Bannerman's Island Arsenal
Historic Images

The black and white  photographs have been borrowed from the collection of  Thom Johnson, who generously allowed the use of them here. Color postcards and catalog covers are from various sources.  The images show the Castle and other structures as they appeared before falling into ruin. 

Bannerman's Island Arsenal from the southwest, showing the Portal Lodge (low, white structure at front), 
the Tower, and Arsenal No. 3 (right of the tower) and Arsenal No. 2 (behind the gantry crane).
The phrase Bannerman's Island Arsenal is seen in this photo. Today, almost all of the east wall 
of the No.3 is obliterated, leaving only the last three letters of "Arsenal."





From the east, showing the Portal Lodge at left, capstan at center, and portcullis at rear. 





From the northwest, showing the No. 1 Arsenal (low building at left), Arsenal No. 3 at center, and 
the Tower behind it.The Powder House site would be off the picture at right. It exploded in 1920. 
Francis Bannerman VI had plans to build a mausoleum for he and his wife in the general area off right 
of the photo, but it was never built. He also intended to build a rampart encircling the Island, thus 
creating a moat, but that too was never built. A stone pillar with the inscription "<- Moat Brae" bears 
testimony to Frank Bannerman's plans. 





The Residence, south front. Constructed circa 1908. The view from this building looking 
south is absolutely amazing, of the best views in the Valley. Directly south is West Point. 
The house sits above a cliff looking over the Wee Bay and gardens with a spring.





An interior view of the residence. The fireplace mantels still exist, some hanging
 high above the ground as the floors have long since disappeared.





View from northwest.





Pollopel Island from the east.





1955 Catalog cover.





Tower with Number Two Arsenal. From 1945 catalog cover.





This engraving from 1907 shows the Castle before the Tower (ca. 1909) was built. It also shows the Number Three Arsenal with a tower above it (see flagpole) that has not appeared in any other image of the castle. It is not yet known if this tower was ever built, or if this sketch merely shows a plan of what the Castle was perhaps intended to ultimately look like. Note the powder house (separate structure at right), which exploded in 1920, and the steam train on the Hudson River Railroad line at left.