CASTLES and STUFF....NOVEMBER 22 2011......................

Usually the stuff refers to witches and dragons and moats and battles.  I don't do the usual.  Surprise!

Today is History 101 again.  Don't groan, mostly my history is fun history, not (I hope) boring history.

GILLETTE CASTLE.  How many of you know about this castle.  No, it is not in England, or Scotland, or any where like that.  It is a good old US castle, in New England (well, I guess that is close to the England above), Connecticut to be exact.

What are we doing with a castle in Connecticut.  Well, it is actually a fascinating story, and I am going to tell you all about it today.  Lucky you.

About three, or so, years ago a friend had to go to Connecticut on business.  As she was driving, asked me if I would like to go along for company.  Did I say no?  I said "when do we leave?"

She was to be there a week, so we left on a weekend, checked into our hotel in - Hartford I believe - scoped out where she had to go every day.  There were others there from other areas of the country, so she hooked up with one of them to ride back and forth to where they had to go every day, and that left me with her car.  Wow!  I had a whole 5 days to explore.

So every day after she left, I would start, finding covered bridges, state parks, just fun things.  At the end of the day I would return to the hotel and we, and her other friends, would meet up for supper and do whatever we wanted to do during the evening.  But I am rambling.

My best discovery was of Gillette Castle, as seen above.  See, we really do have castles here in the good USA.

In the mid 1800's a baby was born and he was William Gillette - not of the razor blade family - and when he became an adult he became an author, playwright, and actor.  So what does that have to do with castles and stuff?

It was as an actor he was our very first Sherlock Holmes in the old black and white Sherlock Holmes series of movies.  If you look closely you will see the sign has Sherlock Holmes' hat and pipe on it.

William Gillette wanted a medieval castle to live in.  He also had the money to get what he wanted.  It took 7 years, after he purchased his property, to have Connecticut Stone (only Connecticut) hauled in, and the castle built.

The location of his property is East Haddam Connecticut, on a hilltop overlooking the valley and river below.

His castle had many, at the time, unorthodox features, such as rolling furniture, electric, each switch plate individually designed, parties, you name it, he had it.  Really far ahead of the times.

Upon his death the property was abandoned for some years, then the State of Connecticut purchased the property, and it is now a State Park.
If you are ever in that part of Connecticut, be sure to visit.  The grounds are open year 'round, but the Castle is only open Memorial Day thru Labor Day.

I do have a word of warning, though.  The castle IS haunted, by none other than Sherlock himself.  (I do believe that Mr. Gillette really thought he was Sherlock).Things to bump in the night, furniture moves by itself, all sorts of good stuff.  It has even been reported that the faint odor of pipe tobacco can be smelled on occasion - you know that Sherlock always had a pipe in his mouth.

I do have to say that of the 5 days I had to explore, this was the best day of all, and if you ever get to Connecticut, be sure to visit the Castle.  You will thoroughly enjoy the buildings and the grounds.

Just remember, the Castle IS haunted.  So enjoy this journey into the past, I hope you liked this history lesson, and God Bless.