Gillette Castle is a majestic but eccentric stone mansion that sits on a cliff overlooking the Connecticut River. Replete with intriguing details, it is not surprising that it was built by William Gillette, most widely recognized as the original “Sherlock Holmes.”
Early Career of William Gillette
Henry Zecher, a journalist who graduated from the University of Maryland, read The Complete Sherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan Doyle, in 1971, and spent years researching the biography of William Gillette.
Son of a US Senator, William Hooker Gillette’s parents were dismayed that he desired a career on the stage from early boyhood. He attended several prominent New England colleges as an engineering student, but never completed his degree.
Gillette began his acting career in the South, and through the influence of Mark Twain, joined the Boston Globe Theatre where he spent seven years. Early in his career, Gillette was the first to act in triple roles as playwright, director and actor. He was both a brilliant actor, writer and ingenious in developing stage and film technology.
Contributions to Stage and Film
According to Zecher, Gillette was so talented that he could “…steal a scene with a simple nod, a shrug, a glance, a movement of the finger, a compression of his lips, or a hardening of his face.”
He also contributed mechanical and technical inventions in sound, lighting and “trick” stage props.
Zecher summarizes his contribution well:
- He was one of the world's premier actors and playwrights before and after the turn of the last century, a matinee idol of enormous appeal, and an imaginative genius who made some important contributions to the theater that are still in use today.
In addition to his stage performances, Gillette acted in very early silent films and encouraged the careers of Charlie Chaplin, Ethel Barrymore, Maude Adams and Helen Hayes.
William Gillette as "Sherlock Holmes"
William Gillette invented the persona of "Sherlock Holmes," making him come alive by means of abrupt movements, terse remarks, and an inscrutable countenance. The deerstalker hat, the Inverness robe and the curved Calabash pipe were all the creation of William Gillette.
It was Gillette, and not the author of the book, who created the unforgettable expression, “Elementary, my dear Watson.”
When some original screenplays were destroyed, Gillette rewrote them word by word and they were approved by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of The Complete Sherlock Holmes. Gillette and Doyle became friends.
Personal Tragedy
For six years Gillette was married to Helen Nichols of Detroit. She died in 1888 from a ruptured appendix. Henry Zecher writes that the marriage was short, but blissful. Heartbroken, Gillette never remarried. The sheer lack of information about Helen or their marriage attests to Gillette's private grief.
Inspiration to Build the Castle
A visitor to Gillette Castle, who only identifies herself as Laura (August 25, 2007), was so impressed with Gillette Castle that she wrote a history of Gillette, presumably from materials in the house or the narratives of tour guides.
She states that the idea to build the castle came to Gillette while sailing down the Connecticut River on his houseboat, the “Aunt Polly.” Throughout the mansion there are numerous pictures of the boat. In 1913 he docked the boat at a hill called the "Seventh Sister." He decided to purchase 115 acres to build a mansion on the hill, based on a medieval fortress called “Robert the Devil.”
Construction of Gillette Castle
According to the State of Connecticut, it took five years and 1 million dollars to complete Gillette Castle. Neighbors called it the “stone heap, rock pile and Gillette’s Folly.” Admittedly, it is an odd structure, but it lends itself well to Gillette’s imagination.
- The frame is of steel, the walls of solid granite from local fieldstone, five feet thick at the bottom and three at the top.
- Within the castle, 24 rooms occupy over 14,000 square feet and the woodwork is southern white oak, all hand-hewn.
Subtle Insights into Gillette’s Personality
Every part of the house – design, furnishings, materials –were chosen or designed personally by Gillette, and show his engineering skill and a flair for the dramatic.
- The most famous feature of the mansion is its 47 doors, each of which has a unique hand carved design and hand carved puzzle lock.
- The castle contains hidden rooms, passageways and mazes.
- Gillette designed built-in furniture, including a moveable table on tracks.
- The mansion is lit by theatrical lighting devices.
- According to the visitor named Laura, Gillette could see all public rooms from his bedroom and his stated purpose was to time his appearances with his guests to dramatic perfection.
Gillette entertained numerous guests in his mansion - among them were President Calvin Coolidge and Albert Einstein. The castle walls are covered with photographs of famous actors, films and excursions on the "Aunt Polly."
The Castle Grounds
- The castle grounds also reflect Gillette’s fanciful character, with a three mile miniature railroad, complete with trains, tunnels, trestles and “Grand Central” station.
- Nearly vertical stones form paths with arched stone bridges. The trails often follow the train tracks.
Gillette Castle State Park
William Gillette was active until he died in 1937. Gillette not only left no heirs, but also made a comment in his will to the effect that he did not want his home to be sold to some fool who would not appreciate it. In 1943 it was purchased by the State of Connecticut and became a state park.
At the time of Laura’s visit, she commented that the property was very run down, but that the State of Connecticut and the organization “Friends of Gillette Castle State Park,” were raising funds to renovate the park.
In the same month of Laura's visit, the Friends of Gillette Castle State Park and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection completed restoration of one of Gillette’s electric trains.
Today, amenities offered to visitors include:
- Tours of the historic building
- Special Events, such as outdoor plays
- Picnic grounds
- An impressionist art trail including 100 year old “viewpoints” that have not changed.
- Three public campgrounds along the Connecticut River at Gillette Castle, Hurd, and Selden Neck State Parks.
For hours and events visit the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.
Gillette Castle – A Fascinating Travel Destination
When I first visited Gillette Castle as a child, I had never seen a real castle before, so I found it delightful. When I visited the Castle as an adult, I was far more fascinated with the details of the mansion and the photographs that revealed only a few secrets of the personality of William Gillette, the mysterious man who we know best as “Sherlock Holmes.”
For More Information Visit:
Connecticut Tourism Information, Friends of Gillette Castle State Park
