An eccentric inventor had dreams of splendor for a rocky island out in the cold waters of Lake Michigan. It could have been an opulent home, a 100-room hotel, and an exclusive private retreat — but you know what they say about the best laid plans. The dreams of Chester Thordarson didn’t quite come true, but the remains of what he did built on Wisconsin’s Rock Island are simply incredible. Get your ferry ticket and camera – here’s what’s waiting for you when you visit this abandoned estate in Door County’s Rock Island.

Chester Thordarson was an Icelandic-American inventor who lived from 1867 to 1945. He dropped out of school in seventh grade (at age 20) but he proved he was a genius.
Washington Island
Thordarson developed nearly a hundred technology patents related to transformers, inductors, and high voltage coils. He built the first million-volt transformer and he founded the Thordarson Electric Manufacturing Company in Chicago that produced industrial and commercial transformers. His technology became key to the country’s modern electric transmission grid.
Alltrails / Brian Chaille
All of this made Thordarson very, very wealthy. In 1910 he began spending some of his wealth on a remote island in Lake Michigan.
Alltrails / Ashly Burton

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Rock Island is a 974-acre island at the far end of Door County that had been home to Native Americans and later, European fishermen. By the early 1900s, it was deserted and Thorardson had a vision.
Alltrails / Bvrioan Chaille
He planned to built a huge home and hotel on the island and while the retreat was never completed, he amassed a crew of skilled workers who toiled for years and built a spectacular structure.
Alltrails / Argelyn Bautista
A massive stone boathouse, big enough for two 50-foot yachts, was built, along with a few other smaller structures, like a water tower, that may have never pumped water. The boathouse is incredible; it’s now listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Destination Door County

Rock Island is now a Wisconsin state park – you can reach it by taking a ferry to Washington Island and then a second ferry to Rock Island. The island has an old lighthouse and is laced with hiking trails and dotted with a small collection of campsites, but it’s essentially undeveloped. Vehicles are not allowed. Learn more on the state park’s website. There are a lot of unusual historic landmarks in Wisconsin that are just waiting to be discovered on a road trip – here are some you’ll want to visit.

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Rock Island, Washington, WI, USA