Once a major fueling stop for steam ships navigating the St. Lawrence River during the late 1800s, the community of Alexandria Bay was named after Alexander LeRay, son of landholder James LeRay.
The year-round population is close to 1,100 people, but during the summer the Village typically sees many more than that number each day in just tourists.
Alexandria Bay is perhaps most noted as the location of Heart Island and the famous Boldt Castle. This 120 room castle was commissioned in 1900 to be built by George C. Boldt for his wife Louise. Boldt was a wealthy proprietor of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. Boldt halted construction in 1904, when his wife died. According to the legend, Boldt was so heart broken he never again set foot on Heart Island after the death of his wife.
