The strange history of Pollepel Island and Bannerman Castle, with Neil Caplan

Photo credit: Michael Isabell

While living in Brooklyn in the early 1990s, Neil Caplan saw a drawing of Bannerman’s Castle on Pollepel Island – situated between Beacon and Cold Spring. Inspired, he set out to gain stewardship of it, shore up its historical features, create a system for public access and ultimately stage theater there. The result is the Bannerman Castle Trust: one part historic preservation, one part public park and one part arts organization. This spring Neil will be honored by the Howland Cultural Center at its annual gala. Meanwhile, two current gallery exhibitions, at the Howland and Bannerman’s Island Gallery, feature art and artifacts from the island. In our interview, Neil talks about ongoing restoration, arts programming and other aspects of caring for this natural and historic resources. He also shares anecdotes about the island, Bannerman family and more.

Learn more at Bannermancastletrust.org.