thereafter became LaSalle Military Academy. Having little use for the remote island in the St. Lawrence River, the Christian Brothers sold Dark Island in 1965 for approximately US$5,000, to be used thereafter by a charitable organization of religious character, the Harold Martin Evangelistic Association. Subsequent history The previous tax-exempt status of the property was contested by neighbors after occupancy by the new owner. They contended that Dr. Harold Martin, director of the charity, maintained the tax-exempt property for his own private use as a summer residence. Martin prevailed in court, on the basis that he and his wife, Eloise, offered a religious service on the island every Sunday morning, open to all. During this Martin interval, the property was called "Jorstadt Castle," from Dr. Harold Martin's family surname before immigrating from Norway. The castle's name has since been changed to "Singer Castle." After more than thirty years of Martin tenure, removal, sometimes due to theft, depleted the original contents. Due to the high cost of maintenance, a number of original fixtures and artifacts fell into disrepair. Rumors about the true use of the property (its new name not identifying any religious or charitable ownership), together with gradual deterioration of the property and stories about a complex maze of dimly lit secret passageways, complete with a dungeon, all increased the romantic mystique of Dark Island. During the later decades of the Martin period (the late 1980s and early 1990s), Dark Island was listed for sale. Advertisements appeared in high-end real estate magazines such as Unique Homes with suggestions that it be a "private residence, corporate retreat or hunting lodge." Interest came from as far as Japan, but the property remained unsold until acquired in 2001 by Dark Island Tours, Inc., a venture of German businessman Farhad Vladi and two European business partners. Vladi also operates Vladi Private Islands GmbH, real estate company based in Hamburg, Germany that specializes in selling islands. Dark Island Tours, Inc. undertook an extensive campaign of restoration and adaptation in order to open Dark Island to the visiting public. Tours were initiated in 2003. Despite losses over the years, the interior of the castle retains its original character, with most of the Bourne-Thayer furnishings. Unlike nearby Boldt Castle, Dark Island always served as a private residence, until opened to the public for tours. In 2006, Dark Island was listed for sale through Sotheby's International Realty for $22