Houseboat
Name/Title
HouseboatEntry/Object ID
2003.010Description
La Duchesse has been a highly visible fixture along the St. Lawrence River for over a century. There were a number of houseboats on the River in the early 1900s, but La Duchesse is special because she has survived for so long. La Duchesse was built for George C. Boldt, the owner of the Bellevue Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia and manager of the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. Originally, the houseboat was to be built in New York City and brought up to the Thousand Islands through the Erie Barge Canal. However, when the design was completed, it was clear she would be too large to pass under the bridges that span the canal, so she was built in sections and then shipped by rail to the Thousand Islands. After being assembled at the Boldt estate on Wellesley Island, La Duchesse was launched into the St. Lawrence River. Designed by the naval architecture firm of Tams, Lemoine & Crane, La Duchesse had a net tonnage of 247, length of 104 feet, and a beam of 22 feet. Original construction costs totaled $175,000. For his money, Boldt received a mahogany hull and two stories of luxurious living quarters including "...steel bulkheads, steam heat, open fireplaces, ten bedrooms, five baths, fine service quarters, dining room, salon and dancing deck." Among many fine appointments are two fireplaces, one solid brass, the other marble, carved wood paneling, a stained glass skylight, Pullman shades and Pullman beds (the last two a nod to summer resident and friend George Pullman). The Boldt family used La Duchesse for living, housing guests, and entertaining. In particular, the Boldts would entertain and watch many of the boat races, including the Gold Cup, from the houseboat's lounge deck. Despite her size and luxury, like many turn of the century houseboats, La Duchesse has never had an engine, and Boldt's 1897 tug, Queen, would tow her to various locations along the River. George Boldt died in 1916. In 1918, La Duchesse was advertised for rent in Town and Country magazine, with the contact information listed as the "estate of George Boldt." A few years later nearly all of Boldt's considerable estate was put up for sale, and in 1922 the many properties, boats and houses were purchased by E. J. Noble, of the Life Savers Candy Company, and A. Graham Miles, husband of Boldt's daughter Clover. E.J. Noble continued to rent out the various properties he purchased from Boldt through the '20s and '30s, but through those years, La Duchesse spent much of the time in her slip in the Yacht House on the Boldt estate. In 1943, she sank at the Yacht House after a broken pipe allowed the hull to fill with water. She sank onto two pilings, and settled on the bottom with the entirety of the lower deck underwater. Shortly after the sinking, E. J. Noble had dinner with Mrs. Andrew (Margaret) McNally, and told her about the houseboat. Her husband Andrew McNally III, of Rand McNally & Company, was stationed on the Mississippi River with the Army Corps of Engineers at the time. Noble offered to sell the houseboat to the McNallys for a small sum if they would raise and remove her from the Yacht House. They agreed, and on September 15, 1943, a bill of sale was drawn up for $100. A diver was sent down to patch the holes in the hull, and La Duchesse was towed to the McNally estate, also on Wellesley Island, where she remained awaiting repairs until the end of World War II. Through the late 1940s and 1950s, Mr. McNally invested much time and money repairing La Duchesse. It is largely due to this stewardship by Mr. McNally that La Duchesse still survives. While La Duchesse has remained surprisingly intact, like many historic houses she has had a number of changes over time. The McNally family enjoyed La Duchesse for over 50 years, and then donated her to the Antique Boat Museum in 2005. Visitors to the Antique Boat Museum are welcome to go aboard and experience the splendor of La Duchesse for themselves. We hope you will be among them! JMP, LN 2010Collection
BoatsAcquisition
Accession
2003.010Source or Donor
McNally, AndrewMade/Created
Manufacturer
Tams, Lemoine & CraneDate made
1903Notes
Propulsion: noneDimensions
Width
26 ftLength
106-7/8 ftLocation
In-water
McNally property, Wellesley Island