CHESTER COUNTY —
Worlds away from the Shire, a stone cottage tucked into the Pennsylvania countryside would make Bilbo Baggins feel as if he were back home with his Hobbit friends in Middle-earth.
Nestled in a part of Chester County dotted with picturesque barns and rolling fields surprisingly close to Philadelphia, this Hobbit house belongs to a lifelong fan of author J.R.R. Tolkien who wanted a worthy – and private – repository for the rare books and Tolkien-inspired memorabilia he has collected in 30 years of travel in the U.S. and abroad.
The 600-square foot building is a short walk from his main house, on a flat stone path and through an English-style garden.
“We wanted a single structure, a relaxing place that was diminutive in scale, for the owner to come and hang out and just be in solitude with his collection,” said architect Peter Archer, speaking on the owner’s behalf.
Archer worked with a team of craftsmen to create the fantastical abode. They used stones taken from a long-collapsed section of an 18th-century low wall running through the center of the 16-acre property. Built up against a stone retaining wall of the same vintage, the Hobbit house looks like an original feature of the property.
The 54-inch diameter Spanish cedar door – naturally with a knob right in the center, just as Tolkien described – opens with a single hand-forged iron hinge. Several craftsmen said they couldn’t hang the 150-pound door on one hinge, but a Maryland blacksmith “succeeded on the first try,” Archer said.
A Delaware cabinetmaker built the mahogany windows, including the large arched “butterfly window” with flourishes inspired by Tolkien’s drawings. The name comes from the window’s appearance when open, with the two halves pushed outward from a center hinge.
And while a country drive to see the cottage after catching the newly released Peter Jackson film “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” might be a nice outing, don’t expect to find it.
Concerned that his rural tranquility could turn into an unwanted tourist attraction, the owner has taken steps to ensure it remains under the radar. He does not want the location of the site revealed, and used a pseudonym the rare time he gave an interview, on-camera last year.
Multimedia
Related Photos
-
Shown is an exterior view of the "Hobbit House" Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012, in Chester County, near Philadelphia. Architect Peter Archer has designed a "Hobbit House" containing a world-class collection of J.R.R. Tolkien manuscripts and memorabilia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
-
Architect Peter Archer enters the "Hobbit House" during and interview with the Associated Press Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012, in Chester County, near Philadelphia. Archer has designed a "Hobbit House" containing a world-class collection of J.R.R. Tolkien manuscripts and memorabilia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
-
Shown is an Interior view of the "Hobbit House" Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012, in Chester County, near Philadelphia. Architect Peter Archer has designed a "Hobbit House" containing a world-class collection of J.R.R. Tolkien manuscripts and memorabilia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
-
Shown is an Interior view of the "Hobbit House" Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012, in Chester County, near Philadelphia. Architect Peter Archer has designed a "Hobbit House" containing a world-class collection of J.R.R. Tolkien manuscripts and memorabilia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
-
Shown is an exterior view of the "Hobbit House" Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012, in Chester County, near Philadelphia. Architect Peter Archer has designed a "Hobbit House" containing a world-class collection of J.R.R. Tolkien manuscripts and memorabilia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
-
Shown is an exterior view of the "Hobbit House" Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012, in Chester County, near Philadelphia. Architect Peter Archer has designed a "Hobbit House" containing a world-class collection of J.R.R. Tolkien manuscripts and memorabilia.(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Discussion
PHOTOS | Hobbit house hides in Pa.
- Multimedia
-
-
VIDEO | Sci-Fi expo connects with fans
The Force is strong with Casey Bassett.
In two years of feverish planning and laborious love, the 24-year-old has roughly tripled the size of his homegrown geek convention, Sci-Fi Valley Con, being held this year at the Jaffa Shrine in Altoona. Today is the 2013 convention’s final day. -
VIDEO | Deer gets on, off city bus
A CamTran bus picked up an unscheduled passenger on Tuesday evening – a white-tailed deer.
-
VIDEO | Bards behind bars
In the latest endeavor for Brian Murphy, the 33–room Grand Midway Hotel in Windber might be refitted to become a penitentiary – a commune for delinquents, but specifically for delinquent writers. He calls it “Writer’s Jail,” and it serves the artistic community by forcing writers to do the one thing they often cannot bring themselves to do: Actually write.
-
Internet sales tax bill to hit roadblock in House
A bill to require Internet shoppers to pay sales taxes for online purchases may be cruising through the Senate but it will soon hit a roadblock in the House.
-
Setting standards for cyber sharing
A cybersecurity bill that riled privacy advocates when it was approved in the U.S. House of Representatives last week is looking like a non-starter in the Senate this week. And both opponents and proponents say its best chance at resurrection is to put a leash on exactly what types of information companies can share.
-
VIDEO | Drill provides glimpse of reality: Responders stage grim demonstration of accident scene
Police, fire and EMS responders from Patton and Carrolltown rushed to Cambria Heights High School Thursday afternoon, responding to a call that detailed a two-vehicle accident with entrapment.
Although it was a drill, designed to be a graphic depiction of what happens when unsafe driving practices lead to a wreck, the message sent to the dozens of students surrounding the scene was clear. -
New app helps Icelanders avoid accidental incest
You meet someone, there's chemistry, and then come the introductory questions: What's your name? Come here often? Are you my cousin?
In Iceland, a country with a population of 320,000 where most everyone is distantly related, inadvertently kissing cousins is a real risk.
A new smartphone app is on hand to help Icelanders avoid accidental incest.
-
In Boston manhunt, online detectives flourish
The intensive manhunt for the bombers behind the deadly Boston Marathon attacks didn't take place only on the streets with professional police officers and SWAT teams. In an era of digital interactivity, it also unfolded around the country from laptops and desk chairs filled with regular folks.
-
Senate bill jeopardizes tax-free online shopping
States could force Internet retailers to collect sales taxes under a bill that overwhelmingly passed a test vote in the Senate Monday.
-
VIDEO | Historic theater now only a memory
Dozens of Gallitzin residents young and old gathered on a brisk Saturday morning to watch the historic Victoria Theater along Jackson Street come down.
- More Multimedia Headlines
-
Voters Could Elect LA's First Female Mayor
Huge Tornado Kills Dozens Near Oklahoma City
Raw: Rescuers Pull Tornado Survivors to Safety
Oklahoma Gov: 'Hearts Are Broken' After Tornado
Raw: Walking in a Flattened Okla. Neighborhood
Raw: Rescue Workers Search Oklahoma School
Raw: Witness Describes Scene After Okla. Tornado
Raw: Aftermath of Massive Tornado in Oklahoma
Raw: House Burns After Massive Oklahoma Tornado
Raw: Tornado on the Ground in Oklahoma
Split-second Choice Ended With NY Student Dead
White House Backs 'Shield Law' for Media
Wave of Attacks Kills Scores in Iraq
Pug Life on Display at Wisconsin Festival
Company Promises to Make All Snail Mail Digital
Analyst: Tumblr Fills Void in Yahoo's Offerings
Commuters Face Delays After Conn. Train Accident
Raw: Swarm of Tornadoes Slams Plains
Raw: Fierce Bombing in Qusair, Syria
RAW: TV Staff Take Cover From Tornado
