Known more popularly as Bannerman Island, Pollepel is a little treasure nestled in the Hudson Highlands near New York City. It was once an abandoned location that could only be reached by boat. Because some Native American tribes believed it to be haunted, it became a haven for people attempting to flee them. Many imaginative stories are based on these superstitions and others that later Dutch mariners propagated.
The narrative that gave rise to the name Pollepel began with a little girl named Polly Pell who was saved from the melting river ice and landed on the island coast. She was married to her beloved right away, who also saved her and her companion. After that, the island was dubbed Pollepel.
When the Highlands attempted to defend against the British navy in 1777 by employing the renowned “chevaux de frise” (a defensive obstacle), history uncovers a link to the American Revolution. Manufactured by convicts taken from the local prison, these devices were made of wooden cribs buried in the river and packed with pointed, metal-tipped logs to damage the hulls of ships attempting to pass upriver. The British, however, shifted to flat-bottom boats and avoided the chevaux de frise, so the attempt could have been more counterproductive. Washington’s Headquarters in Newburgh, New York currently has one of the “points” on exhibit.
In 1900, this island was chosen for a special purpose. An arms dealer named David Bannerman had chosen this place to store guns and cannons and not only built a fort here but also built a palace in the middle to live in, which still exists today. David Bannerman happened to notice the island while canoeing the Hudson. In 1900, the Bannermans bought it as a secure storage facility from the Taft family. In 1901, Mr Bannerman started building a modest home and a mock Scottish castle. Ammunition and equipment of every kind were sent there to be stored until sold.
However, in 1920, because of explosions, half of this fort burned down. Following this, entry and exit restrictions were put in place. However, Bannerman referred to himself as a peace activist and predicted that his island would one day be known as the Museum of Lost Art. Today this island has been made a tourist spot with many activities. It is operated by the Bannerman Castle Trust with assistance from the New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. The income from tourism is spent on the maintenance of this island.
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