Gillette Castle

Built between 1914 and 1924, for the widowed actor-playwright William Hooker Gillette (1853-1937). He is best remembered for playing Sherlock Holmes in the 1916 silent film of the same name and his improvisation of the deerstalker hat and curved pipe are now synonymous with the role. Situated on a chain of hills known as the Seven Sisters, he named his 24-room, 14,000-square foot castle "Seventh Sister" and personally oversaw every facet of its construction. Much of its extraordinary and romantic Arts and Crafts interior was not only bespoke, but hand-designed, and building costs were rumored to have reached $1 million. Gillette died without children and in 1943 the State of Connecticut took possession of the castle and its 184-acres, renaming it "Gillette Castle State Park". The castle and grounds remain a popular tourist destination.