About Us
The Bannerman Castle Trust, Inc. is the official New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation’s (NYSOPRHP’s) “Friends” organization for Bannerman Castle on Pollepel Island and a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
The Trust is dedicated to preserving Bannerman Castle as an educational, cultural, historical, and recreational facility that promotes heritage tourism in the Hudson Valley. To that end, we aim to coordinate resources and funding to stabilize the structures on Pollepel Island so that the island is a safe and lasting destination for public tours and special events. We are also responsible for arranging public tours of the island each year; performing docks, trails, and gardens maintenance; and conducting other special projects (for example, preparation of Historic Structures Reports to document the history of the Castle) under the purview of the NYSOPRHP.
For information on how to become a “Friend of the Castle,” a volunteer, or if you are interested in Bannerman books and merchandise that support the preservation efforts, please phone us at (845) 831-6346, write to The Bannerman Castle Trust, Inc., P.O. Box 843, Glenham. NY 12527-0843, or contact us via e-mail at admin@bannermancastle.org.
Further information on the Bannerman Castle Trust is provided below.
Neil Caplan, Executive Director, is a realtor and co-owner of the Swann Inn in Beacon, NY.
Our Board of Directors consists of:
Leonard Warner, President, is a Program Manager for the Hazardous Waste and Contaminated Sediments Group of The Louis Berger Group, Inc.
Roberty McKenna, Vice President.
Susan Anderson, Treasurer, has worked in New York City as a CPA since 1982, serving individuals, small companies, and non-profits. Her love of hiking and the outdoors brought her to the Cold Spring –Beacon area in the 1970s where she developed a long-standing love for the Hudson River Valley that has been enriched by volunteering with Bannerman’s.
Virginia Palen Donovan, Secretary, is a co-owner of Riverwinds Gallery in Beacon, NY. She is retired from IBM where she worked for over 35 years in programming, education, marketing, and management.
Barbara Gottlock, Volunteer Coordinator, is a retired educator who has co-authored four books on Hudson Valley history, including Bannerman Castle.
Michael TJ McCormack, AIA, is a partner of the architecture firm Liscum McCormack VanVoorhis LLP.
Evelyn Owen Palen, Librarian, lived on Bannerman Island in 1934 and 1935 with her brother Leonard Wayne Owen, who was the Assistant Superintendent on the island. Evelyn worked for many years as an Executive Assistant to the President and CEO of New York Trap Rock and Lone Star Industries.
Ray Armater the Director of Montgomery Place in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY.
John Lanc, PE, LS is a partner in Lanc & Tully Engineering and Surveying, PC.
The Trust is dedicated to preserving Bannerman Castle as an educational, cultural, historical, and recreational facility that promotes heritage tourism in the Hudson Valley. To that end, we aim to coordinate resources and funding to stabilize the structures on Pollepel Island so that the island is a safe and lasting destination for public tours and special events. We are also responsible for arranging public tours of the island each year; performing docks, trails, and gardens maintenance; and conducting other special projects (for example, preparation of Historic Structures Reports to document the history of the Castle) under the purview of the NYSOPRHP.
For information on how to become a “Friend of the Castle,” a volunteer, or if you are interested in Bannerman books and merchandise that support the preservation efforts, please phone us at (845) 831-6346, write to The Bannerman Castle Trust, Inc., P.O. Box 843, Glenham. NY 12527-0843, or contact us via e-mail at admin@bannermancastle.org.
Further information on the Bannerman Castle Trust is provided below.
Neil Caplan, Executive Director, is a realtor and co-owner of the Swann Inn in Beacon, NY.
Our Board of Directors consists of:
Leonard Warner, President, is a Program Manager for the Hazardous Waste and Contaminated Sediments Group of The Louis Berger Group, Inc.
Roberty McKenna, Vice President.
Susan Anderson, Treasurer, has worked in New York City as a CPA since 1982, serving individuals, small companies, and non-profits. Her love of hiking and the outdoors brought her to the Cold Spring –Beacon area in the 1970s where she developed a long-standing love for the Hudson River Valley that has been enriched by volunteering with Bannerman’s.
Virginia Palen Donovan, Secretary, is a co-owner of Riverwinds Gallery in Beacon, NY. She is retired from IBM where she worked for over 35 years in programming, education, marketing, and management.
Barbara Gottlock, Volunteer Coordinator, is a retired educator who has co-authored four books on Hudson Valley history, including Bannerman Castle.
Michael TJ McCormack, AIA, is a partner of the architecture firm Liscum McCormack VanVoorhis LLP.
Evelyn Owen Palen, Librarian, lived on Bannerman Island in 1934 and 1935 with her brother Leonard Wayne Owen, who was the Assistant Superintendent on the island. Evelyn worked for many years as an Executive Assistant to the President and CEO of New York Trap Rock and Lone Star Industries.
Ray Armater the Director of Montgomery Place in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY.
John Lanc, PE, LS is a partner in Lanc & Tully Engineering and Surveying, PC.