Heublein Tower - Simsbury, CT
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 41° 49.545 W 072° 47.908
18T E 682827 N 4632772
Heublein Tower is located on Talcott Mountain State Park. It can only be reached by hiking 1.25 miles south from the trailhead at Route 185.
Waymark Code: WMP8DQ
Location: Connecticut, United States
Date Posted: 07/19/2015
Views: 4
The 165' high Heublein Tower was built by food and beverage magnate Gilbert Heublein, the founder of Heublein Inc, whose product line includes A1 Steak Sauce and Smirnoff Vodka. He was inspired to build the tower for his fiancé Louise M. Gundlach while the pair were hiking on Talcott Mountain.
The structure is sited on a precipitous ridge on 4.5 acres of land. It was designed by architects Smith and Bassette and constructed by T. R. Fox and Son in 1914. The six-story, German-style tower resembles Bavarian structures found in Mr. Heublein's birthplace in Germany.
The steel frame structure was built to sustain hurricane force winds. Despite its strength the tower has been damaged and restored several times, most recently by the current owner the State of Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
A museum within the tower is open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Weekend, Thursday through Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. From Labor Day weekend through October 31st the museum is open 7 days a week. One hundred fifty steps lead to the top of the tower, from which there is a panoramic view of Farmington Valley, West Hartford and the Hartford skyline.
Street address:
Talcott Mountain State Park
Simsbury, CT United States
County / Borough / Parish: Hartford
Year listed: 1983
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Industry; Architecture
Periods of significance: 1900-1924; 1925-1949
Historic function: Hotel; Single dwelling
Current function: Park
Privately owned?: no
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 2: [Web Link]
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Hours of operation: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
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