After we got off the ferry and out of the car, TB and I walked up toward the castle. Along the way, I was taking pictures like a lunatic. Everything looked so pretty!
William Gillette was an actor way back when moving pictures were first filmed--the silent films, not the talkies. He is best known for playing Sherlock Holmes and as TB and I walked toward the castle, we met up with a couple of actors dressed up as the Gillettes. Now, his wife died of a ruptured appendix in 1886 and he never remarried, so I'm thinking the lady is supposed to be his sister.
Is this picture awesome or what? Mr. Gillette designed the castle and most of what was inside by himself. He wanted a medieval castle and although it's not accurate, it most definitely is a castle. It was built of fieldstone from around the area (Connecticut definitely has plenty of big rocks!) and is supported by a steel framework.
All the lovely wood is hand-hewn white oak. None of the doors are exactly alike and they all have intricate carvings. Check out the door latch and the light switch!
Here's some space saving ideas: build the couches, beds, and dressers into the wall! Have a dining room table that slides out of the way on a track!
In the attic, among other items on display, was an enlarged framed copy of Gillette's will. He didn't have any children and it seems he had just one niece who died young. Sad. Anyway, Gillette's will said he didn't want his property to go to "some blithering saphead who has no conception of where he is or with what surrounded." Luckily for him and for all of us who can appreciate it, the property was purchased from his executors by the State of Connecticut.
I saw pictures like this one in the brochure that led us to the castle. Really, pictures can't do it any justice nor can words. It's something you just have to see and I'm so glad we did!
Want to see all the pictures I took from our visit to the castle? Just click here. Enjoy!
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