What did mega-yachts look like around the turn of the last century?
Hi everyone, Ken here, welcome to This House.
In a recent video, I asked if you would like to see a luxurious, historic yacht, and after
reading through your comments, many of you asked to see George Boldt’s Yacht, La Duchesse.
Before we dive in, make sure to hit that subscribe button so you never miss an exciting episode
of This House
At the age of 13, In the mid 1800s, George Boldt immigrated to the United States with
not much more than the clothes he was wearing.
Once in New York, he began searching for a job, but the only work he could find was in
a kitchen doing cleaning and prep work.
Over the next decade, he worked his way up in the restaurant until he caught the attention
of some of the restaurants wealthier patrons.
They tapped him to manage one of the most exclusive clubs in nearby Philadelphia, The
Philadelphia Club whose members included High Society names such as the DuPont’s and the
Biddle’s.
There he forged connections with some of the country’s most elite businessmen and within
5 years, he had raised enough money to open his first hotel, but it wouldn’t be any
normal hotel, it would be a hotel that strictly catered to wealthy clients.
His business model was a success, and over the next 20 years he opened several more high-end,
luxury hotels, including the Philadelphia’s largest hotel, the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel
boasting over 1,000 rooms.
Meanwhile, several of his wealthy guests had enjoyed their stays at his hotels, and sought
to replicate his business model.
First, William Waldorf Astor tore down his Manhattan Mansion and built the towering Waldorf
Hotel in its place.
When it was complete, it towered over his aunt’s, the Mrs. Astor’s, famous brownstone
mansion.
Mrs. Astor’s son, John Jacob Astor IV persuaded his mother to build a new mansion so that
the family home could be torn down and replaced with a competing hotel which would be named
The Astoria Hotel.
The Astor cousins competed with each other for some time before nearly bankrupting their
businesses, at which point they called on George Boldt to save them.
Boldt proposed a merger which he would oversee as a general manager for the joint hotels.
The Astor cousins agreed, and the world famous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel was successfully brought
from near financial ruin to the most lucrative hotel of its time.
Now, with Boldt owning several hotels and managing several other, he had built himself
an empire no-vacancy signs.
Since arriving in America, his net worth went from maybe a few dollars to the modern equivalent
of nearly a billion dollars.
In 1900, he headed up to Alexandria Bay, New York where he purchased Heart Island.
There, he intended to build a rambling castle with 360 degree views of the water.
The interior featured long, rustic corridors.
As well as stately rooms, such as the dining room, where he could host large parties and
formal events.
The castle would be every bit as elegant as his grand hotels with sweeping staircases
and artisan plaster work throughout.
But, unfortunately, before the castle could be completed, his beloved wife unexpectedly
passed away and he abandoned the project.
The castle sat exposed to the elements, incomplete, and began deteriorating with each passing
season.
Though he would never return to the main house, his boat house on the neighboring Wellesley
Island had a different fate.
There he housed one of the largest private yachts in the world, LA Duchesse, measuring
106 feet long.
The luxurious houseboat could serve as his summer home where he would entertain large
groups on the open waters.
On the upper deck, we will find the screened in area which was referred to as the Dancing
Room.
Guests would be entertained here with live music spilling over from the adjacent music
room.
Which housed a Steinway Piano below a glass dome.
Here we can spot Hot Water Radiators along the base of the wall, which ensured that guests
could stay warm on even the chilliest of nights at sea.
Next we will head down to the main deck to find the dining room with built in China Cabinets
lining the walls.
On the opposite wall, a fireplace featuring cast brass dolphins and sea shells sets the
tone for a nautical excursion.
We can head through the door on the left to take a peek at the kitchen.
It would have been unlikely that Boldt ever stepped foot in this room as his on-board
staff would have been busy preparing meals throughout the day for him.
From the dining room, guests would travel down the wood paneled hallway to find their
cabins marked by fluted pilasters.
Each of the guest cabins were finished out with floor to ceiling wood paneling and coffered
ceilings, ensuring a luxurious stay in their bunks.
Boldt even provided his staff with luxurious quarters complete with wainscotting and elaborate
crown molding.
Let’s head back upstairs to the upper deck, where we will find the lounge with large windows
to capture views while traveling through the thousand islands region.
We can cut through here to find the most luxurious bedroom of them all, Boldt’s bedroom.
This large suite is situated in the corner of the ship allowing for views on two sides.
The bedroom features plenty of storage space with closet and cabinet doors disguised as
wood paneling.
Boldt spent much of his time on the water, never returning to his castle.
In his later years, he became philanthropic, donating money to various charities and schools,
as well as setting up scholarships for aspiring kids who had no way of affording college tuition.
When he passed away in 1916, his estate was split equally between his adult children,
giving them full permission to sell any and all of his assets with the one condition that
they continue to make regular donations to his favorite charities.
And so they did, by establishing more scholarship programs and constructing buildings at Cornell
University.
Eventually, the Waldorf-Astoria was torn down to make way for the Empire State Building.
And after decades of neglect, Boldt’s castle began collapsing in on itself.
In the 1970s, an effort was made to not only save the castle, but to restore and finish
it.
Today it is open to the public as an incredibly unique house museum.
Meanwhile, LA Duchesse was sold into a private collection before being donated to the Antique
Boat Museum in 2005.
It is now open to the public for tours and attracts more than 20,000 guests annually.
Which part of Boldt’s property was your favorite?
One of his hotels?
Boldt’s Castle?
Or La Duchesse?
Let me know down below in the comments section.
And while you’re there, make sure to hit that subscribe button so you never miss an
exciting episode of This House