Weekend Discoveries

Gillette Castle, Hadlyme, Connecticut

Remember how many times I've said I like rocks? I gained a whole new appreciation for just how many rocks there are in New England today, thanks to my first visit to Gillette Castle. Wow. (Yes, that's a galley of photos I took behind that link, which is worth another wow all by itself.)

William Gillette, the building's architect and owner, didn't call it a castle. It was his retirement home. The actor and playwright most known for bringing Sherlock Holmes alive on the stage named the building "Seventh Sister" when he had it built early in the 20th century. (It sits atop the southernmost and tallest of the Seven Sisters hills on the Connecticut River south of Hartford.) The state bought the property a few years after Gillette's death in 1937; it's now the Gillette Castle State Park. And it's incredibly neat!

The place has that New Castle Smell thanks to a four-year, $11 million renovation that closed the park from 1998-2002. Thin plexiglass sheets protect the raffia-covered walls in the tourist traffic areas and the Southern White Oak woodwork throughout the house has the extra bright sheen of a recent, thorough cleaning. But that just makes it easier to see the artistic and mechanical brilliance Gillette put into the design of every room and staircase, every window latch and doorway.

I can't write about Gillette without mentioning his obsession with trains, which started in his childhood. Once the castle was built, he started building the Seventh Sister Shortline Railroad. He had three miles of track laid on the grounds. He had two miniature locomotives — one steam, one electric — and several passenger cars in which he took visitors for rides. "Grand Central Station" still stands near the house, though it's now filled with picnic tables rather than train tracks. His other obsessions included cats, frogs, and his houseboat, The Aunt Polly.

This article was written before the renovation, but it still does a good job of describing many of the castle's wonders. And this web page provides the highlights of Gillette's life and theatrical career.

Seeing the castle was a lovely close to the last few days of birthday celebrations. And now that I've figured out at least the basics of posting pictures, I'll try making some more small photo galleries during the weeks and months to come. Starting perhaps with the frogs and flora here at Toad Woods.