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, the lakeside cottage is a contributing property in Mount Arlington Historic District.Mount Arlington Historic District, from National Park Service.
Lotta Crabtree (1847–1924) was an American actress and comedian, best known for her Western roles.George E. Thomas, et al., Frank Furness: The Complete Works, (New York: Princeton Architectural Press, revised 1996). 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.Ellen Zeiper, "Frank Furness: An Eclectic Architect's Chimney Designs," American Art & Antiques, vol. 1, no. 3 (November-December 1978), pp. 62-69. An expansive porch/piazza, including a semi-circular section that traces the curve of the parlor, wraps around three sides of the house. The interior features Aesthetic Movement details characteristic of Furness, including a fireplace flanked by terra cotta dog-faced beasts. The billiard room's massive stone fireplace once featured a mosaic that spelled out "18 - LOTTA - 86" in gemstones.Jason Hunter, "Lake Living: Attol Tryst," Lake Hopatcong News, May 20, 2010.
Furness designed the nearby Breslin Hotel (1886, burned 1948)Dan Goldberg, "Lake Hopatcong's disappearing boathouses take regional history with them," Newark Star-Ledger, September 19, 2009. – a 175-room resort hotel built on a hill overlooking Lake Hopatcong. He also designed a number of summer cottages surrounding it. A popular celebrity in 1886, Crabtree "was given this house as part of promotion for the Breslin Hotel." She named it "Attol Tryst" ("Lotta" spelled backward), and summered there for 20 years.Jason Hunter, "Lake Hopatcong's Most Famous, Part 2: Miss Lotta," Lake Hopatcong News, July 14, 2009.
References
External links Mount Arlington Historic District, from Living Places Lotta Crabtree Cottage, from Philadelphia Architects and Buildings Lotta Crabtree Cottage, from Fine Arts Library Image Collection, University of Pennsylvania Lotta Crabtree - the First American Superstar, from Facebook