Doggin' Gillette Castle: Walkin on the Railroad

In 1913, when he was 60 years old and world famous as the stage portrayor of Sherlock Holmes, William Gillette sailed down the Connecticut River and past a chain of hills known as the Seven Sisters. He docked at the southernmost hill, clambered up to a viewpoint and knew he had found his retirement spot.

The actor and playright designed the castle and its interior himself and vver the next six years a team of laborers crafted Gillette's 24-room vision of native fieldstone in the style of a Norman fortress. Gillette, son of a former United States Senator and direct descendant of Thomas Hooker, the founder of Hartford, would tinker with his masterpiece until his death in 1937. Childless and a widower for half-a-century, Gillette's will protected the property against any "blithering saphead" who might destroy his creation and the State of Connecticut became its steward in 1943.

The pride and joy of William Gillette's 184-acre estate was his three-mile narrow gauge railroad that looped through the woods below the castle. Gillette decorated the route with fanciful bridges, a wooden trestle and an arched tunnel blasted through bedrock. The rails are gone but the bed makes a unique pathway for your dog's travels through the park. The terrain is hilly enough that your dog might wish he could hop a ride on that train but most of the grades work around the hillsides rather than using harsh vertical climbs.

Dogs are not allowed inside the castle walls but the trail does lead to Grand Central Station where you will be able to see Gillette's unique home.

Visit the website: http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?A=2716&Q=325204#map

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