In 1895 George Boldt acquired Heart Island for the reputed sum of $20,000.00, and work on the island soon began with three initial projects: the design and construction of Alster Tower, the construction of a boat lagoon and Peristyle, and the reconstruction of the original Hart House. On July 15, 1899, Boldt formally opened Alster Tower, said to be a replica of a castle on the Rhine River in Germany. As the first completed project on the island, it inspired the monumental works that followed. It was intended for recreation and guest quarters; its first floor contained the Shell Room, named for its shell-shaped ceiling and used for musicals and dancing, the basement held a two-lane bowling alley, and the upper floors contained a billiard room, library, cafe, and kitchen. Alster Tower was the only new structure on Heart Island that was completed, and it is said that the Boldts lived there while construction of the castle was underway. At the foot of the tower was a dock for arriving guests, and beside it the remains of a Roman swimming pool can still be seen. By 1899 Boldt had hired the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, architects G. W. and W. D. Hewitt to assist in designing several major projects on the island. Although it is not known whether the Hewitts helped design Alster Tower, the Peristyle is attributed to them. Built of huge masses of granite and extending into the water to make the island’s heart shape more pronounced, the Peristyle featured a large central arch resembling the Arch of Triumph, intended to be topped by carved stone male deer, or harts, a symbol of George Boldt’s European lineage and part of the family coat of arms that appeared throughout Heart Island’s architecture. The arch served as a water gate and was to be the formal entrance for launches delivering guests. The lagoon is over 500 feet long and 100 feet at its widest point, and its outer walk served as a promenade; bridges were originally intended to swing from it across the lagoon, while ornamental trees and shrubs with elaborate electrical lighting effects were planned to create a spectacle on the St. Lawrence River.