Gillette Castle State Park straddles the towns of
East Haddam
East Haddam is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut. The population was 8,875 at the time of the 2020 census.
History
Until 1650, the area of East Haddam was inhabited by at least three Indigenous peoples: the Wangunk, the Mohegan and the Ni ...
and
Lyme, Connecticut
Lyme is a New England town, town in New London County, Connecticut, New London County, Connecticut, United States, situated on the eastern side of the Connecticut River. The population was 2,352 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Lyme i ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, sitting high above the
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island ...
. The castle was designed and built by
William Gillette
William Hooker Gillette (July 24, 1853 – April 29, 1937) was an American actor-manager, playwright, and stage-manager in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best remembered for portraying Sherlock Holmes on stage and in a 1916 ...
(1853–1937), an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
actor
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...
most famous for his portrayal of
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
on stage. Gillette lived here from 1919 until his death in 1937.
The State of Connecticut purchased the property in 1943 for $29,000.
Location
The park is located at 67 River Road in East Haddam and consists of the castle (located in Lyme) and its grounds. It receives 350,000 annual visitors.
It reopened in 2002 after a four-year, $11 million restoration. It now includes a visitors' center and museum, hiking trails, and a picnic area.
History
William Gillette's "castle", called Seventh Sister and renamed "Gillette Castle" by Connecticut State in 1943,
was built between 1914 and 1919 with an addition completed in 1924 on a tract at the top of the southernmost of a chain of hills known as the Seven Sisters. Gillette died, leaving no wife or children, and his will precluded the possession of his home by any "blithering sap-head who has no conception of where he is or with what surrounded". The State of
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
took over the property in 1943, renaming it ''Gillette Castle State Park''. It was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1986.
Gillette originally planned to build his retirement home on Long Island until he discovered the cliffs of the Seven Sisters while traversing the Connecticut River in his houseboat, "Aunt Polly".
Gillette designed the home and personally overlooked every phase of the construction.
Construction was performed by the Porteus-Walker Company, a leading contracting and wood-working firm based in
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...
founded by Gillette's childhood friend, Robert Porteus.
It has been described as being designed in a medieval gothic, or an "American fairy tale mixed with European flair"
style, or as "a weird blending of Victorian and Arts and Crafts".
In the past, it had even been described as "Gillette's Folly".
The 3-story-plus-tower,
24-room, 14,000 sq ft home was built of wood, cement, and local Connecticut field stone, supported by a steel framework.
The exterior of the home is covered in field stone.
Woodwork within the home is hand-hewn southern white oak.
In some places, beams were set directly into the stones, anchored only by cement.
The walls, in particular, were constructed similarly to a stage set, lacking two-by-four studs and mortar in critical places.
It has been noted it was "a wonder the building didn't collapse" before the castle's multimillion-dollar restoration.
Insulation included seaweed and paper.
It took 20 workers from 1914 to 1919 (5 years) to complete the construction
totaling a cost of over $1 million at the time.
In the years Gillette lived in the home, he led and supervised thousands of refinements by local craftsmen.
The style of the home's interior reflects craftsman aesthetic popularized by
Gustave Stickley.
A number of oddities exist inside the home that were personally designed by Gillette and said to be examples of his "creative genius".
These include:
* 47 unique doors and door locks throughout the castle.
Each door is equipped with an external Steampunk-like latch intricately carved of wood.
Trick locks made unlocking these doors a puzzle.
* Unique furnishings including built-in couches and a movable table on tracks.
* Light switches of carved wood.
* A grand upper-floor balcony running the length of the downstairs main room.
The walls on the second floor are notably short. This architectural feature is theorized to have been used to enhance Gillette's stature, making him appear taller to guests looking up at him from below.
* A hand-carved bar, which opened with a secret latch.
* A series of mirrors above the great hall allowing him to view visitors from his bedroom. This design is thought to have helped Gillette spy on guests and make dramatic entrances.
* A fire suppression system
complete with a water tower, integrated into the home's design, that feed a unique manual fire sprinkler on the second floor overlooking the living room.
* Secret doors, passageway, and room. A secret door near the staircase leading to the rest of the home allowed Gillette to swiftly, unexpectedly, and theatrically appear to welcome or startle his guests. The secret room is only accessible by a staircase revealed after pulling down a handle. The room is small, and contains a fireplace.
* A grand wooden staircase to the upper floors.
The home was notably decorated with a number of Tiffany lamps made of broken bottle fragments.
It also had a heated bed. At one time, Gillette shared his home with up to 17 cats. For them, he designed finely crafted cat toys.
Gillette was particularly fond of his 3-mile-long narrow gauge railroad with an elaborate system of switches, trestles, bridges, turnouts, and a tunnel.
Visitors, which reportedly included
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein ( ; ; 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist, widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time. Einstein is best known for developing the theory ...
,
Helen Hayes
Helen Hayes MacArthur ( Brown; October 10, 1900 – March 17, 1993) was an American actress whose career spanned 80 years. She eventually received the nickname "First Lady of American Theatre" and was the second person and first woman to have w ...
, and
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...
,
could ride the railroad around the estate and speed along the 100-foot-plus cliffs of the Connecticut River.
The railroad was complete with steam engine and an electric engine, and were later purchased by
Lake Compounce
Lake Compounce is an amusement park located in Bristol and Southington, Connecticut. Opened in 1846, it is the oldest continuously operating amusement park in the United States. It spans , which includes a beach and a water park called Crocodile ...
in
Bristol, Connecticut
Bristol is a suburban city located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, southwest-west of Hartford. The city is also 120 miles southwest from Boston, and approximately 100 miles northeast of New York City. As of the 2020 census, the ...
. The remaining tracks were pulled up and the roadbed converted into walking trails.
The engines were donated to the park in 1992, and are now on display at the Visitors' Center on the grounds.
Gillette's "Grand Central Station" train stop still remains
along with a replica on its roof of a metal cat figure.
The grounds also contained a root cellar, walking paths with near-vertical steps, a two-story gable-ended vernacular dwelling for servants, a small period barn, stone-arch bridges, wooded trestles spanning up to , and fish pond.
Image gallery
Image:GilletteCastleCT%284%29_AM_1504_Vibrant.jpg
Image:Gillette Castle.jpg, View from the Connecticut River.
File:Gillete Castle Rear.jpg, Gillete Caste from the Connecticut River overlook
Image:03 gilette longview.jpg, Side view of the castle.
Image:Gilletecastlebridge.PNG, Ruins of stone bridge designed by Gillette.(Low Resolution)
Image:Castle Front 1.jpg
Image:gillettesign.jpg
File:Gillete Library.JPG, Library, interior of the castle.
File:Connecticut River View from Gillette Castle.JPG, Connecticut River, a view from Castle.
File:Connecticut River From Gillette Castle.jpg, Connecticut River as seen from the overlook behind the Castle
See also
*
*
References
External links
Gillette Castle State Parkby the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Friends of Gillette Castle State Parkby CTRiverValley.com
by All Things Medieval
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Castles in Connecticut
East Haddam, Connecticut
State parks of Connecticut
Parks in Middlesex County, Connecticut
Museums in Middlesex County, Connecticut
Biographical museums in Connecticut
Historic house museums in Connecticut
Houses in East Haddam, Connecticut
Protected areas established in 1943
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
Houses completed in 1914
Lyme, Connecticut
Campgrounds in Connecticut
National Register of Historic Places in Middlesex County, Connecticut
National Register of Historic Places in New London County, Connecticut
1943 establishments in Connecticut