Lotta Crabtree Cottage

Lotta Crabtree Cottage (1885-86) is a Shingle style house in the Breslin Park neighborhood of Mount Arlington, New Jersey. Designed by the noted Philadelphia architect Frank Furness, it is a contributing property in Mount Arlington Historic District.[1]

"Attol Tryst," in 2007

Lotta Crabtree (1847–1924) was an American actress and comedian, best known for her Western roles.[2]:260 Furness designed the Breslin Hotel (1886, burned 1948)[3] – a 175-room resort hotel built on a hill overlooking Lake Hopatcong – along with a number of summer cottages surrounding it.[2]:258 A popular celebrity, Crabtree "was given this house as part of promotion for the Breslin Hotel."[2]:260 She named it "Attol Tryst" ("Lotta" spelled backward), and summered there for 20 years.[4]

The 18-room cottage sits on land that slopes down to Van Every Cove. It is 2-1/2 stories on the land side and 3-1/2 on the lake side. The exterior features Furness's "upside-down" chimneys, with corbels that flare outward near the top.[5] An expansive porch/piazza, including a semi-circular section that traces the curve of the parlor, wraps around three sides of the house.[2]:260 The interior features Aesthetic Movement details characteristic of Furness, including a fireplace flanked by terra cotta dog-faced beasts.[2]:261 The billiard room's massive stone fireplace once featured a mosaic that spelled out "18 - LOTTA - 86" in gemstones.[6]

Lotta Crabtree

A historical marker in front of the house reads:

Lotta Crabtree House - 1886
Summer cottage designed by architect Frank Furness for renowned 19th century actress. Located in Breslin Park, Lake Hopatcong's fashionable section during its great resort years.[7]

References
  1. Mount Arlington Historic District, from National Park Service.
  2. George E. Thomas, et al., Frank Furness: The Complete Works, (New York: Princeton Architectural Press, revised 1996).
  3. Dan Goldberg, "Lake Hopatcong's disappearing boathouses take regional history with them," Newark Star-Ledger, September 19, 2009.
  4. Jason Hunter, "Lake Hopatcong's Most Famous, Part 2: Miss Lotta," Lake Hopatcong News, July 14, 2009.
  5. Ellen Zeiper, "Frank Furness: An Eclectic Architect's Chimney Designs," American Art & Antiques, vol. 1, no. 3 (November-December 1978), pp. 62-69.
  6. Jason Hunter, "Lake Living: Attol Tryst," Lake Hopatcong News, May 20, 2010.
  7. Lotta Crabtree House marker, from Lake Hopatcong News, June 2014.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.