Houseboat La Duchese

Thursday, June 13, (Cont'd)

There was a special tour at the Antique Boat museum of a houseboat originally built in 1903 for George Boldt who was manager of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York.  She is called La Duchesse.  It is 106' and 22' wide and was built without an engine.  It was pulled to its mooring by a tug.   

P.S.  George Boldt is responsible for 1,000 island dressing.   Now you know where the name comes from! 

The living room, opposite the grand piano.

The Aft deck, which is cleared to make a big dance floor.  The bay window has the piano in it, and the windows open so the dancers can hear the music.

This is the dining room.  The copper fireplace has starfish and sea shells in it. 

George Boldt had built this huge castle on one of the islands for his wife. She died suddenly before it was completed.  It was a very romantic tragedy - he had even had the island reconfigured in the shape of a heart. He was going to give the Castle to her for Valentine's Day. (Listen up guys!)   Anyway, the castle , which was never finished, is currently being completed to the tune of millions of dollars.   (If you want to know more, google Boldt Castle.)

After Boldt's death, the whole estate was purchased by E J Noble.  He was the owner of the Beechnut Fruit Company and inventor of the Lifesaver Candy. (Remember that big pack of lifesaver's earlier, from Govenour?  Noble was born there.)  He also happened to found the ABC network.  He rented out a lot of the properties from the Boldt estate but left the boat sitting in a boathouse for years.

This is one of the guest bedrooms

In 1943, the boat sank up to the top of the lower deck (this is a two story boat).  A couple of months later, Nobel sold the boat to Mr. and Mrs. Andrew McNally (of Rand McNally) for $100, providing they would remove the boat from the boathouse.  They had the hold repaired and towed the boat to their estate, which also happened to be on Wellesley Island.

Servant's quarters! Two housekeepers, a chef, a butler, a captain, even though the boat went nowhere.

Master Bath (don't forget, built in 1903)

This is a special potting room for plants so that there would always be frech cut flowers on the tables!

A grand piano was part of the original boat, a replica of one at the Waldorf Astoria.   It was lost for a while, but recovered.

Above the piano is a skylight of Tiffany glass.

The McNally family lived on this boat for 50 years, raised their children on it, and when Andrew died, the boat which had been bequeathed to the museum, was brought there.  The McNally family provided the funds for a huge boathouse to protect it, and a perpetual endowment for its upkeep.