A few weeks back the entire TILT staff went on a “field trip” to Grindstone Island. Grindstone is the fourth largest island in the 1000 Islands, and TILT preserves over 40% of it! It’s a fascinating place that used to be wholly self-sufficient, with a dairy operation that morphed into a cheese factory because cheese was easier to transport across the ice (back when the River used to freeze, le sigh). The cheese factory and two schoolhouses are now closed, but the church and town hall (and graveyard) are still in use for the number of residents who still call Grindstone home, despite the fact that the only way to get there is by boat. And it sure is pretty in the fall:
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- A Folk Artist’s 1000 Islands (essexonlakechamplain.com)
A Green(ish) Life 
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Beautiful images. I’m especially drawn to the abandoned (but once stately?) home. Thanks for including a link to our post, “A Folk Artist’s 1000 Islands”.
Thanks for stopping by! The abandoned building is actually the old Grindstone cheese factory, but there are a few ruins of once stately homes (and castles) in the area. There would be more, but it’s my understanding that back in the day it was seen as much more lucrative to “accidentally” burn down your island home and collect the insurance money rather than repair and re-sell.
Beautiful photos, familiar to me, but I’m usually in the area in the summer. I love what the fall does to the islands on our river.
Thanks for stopping by! Although gorgeous in the summer, it’s been fascinating having such a front-row seat (literally) to all of the changing seasons on the River. Feel free to stop in to the land trust office when you get back into the area come summer!