THE STORY
Reported Haunting
The dramatic ruins of Bannerman Castle stand on Pollepel Island in the Hudson River and were built by military-surplus dealer Francis Bannerman. The isolated island and decaying castle have inspired ghost stories, with visitors reporting apparitions, unexplained sounds, and eerie encounters around the ruins.
Bannerman Castle was built by Francis Bannerman, who had a military surplus business. In 1901 he began to build an arsenal on Pollepel Island because his storerooms couldn’t hold all of his stock. When Bannerman died in 1918, construction on his castle stopped. Then, in 1920, some of his stock exploded, destroying part of the complex. In 1967, the State of New York bought the island, removed the military ammo, and gave tours of the island were given in 1968. But after a fire broke out in 1969, the island was closed to the public. In 2009 another part of the castle collapsed; only some exterior walls stand today. The site is rumored to be haunted, perhaps by Bannerman himself.