FULL: Millionaires’ Row in the Thousand Islands
Thursday, September 17, 2026
ADVOCATE-LEVEL MEMBERS & UP ONLY
After President Ulysses Grant visited George Pullman’s ostentatious Castle Rest in 1872, national attention on the Thousand Islands brought tourists and several wealthy families to the region, many of whom built large summer homes near Alexandria Bay. Although Boldt Castle is perhaps the most famous, other notable mansions were designed and built for inventor Henry Quackenbush, railroad industrialist Asa Packer, and Singer Sewing Machine Company president Frederick Bourne. On this outing, we will explore what is commonly known as “Millionaires’ Row” and adventure to stunning sites on both Comfort and Cherry Islands. This tour will also feature the National Register of Historic Places-listed Church of St. Lawrence; the charming Cornwall Brothers Store Museum; the recently-restored 1883 Clark Mansion on Comfort Island with its remarkable four-story observation tower; and Cherry Island’s 1890 Casa Blanca Mansion. We will pass by and discuss numerous historic sites along the way, including the hiding place of legendary area pirate Bill Johnston. Lastly, the tour includes an optional guided walk to the top of the 1938 Thousand Islands Bridge, an iconic feat of American civil engineering.
This outing is led by AARCH board member and Thousand Islands historian Thomas French. The tour starts at 10 AM and ends at 4 PM.
The fee is $80 for advocate-level AARCH members and up only.
Photo courtesy of Comfort Island Weddings.