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NEWS&VIEWS by Jacqueline Bennett

Posts tagged “William Gillette

It’s a Wrap on December 20th for 2015 Holiday Hours at Gillette Castle

Posted on December 17, 2015

  Write-Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett Holiday hours for Gillette Castle State Park are slated to ‘wrap-up’ on Sunday, December 20. Perched above the majestic Connecticut River in East Haddam, Connecticut, it is a treat to see this fascinating showplace decorated at Christmastime. Built from fieldstone with a steel frame it took five years for the castle to be completed, between 1914-1919. The project was overseen by owner William Hooker Gillette, a renowned actor of his time whose most famous role was that of Sherlock Holmes. The State of Connecticut, which administers the property, purchased it from the executors of Gillette’s will in 1943, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Now part of a state park and open to…

Gillette Castle Marks a 100th Anniversary in Holiday Style

Posted on December 15, 2014

Article & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com   Decorated in holiday style Gillette Castle in East Haddam, Connecticut is marking the 100th anniversary of its construction. Stone formations border a pathway to the castle where pine sprigs adorn exterior sections of the 24-room “medieval-looking” mansion. Actor, director and playwright William Hooker Gillette had it built, beginning in 1914. It took five years to complete this exquisite structure on his 184-acre estate atop a hill know as the “Seven Sisters”, overlooking the picturesque Connecticut River.     According to guides at the castle during a December 14 visit, Gillette designed the castle and influenced most every aspect its of contents. Its features include “near vertical stairways”, built-in couches, intricately carved wooden latches on some 47 doors – of which no two carvings are…