George Boldt Cottage: Building Upon Sen. Eliza Hart’s Cottage before Building Boldt Castle

Most “summer homes” stand in the shadow of Boldt Castle, but Heart Island’s previous structure, the Boldt Cottage, for lack of a better term, is often overlooked despite its own splendor rivaled by only a few others on the St. Lawrence River.  To give George Boldt full credit would be unfair to the man who built the original structure, former state senator Elizur K. Hart who renamed the island from Hemlock to Hart upon purchasing it in 1872.

Born April 8, 1841, in Albion, New York, the town that fellow Islander/River Rat George Pullman of Castle Rest moved to, Elizur Kirke Hart was the only son of Elizur and Loraine Field Hart.  The elder Elizur was the president of the Orleans County Bank and his son, then 19, came to work for him as a bookkeeper for several years before taking another position as a teller at the newly established Orleans County National Bank in 1865.

Shortly after his father’s death in 1870, Elizur inherited some money and purchased Hemlock Island which commanded a prime spot on the St. Lawrence River sitting opposite Alexandria Bay.  It was on August 2, 1872, that the Watertown Daily Times first reported the beginnings of the Hart Island legacy–

Hart, of Orleans Co., will make a sensation when he finishes his $10,000 house over on “Hart’s Island.”  He has the most conspicuous island at the Bay, is spending a great deal of money in beautifying the island, and the foundation to his house is already laid. 

It’s interesting to note that the reporting of this, in August 1872, came the same month that President Ulysses S. Grant made his famous week-long vacation to Pullman’s Island as a guest of George Pullman. Though there was no information found that acknowledged whether Pullman and Hart knew one another prior to the purchase, or what prompted Hart’s purchase either, they undoubtedly knew one another afterward being in such close proximity on the river for many years.

Perhaps one of the reasons very little credit is given to Hart for Boldt’s Cottage is very little information exists in the press regarding it. At most, it was described much like any other large home in the Thousand Islands, with approximately 30 rooms.  When Boldt acquired it and began to build on it, few photos readily exist, if any at all, that documented the changes and very little other than cursory descriptions of the Boldt Cottage were written in the press.

Fortunately, there are at least snippets in the newspapers about Hart himself as was published August 16, 1877 in the Watertown Daily Times–

Among the many delightful and picturesque islands on the St. Lawrence river, none can surpass “Hart Island” in situation and beauty.  Being directly opposite the Bay, only a little over a half a mile in distance, and surrounded by numerous other beautiful islands, one would have to look far and long to find a more delightful spot on which to spend the summer months.

So indeed thought the parties that enjoyed the opportunity of rusticating there for several weeks this summer.  Hon. E. K. Hart, the refined gentlemanly owner, with members of his family and friends and acquaintances from Albion, together with a party from Watertown, managed to fill up the empty nooks and corners of the large and commodious house on the island.  They were a very jolly party.  Long may they live.

Elizur K. Heart was elected as a Democrat to the Forty-fifth Congress in 1877, serving until 1879. Afterward, he founded the Rochester Post-Express and served as president as well as president of the Orleans County National Bank which he served as until his death in 1893 at the age of 51.

Toward the end of his short life, he visited Hart Island less, and, at the time of his death, the island had not been kept up for some time.  It was that summer in 1893 that George C. Boldt made his first visit to the Thousand Islands.  The Daily Times printed his visit and future plans on July 31–

Geo. C. Boldt, proprietor of the Waldorf, New York, returned to the metropolis tonight with his wife and family, after a pleasant sojourn at the Thousand Islands.  Mr. Boldt is highly pleased with his first visit here, and contemplates erecting a summer home on the St. Lawrence before another season.

Two years later, George made the purchase of Hart Island from Hart’s estate with another manager from the Waldorf Hotel.  The Daily Times reported of the sale on July 1, 1895–

The Waldorf Hotel Managers Purchase It For $20,000

Hart’s isle, opposite Alexandria, has been sold to George C. Boldt and F. W. McCormick, of the Waldorf Hotel, New York. The price paid is said to be $20,000.  The island is one of the most desirable in the river.  It is five acres in extent, is high above the water and has every advantage for an excellent summer home.

It was the property of the estate of E. K. Hart, of Albion, N.Y., but has been unoccupied for some time.  Many bids have been made for the property by prominent eastern capitalists, but until this deal was consummated all were unsuccessful.

The purchasers will immediately begin to beautify the island by the erection of a fine summer residence and in various ways will make this naturally prominent island one of the most picturesque in the river.

By June of 1897. George C. Boldt had entirely rebuilt the house, along with a new boathouse, landscaped and beautified Heart Island, as it was renamed, and improved it with new walks to the extent that “one would hardly know the old place,” according to an article in the Daily Times.

It was also during this time that Boldt was developing Wellesley Island where just three years later he had what was described by the Daily Times as “the largest yacht home ever constructed on the St. Lawrence River” built by contractor J. B. Reid based on W. H. Hewitt’s design.

Of course, that was the only thing Boldt had in the works.  In the spring of 1900, the Boldt Cottage was to be torn down to make room for Boldt Castle.  Since the purchase of the cottage, it was estimated 75 men found continuous employment through constant improvements, expanding it and improving the grounds to a tune of $400,000.  Some of those improvements included Alstor Tower, the boathouse, and the powerhouse.

While the cottage was torn down, part of it was removed across the ice to Wellesley Island during the winter of 1900 where it became the Thousand Island Club and, in later years, the bed & breakfast known as the Hart House Inn.