BANNERMAN’S ISLAND – Bannerman’s Island and the iconic Bannerman’s castle in the Hudson River off the southern portion of the Town of Fishkill provide a look at history more than a century ago.
Francis Bannerman VI built the castle to store goods for his business; he is considered the father of the army and navy store and catalog business, said historian Thomas Johnson.
Like Bannerman, the Bannerman Castle Trust is geared toward educating young people, Johnson noted during a recent tour of the island.
“The more we work with kids at our elbows, the better we will be in the future and the better off those kids will be because they won’t be getting into trouble if they know how to work, and that was also something that Bannerman believed in,” Johnson said.
The Bannerman’s Castle Trust conducts tours, movie nights, and theatrical events during the summer months.
The island is owned by the state’s Palisades Interstate Park Commission.
