1894 Architect William Miller-Designed Carleton Villa Sells for $300K in Cape Vincent, New York

SOLD | Built 1894 | 15,000 Sq. Ft. | 11 Beds | 6.9 Acres

Carleton Island Lot 1, Cape Vincent, New York, United States, 13618

After sitting on the market for several years, Carleton Villa has sold for $300,000. Carleton Villa was designed by architect William Miller in 1894 for William O. Wyckoff, who made his fortune helping the Remington Arms Company develop a market for the typewriter. The grand estate was originally designed as a summer residence and a place for entertaining on a grand scale. Located on Carleton Island where Lake Ontario flows into the St. Lawrence River, this was once the grandest estate in the Thousand Islands. Wyckoff’s wife reportedly died of a heart attack a month before he moved in and on his first night in the mansion he suffered a heart attack in his sleep and died. Wyckoff’s youngest son, Clarence Wyckoff, acquired the Villa after his father’s death. The family lost much of their fortune during the Great Depression and the home was sold to General Electric who planned on demolishing it to build a retreat & a new plant. They offered materials from the villa to those who would salvage them. 

Many of the windows, including stained glass, were removed and in the service wing an entire floor of a bedroom was cut out. The marble cladding of the tower base was also pulled off and taken away. Total demolition was halted when World War II intervened and GE abandoned the property as it was. The large tower was eventually pulled down when it started to pose a risk. Listing details: This Carleton Island Villa is on 6.9 acres, has three waterfronts 198′ in front of the Villa, North Bay 287′ and South Bay 330′. The home has not been lived-in in over 70 years. It has a stone foundation and wood frame upper floors have deterioration. There is electricity to the Island and water is taken from the River although there are no utilities connected to the Villa. The Villa was constructed around 1895 and was used until around 1927. Around the World War Era, contractors were allowed to go in and remove the interior and the doors and windows leaving the Villa to the elements. Carleton Island was on the market for $375,000 with Barry Kukowski of Howard Hanna Clayton.

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