For $495,000., an abandoned mansion on Carleton Island near Cape Vincent, New York, is being offered for sale once more.
The dilapidated fortress situated near the Canadian border has been deserted for more than 70 years. The dilapidated home, exposed to the elements, would need millions more than its modest sale price to be brought back to its former splendour.
The frightening listing, which just appeared on our weekly list of the most popular houses, has drawn a lot of attention from curious onlookers despite the intimidating challenge.
The abandoned estate is undoubtedly a ghost of its former existence, even though it may not be haunted. And the story behind it is undoubtedly unfortunate.
The once-grand estate was constructed on the small island in the 1890s as a holiday residence for industrialist William O. Wyckoff, according to press sources.
Selling the then-newly created typewriter for the gun company E. Remington and Sons, Wyckoff had accumulated a fortune. With his wealth, he made the decision to construct a holiday house on the gorgeous St. Lawrence River location.
The home was created by renowned architect William Henry Miller, who was also involved in the design of Cornell University. Wyckoff lived at the mansion for a very short time. It is said that on his first night in the home, the owner suffered a heart attack and died. It was said that his wife passed away around one month prior to the house being finished.
One of Wyckoff’s sons received the inheritance, although it’s thought that any family wealth was probably squandered during the Great Depression.
According to one account, General Electric briefly purchased the land in the 1930s with the intention of using it as a business retreat. The company’s intentions were abandoned during World War II due to another instance of bad timing. Since 1927, nobody has resided in the house.
The present owners chose to sell the villa some years ago; it is now a money pit in severe deterioration, and they currently reside nearby in a cottage. It has been on and off the market for the same price twice, in 2012 and 2015, with the intention of finding a buyer to discard a life preserver. It, therefore, excludes the labour the new owner will have to perform.
Listing agent Barry Kukowski states, “What you’re going to have to do now is more of a re-build than a restoration.”
Every week, Kukowski gets calls from prospective customers, but none of them have made the bold decision to take on the challenging project yet. According to him, one recently calculated an investment of between $10 and $12 million.
Although there is power on the island and water from the river, the villa lacks amenities, and the future owner would have to rebuild from scratch due to the deterioration of the wood frame upper floors and stone foundation.
The absence of windows, doors, and almost anything detachable can also be seen in the pictures. According to the listing description, contractors were permitted to enter and remove such items during World War II, leaving the villa vulnerable to the weather.
The fact that you can only get to the island by boat adds to the complexity. It would be necessary to bring in supplies, vehicles, and machinery via barge. According to the agency, this drives up expenses by 30 percent when compared to similar work on the mainland.
Nevertheless, Kukowski claims that the famous mansion is in an ideal location to operate as a hotel or bed & breakfast. The property has 15,000 square feet, 11 bedrooms, 6.9 acres, three waterfronts, and 198 feet of frontage on the sea. Tour boats frequently pass by. Both Canada and New York State send vacationers to the island.
“It would be fantastic if it could be purchased,” Kukowski remarks. “It would be a fantastic Thousand Islands tourist attraction.”
This has promise. Additionally, the owners don’t appear to be inclined to demolish the once-grand property in favour of waiting for someone to revitalise it as the years pass without a sale.
