Lotta Crabtree Cottage

The 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


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.

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