A Hike to Heublein Tower

The most prominent landmark in our area is Heublein (pronounced Hiblen) Tower. It's visible from almost every road.  It was built on Talcott mountain by Gilbert F. Heublein, a celebrated German-born hotelier and restaurateur in Hartford, Connecticut. He also worked in the American gourmet food and liquor industry. A1 sauce is one of his creations. He also was responsible for working with Mr. Smirnoff and importing vodka.

Heublein built the Tower in 1914 as a summer retreat for his family and for the entertainment of weekend guests. It was designed to resist wind pressures of 100 mph and never fall over. It is a six-storied structure that sits in the midpoint of 350 acres.

Many famous people have been guests at the tower, where the Republican Party asked General Dwight Eisenhower to run for president. The blue leather chair Eisenhower was sitting in is still on display. They also built a huge BBQ pit for the occasion. This same party was also attended by Prescott Bush, father of George H. W. Bush. Ronald Regan also visited the tower in the 1950s while he was president of the Screen Actors Guild. To the list of visitors, we can also add Elder and Sister Mendenhall!

To access the tower, one must hike 2.5 miles.  The first mile feels like it's straight up. The tower is open Thursday through Sunday during the summer. In the fall, it's open daily. I can just imagine how beautiful the fall foliage is from this vantage point.

The grounds are well kept.

Here are a few views from the top.

I'm not sure if you can see the details of the dining room replication. Most of the living quarters are not on public view but it's still fun to imagine what life was like for those who lived and the guests that visited Heublein Tower in its heyday.  Some of the displays are devoted to the wokers who staffed the tower.