The Home William Gillette Designed - Gillette Castle

House Museum

Mar 18

William Gillette was a successful actor and playwright mostly known for his portrayals of Sherlock Holmes on stage. Gillette originated and popularized many common features of the character: the cap and cape, curved pipe, magnifying glass and the phrase “elementary, my dear fellow (which later evolved to “elementary, my dear Watson”. He took his money and ran for the hills overlooking the Connecticut River where he built his 24-room mansion, called the Seventh Sister, on 122 acres. Gillette was personally involved with every phase of the construction which took place between 1914 and 1919. The field stone exterior resembles a sandcastle and the interior is chock full of Gillette’s oddities. The oddities reflect Gillette’s vivid imagination. They include secret doors and passageways to allow Gillette to swiftly, unexpectedly and theatrically appear and startle his guests, carved wood light switches and secret rooms, and an elaborate wood bar in the lounge that locks with an ingenious mechanism. The house also included an extensive fire sprinkler system with water tower.

Gillette’s pride and joy was his short-line, narrow gauge train and he took many of his guests for a ride, including Charlie Chaplin, Calvin Coolidge and Albert Einstein. In the 1940’s, the tracks and engine were sold to an amusement park.

Here is what caught my eye, I hope you enjoy!

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The stone arch entrance on the path leading to the mansion

The stone facade as you approach the castle-like mansion

A series of mirrors above the great hall allowing him to view visitors from his bedroom

Here is one of the forty-seven unique intricately carved doors with door locks which are like unlocking a puzzle.

Dining room table in front of the fireplace

Guest bedroom

Guest bedroom with built-ins

A second-story view of the Connecticut River

Another guest bedroom

Built in couches and tables on movable tracks

Little statues were cemented into the fireplace mantle.

Stone wall on the grounds

On the grounds Gillette had an elaborate three-mile long railroad system with trestles, bridges, switches and tunnels. The rails were pulled up and the roadbed was converted to walking trails.

Gillette’s bed with his violin, binoculars and leather bag

Gillette’s room with built-ins

This is another view of the great hall from the second floor balcony.

Stone wall of a structure Gillette called Grand Central Station

Stairway window

Fireplace detail

The garden room

The view of the house and the hills in the background across the Connecticut River

Another view of the castle

William Gillette built this cottage for Yukitaka Osaki, his valet, secretary, confidante and friend. The cottage still sits tucked into the cliff near the ferry landing.

Wood sculpture near the former Yukitaka Osaki cottage

Chester-Hadlyme Ferry landing

Just a short ride from the castle is Goodspeed Opera House at 6 Main Street in East Haddam is worth seeing. You can always jump into Gelatin House for a bite or a libation.

The front porch of the Goodspeed Opera House

The interior stairs of the Goodspeed Opera House

Gillette married Helen Nichols in 1882. In 1888 she died of a ruptured appendix at the age of 28. Gillette promised her that he would never remarry. He stayed single and childless, dying in 1937 at the age of 83. The estate was left to his brother-in-law and a cousin and they sold it at auction in 1938. The winning bid of $35,000 was from a real estate agent. However, the bid was eventually rejected because Gillette stipulated that the property should not be possessed by “a blithering saphead who has no concept of where he is or what surrounded”. In 1943, the estate was purchased by the State of Connecticut, and in 1944, it was opened as a state park and museum.

What you should know:

The park is open year-round.
There are walking trails.
Restrooms are available and open year-round.
There are guided mansion tours.
The mansion is open seasonally; check the website for days / hours of operation.
This is a carry-in / carry-out environment.

Location:

67 River Road, East Haddan, Connecticut

For more information: Gillette Castle