Bannerman's Island June 1, 2014

Bannerman's summer house on Bannerman's Island

Bannerman's Castle

The creation of Bannerman’s island helps to show the individualism of people throughout the Hudson River Valley. Francis Bannerman, with the creation of this island, also illustrates the idea that the Hudson Valley could serve as a place where people can gain their own land and become wealthy. Bannerman’s Island served as the central place for the family industry. What is interesting about the architecture of Bannerman’s Island is that Francis Bannerman created them all by himself, of things that reminded him of castles back in Scotland. He would draw how he wanted the house to look and tell the workers to make it look exactly like his drawing. I’ve always wanted to do this with my own house when I am an adult, and just go off of imagination. You can tell by looking at the castle that Bannerman created it not only to store his merchandise, but for appearance. What is left of the castle now helps us imagine what it would have looked like when it was first made. Francis was very proud of his heritage, and you can definitely see that while touring Bannerman’s Island. Francis Bannerman showcased the Scotia symbol in a lot of places, and created his own crest for his family. 

Bannerman's Coat of Arms

The coat of arms, figure on the right, shows the journey as to which his family made to thrive in the United States. The creation of the crest proves that even though families have left their country to live a better life, they will always keep their culture with them. What surprised me the most was that his family failed to restore the castle after the death of Francis. If they were so shocked and devastated by his death, wouldn’t they want to preserve the one thing he put most of his life into? If they would have preserved the castle and buildings, Bannerman’s Island would be a greater historical site. Nonetheless, it is still very interesting. After the guide had told us that Francis would use some of the weapons in the formation of building, I tried to scope out the walls of everything to see if I could spot an old riffle or bayonet. I did not find any riffles, but I did see a lot of cannons. It was amazing to hear that the family business lasted for so long and finally ended in 1970. Even though they did not use most of the island, they moved the business to Long Island. After the business ended, I assume (and hope) the family visited Bannerman’s Island on occasion to remember what helped their family prosper. It’s sad to say that the last member of the Bannerman family died this week at age 104. Although there are no more Bannerman’s left, the island will serve as a historical site to carry the family name.