Green-Wood Cemetery Hosts Book Signing and Trolley Tour Recounting Bannerman Castle’s Curious Past
For generations, Hudson Valley travelers have been mystified by an imposing castle-like fortress perched on an island in the middle of the Hudson River near West Point. Military arsenal? Extravagant residence? Dilapidated storehouse? ...Try all the above.
Join Wes and Barbara Gottlock, authors of the book Bannerman Castle (available for purchase and signing) and official Bannerman tour guides, as they detail the history of this remarkable site dating back to 1900 when it was purchased by then Brooklyn resident and now Green-Wood ‘permanent resident,’ Francis Bannerman. The supply of military goods held by Bannerman in the castle on the Hudson was staggering; they were sold to customers around the world, including nations that outfitted their entire armies through the catalog. Other customers included theater producers, illustrators, painters, municipal parks, and collectors. It is estimated that fifty percent of commemorative cannons placed in public areas were supplied by Bannerman. Stunning photographs recount the island’s rise as a glorious landmark, its eventual decline, and the recent calls for preservation and restoration.
After the presentation, a brief tour of the cemetery will take place aboard the Green-Wood Trolley including a stop at the Bannerman family plot.
Saturday, April 12, 2014; 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Green-Wood – Meet inside the main gate (25th Street at 5th Avenue, Brooklyn)Via Subway: From the Atlantic/ Barclays Center stop in Brooklyn, take the R train to 25th (Service on the R train between Manhattan and Brooklyn is suspended until October 2014.) Walk east one block to Green-Wood at 5th Avenue and 25th Street. Free parking is available.
The talk is free. The trolley tour is $20; $15 for members of the Green-Wood Historic Fund and the Brooklyn Historical Society. Reservations recommended. If the trolley tour is not sold out, walk-ups will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information or reservations, call 718-210-3080 or visit www.green-wood.com/toursevents.
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