Having heard people say how the Thousand Islands region was a gorgeous part of New York State, I felt a roadtrip was necessary. Nicknamed the “Venice of America” in the early 1900’s Amidst the gentle waters of the St. Lawrence Seaway lie the villages of Alexandra Bay, Clayton, the town of Cape Vincent and the city of Ogdensburg.

Frederick Gilbert Bourne was a self-made millionaire who resided at the Dakota Apartments in Manhattan and had a 1,000-acre estate in Oakdale, Long Island, called Indian Hall. Bourne became the fifth president of the Singer Sewing Machine Company, which is where the current name “Singer Castle” comes from. While the Bourne’s summered here, they called the castle, “The Towers” and the island, “Dark Island”.