When Beacon realtor Neil Caplan and wife Darlene went looking for theater space in the early 1990s, it’s a good bet they didn’t expect to end up with an entire island where an ever-growing schedule of performing arts and other events takes place.
Yet, that’s exactly what happened. When the couple “discovered” Bannerman Island, a 6.5-acre land mass situated in the Hudson River in Beacon, they had their theater space and a whole lot more. You might even say they hit pay dirt.
Flash forward three decades to now. Neil is Executive Director and Founder of Bannerman Castle Trust, a non-profit dedicated to the ambitious and ongoing restoration of the state-owned island – including Scottish-style former arsenal structures known collectively as Bannerman Castle; a residence that munitions entrepreneur Francis Bannerman built for his family; and a thriving ecosystem of the many-splendored beauty nature has to offer.
Under the guidance of Neil Caplan and Deputy Executive Director Kelly Ellenwood, Bannerman Castle Trust is breathing new life into what originally was known as Pollepel Island during the American Revolution.
In the early 20th Century, Scottish-born Francis Bannerman bought the island and erected the castle-like structures dubbed Bannerman Castle as a hiding place to store his stock in trade of military surplus, including rounds of ammunition and military gear.
Today, Bannerman Island is under the jurisdiction of New York State. It is managed by the Bannerman Castle Trust, with the support and cooperation of a range of public and private stewards, including (for a partial list) Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, New York State Council on the Arts, Destination Dutchess, City of Beacon, and Gene Panczenko of Peekskill.
Caplan’s mission is to continue enhancing the island – with its network of structures, rock formations, trails, bridges and natural habitat of flora and fauna – as a destination attraction that is unique unto itself.
“We stabilized the Bannerman residence in 2011,” Caplan told members of the press on a recent tour, “and opened it as a visitor center in 2018 and restored the dining room.” He said other improvements on the island include expanded walking tours and accessibility upgrades.
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Bannerman Castle is undergoing structural stabilization and other upgrades. (Supplied)
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Docked in Beacon across from the Metro North train station, Estuary Steward ferries visitors to Bannerman Island on a 30-minute ride across the Hudson. (Supplied)
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Bannerman Island Executive Director Neil Caplan (r) and Deputy Executive Director Kelly Ellenwood present an update on the restoration project. (Supplied)
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Longtime Bannerman Island historian Thom Johnson gives an engaging talk on the Hudson River boat ride. (Bannerman Island Facebook)
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Emeritus Co-founder of Bannerman Castle Trust Jane Campbell Bannerman was married to the grandson of island owner Francis Bannerman.
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Bannerman Residence includes a restored dining room and a visitor gift shop as part of its extensive renovation.
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A waystation by Monarch Watch on the nature trail.
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Members of the press tour Bannerman Island.
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Dining room of Bannerman Residence when it was undergoing extensive renovation. (Bannerman Island Facebook)
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A “Titanic Dinner” was held in the renovated Bannerman Residence dining room earlier this year. (Bannerman Island Facebook)
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Movie nights are popular on Bannerman Island. (Bannerman Island Facebook)
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A restoration in progress of a prized grotto is a highlight of the walking tour. (Bannerman Island Facebook)
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Aerial view of 6.5-acre Bannerman Island, 14 miles north of Peekskill on the Hudson River. (Bannerman Island Facebook)
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Duane Boutte performs a one-man show of Dracula: The Journal of Jonathan Harker. (Bannerman Island Facebook)
“We now have a clear plan to reserve the arsenal‘s main structures for future generations, for major preservation and construction project stabilization,” added Caplan. Due to the ongoing work of stabilizing the arsenal structures, visitors to the island must keep a safe distance but even with that proviso, the Bannerman Castle — designed as a Scottish castle — is a stunning sight to behold in person.
In addition to walking tours that wend through serpentine nature trails, Bannerman Castle Trust presents a rich variety of assorted diversions.
On July 24 and 25, a troupe known as Broadway in Beacon will present Epic Broadway on Bannerman Island. Tickets at BannermanCastle.org.
Earlier this year, there was a Titanic First Class Dinner, with patrons dressed in high society formal wear evoking the ill-fated ship’s era of 1912. (And please let’s deep-six the iceberg salad jokes.)
Among other Bannerman Island draws are Friday movie nights (four remain this season), “Third Sunday” live music, “Modern Silent Shorts” (dotcom) on Aug. 6, a Farm-to-Table dinner on Sept. 5, the one-man show “Dracula: The Journal of Jonathan Harker,” written by Jim Helsinger and featuring Duane Boutte, and “Paint-Out and Photo Day on Oct. 3.
On Oct. 1, a fundraising event will celebrate creation of “The Flock,” a dance film by choreographer Skyla Schreter shot on Bannerman Island and based on the 1970 runaway best-seller Jonathan Livingston Seagull.
Bannerman Island is 14 miles from Peekskill, about 25 minutes by vehicle. Walking and kayak tours depart from the dock opposite the Beacon Metro North train station for the 3.5-mile, 30-minute ride to the island on the Estuary Steward ferry.
For a complete schedule of Bannerman Island activities, including ticket purchases, go to BannermanCastle.org.
