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]
Lotta Crabtree (1847 - 1924) was an American actress and comedian, best known for her Western roles.[2] 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] A popular celebrity, Crabtree "was given this house as part of promotion for the Breslin Hotel."[2] 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] The interior features Aesthetic Movement details characteristic of Furness, including a fireplace flanked by terra cotta dog-faced beasts.[2] The billiard room's massive stone fireplace once featured a mosaic that spelled out "18 - LOTTA - 86" in gemstones.[6]