjorie Bourne Thayer, made additions in 1928.

Flagg also designed the skyscraper headquarters for the company in New York

City—the tallest building in the world at the time. Flagg is known for many major

American projects, such as the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis.

Dark Island Castle was the last of several "castles" built at the Thousand Islands

during a brief interval (1888–1905). Bourne undertook the project while larger

Boldt Castle was nearing completion nearby. The architect modeled the stone

structure, planned in 1903, on Scottish models described in novels of Sir Walter

Scott.

Following the 1919 death of Frederick Bourne, daughter Marjorie Mrs. Alexandra D.

Thayer took title to the property. Her ownership was contested by a brother, but she

retained title.

On her death, the Roman Catholic order Brothers of the Christian Schools, or

Christian Brothers acquired Dark Island along with the large Bourne country house,

Indian Neck Hall at Oakdale on Long Island, which thereafter became La Salle

Military Academy. Having little use for the remote island in the St. Lawrence River,

the Christian Brothers in 1965 sold Dark Island for approximately US $30,000, to be

used thereafter by charitable organization of religious character, the Harold Martin

Evangelistic Association.

Previous tax-exempt status was contested by neighbors after occupancy by the new

owner. They contended that Dr. Harold Martin, director of the charity, maintained the

tax-exempt property for his own private use as a summer residence. Martin prevailed

in court, on the basis that he and his wife, Eloise, offered a religious service on the

island every Sunday morning, open to all.

During this Martin interval, the property was called "Jorstadt Castle," from Dr. Harold

Martin's family surname before immigrating from Norway

The castle's name has since been changed to Singer Castle. After more than thirty

years of Martin tenure, removal, sometimes due to theft, depleted the original

contents.

Due to the high cost of maintenance, a number of original fixtures and artifacts fell

into disrepair. Rumors about the true use of the property (its new name not

identifying any religious or charitable ownership), together with gradual

deterioration of the property and stories about a complex maze of dimly lit secret

passageways, complete with a dungeon, all increased the romantic mystique of

Dark Island.

During later decades of the Martin period, the late 1980s and early 1990s, Dark

Island was listed for sale. Advertisements appeared in high-end real estate

magazines such as Unique Homes with suggestions that it be a "private

residence, corporate retreat or hunting lodge."

Interest came from as far as Japan, but the property remained unsold until

acquired in 2001 from the Harold Martin Evangelistic Association by Dark Island

Tours, Inc., a venture of German businessman Farhad Vladi and two American

business partners

Vladi also operates Vladi Private Islands GmbH, a Hamburg, Germany based

real estate company that specializes in selling islands.

Dark Island Tours, Inc. undertook an extensive campaign of restoration and

adaptation in order to open Dark Island to the visiting public. Tours were initiated

in 2003. Despite losses over the years, the interiors of Dark Island Castle retain

original character, with most of the Bourne-Thayer furnishings.

Unlike nearby Boldt Castle, Dark Island always served as a private residence,

until opened to the public for tours.

In 2008, Dark Island had been listed for sale through Sothebys International

Realty for $24.5 million.

Boldt Castle, Heart Island

Alexandria Bay, New York

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Boldt Castle Boathouse

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The 1,000 Islands Skydeck on Hill Island, Ontario

President Franklin D Roosevelt & Prime Minster William Lyon Mackenzie King

arriving for the official opening of the Bridge in August 1938

This is Zavikon Island which is where we find the shortest international

bridge in the world. The cottage is in Canada and across the bridge the boat

house and docks are in the USA.

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We explored the parkway, from the east to the 1,000 Islands International Bridge at

Ivy Lea and back. It was getting late, so I decided to head back to home base. I was

an interesting afternoon. Obviously, I didn’t see everything there was to see, I

noticed and photographed what caught my attention at the time based on the ‘mood’

I was in. On another trip the photos would likely be totally different…but, we’ll have

to wait and see ab out that.

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We want to thank the following for their contributions to this article:

Photos provided by: Vincent le Poittevin,

Other materials and some photos provided by: www.wikipedia.org

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons

Attribution - ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

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