Boldt Castle on Heart Island was to be a testimony of George Boldt's love for his wife, Louise. He was a successful hotel magnate managing/profit sharing the Waldorf-Astoria in New York and the Bellevue-Stratford in Philadelphia. Between 1894 and 1896, the powerhouse, Alster Tower (children's playhouse on bottom left), and the dove cote were built. Construction of the six story 120-room castle, Italian gardens, a drawbridge, and a yacht house began in 1900. Louise died suddenly in 1904 and all 300 workers were ordered to "stop all construction" immediately. The 1000 Islands Bridge Authority assumed ownership in 1977 and restoration of the structures began. 8/8/06