The Diogenese Club: William Hooker Gillette

Mr. Gillette was a well-known and respected actor and director, most famous for his stage work as fellow Honorary Member, Sherlock Holmes. He was a friend of Honorary Member Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a consumate actor and the co-author (with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) of the stage play named after Mr. Holmes: Sherlock Holmes: A Play in 4 Acts. Mr. Gillette was a reclusive individual off-stage and lived on the upper Connecticut River in America. He was proud of his self-built home (called Gillette Castle by everyone but himself) and the re-creation of Mr. Holmes' 221B Baker Street sitting room which it contains, but was especially fond of his 3-mile narrow-track steam locomotive and cars. Mr. Gillette enjoyed giving rides to the famous and not-so-famous around his beautiful grounds. More information about Mr. Gillette, his work and his castle can be found at the Gillette Website.