Detail from a portrait of William Gillette – New York Public Library Digital Gallery, Billy Rose Theatre Division
William Gillette (1853–1937)
William Gillette was an American actor and playwright known best for his portrayal of the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. A native of Hartford, Gillette gave over 1,300 theater performances—and starred in one movie—as Sherlock Holmes, a role he adapted from the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Gillette built his home along the Connecticut River in East Haddam in the style of a medieval castle, high upon the hill chain known as the Seven Sisters. There he made numerous architectural renovations to accommodate his many cats, and built a three-mile-long narrow-gauge railroad for riding around his property. The Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection now operates the property as Gillette Castle State Park.
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Holmes at Home: The Life of William Gillette
William Gillette was an American actor, playwright, and stage director most famous for his stage portrayal of Sherlock Holmes and for the stone castle he built in East Haddam. …[more]
