The Love Shack on the Height: An Ol' Charm of Connecticut's Talcott Mountain

The Heublein Tower, a 100-year-old trinket, sticks out tall and proud at 165 feet on ol' Talcott Mountain, Simsbury, CT. It's a tribute to the dogged determination and amorously ardent spirit of a fella named Gilbert Heublein, who swore he'd build his sweetheart, Louise M. Gundlach, a castle during a hike. The visionary architects Smith and Bassette, who also worked on the governor's mansion in '16, made it happen. The tower wasn't just built to dance with the breeze, mind you – it's rock hard and weathered storms that would sandwich most structures.

And it was the first in CT to feature a residential elevator, as if to say 'Elevate your game, CT! After some time, the Connecticut-based Orkin, a pest control combo, took it over, renaming it the Orkin Tower from '43 to '62. Whispers circulated about German ships being forewarned of Allied vessels, but those stories fizzled out faster than a box of fireworks. Today, the tower rests under the watchful eye of the State of Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, and Friends of Heublein Tower, a non-profit crew committed to its preservation.

If ya find yerself nearby, don't pass up the chance to drop by and check out this unique nugget of history, architectural 'tude, and engineering flair. Delve into the forgotten love story and whispers of a promise hidden inside the Heublein Tower.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons