A J.R.R. Tolkien fan and collector in Pennsylvania went above and beyond to give his memorabilia a fitting home. Nested perfectly into the PA landscape, the hobbit house was designed specifically for its location to provide a timeless and realistic look.
The Architect Behind The Hobbit House
Designed by Peter Archer, the hobbit house is in walking distance from the owners primary home. On the owners behalf, Archer stated, “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,”
At 600 square feet, the hobbit house may be small, but a great deal of custom craftsmanship had to be done to achieve the timeless look of the building. After the initial designs and concepts, Archer worked with experienced craftsman to construct the stunning hobbit inspired house.
There are numerous J.R.R. Tolkien inspired structures across the world. According to Archer, this one is unique in that its design would not have worked in any other location. It was literally designed for its surroundings and retains a timeless look that blends in perfectly with the landscape.
Constructing A Home Fit For A Hobbit
Stones were removed from 18th century low wall ruins that run across the property. These stones were used to construct the hobbit house against a stone retaining wall from the same time period. The end result was a structure that looked like it had been part of the landscape for a great deal of time.
The roof is constructed from day tiles made in France and the front door is constructed from the finest Spanish cedar. At 150lbs. and 54 inches round, it was disputed that the door may not hang from only one hinge. To everyone’s surprise, a Maryland blacksmith completed the task on the very first attempt.
While they could order vinyl windows for the project, a cabinet maker from Delaware crafted the windows from fine mahogany. This includes a Tolkien inspired “butterfly window” modeled after the author’s own drawings. The window design gets its name from the way the hinges work. Instead of swinging open from the outside edges, two windows hinge open from the middle just as a butterfly’s wings do.
The Best Kept Secret In Pennsylvania
The interior of the hobbit house is equally impressive and contains a variety of items such as hobbit figures, Gandalf’s staff and the entire contents of the owners collection. Don’t expect to take a tour of the house anytime soon however. The location of the building is being kept quiet to preserve the privacy of the owner.
Peter Archer would not release the cost of building the Pennsylvania hobbit house, but is currently working on another Tolkien inspired creation in Australia.