From The Archives
Rentable Venue
Open To The Public
Open To The Public
1856 Gothic Revival
1067 Montgomery Street
Oroville, California 95965
Oroville, California 95965
Lott Home in Sank Park

Besides the original house which is open for tours three days a week, the property (encompassing a city block) features beautiful lawns and landscaping, a carriage house and gazebo, and a long wisteria covered arbor that reaches from just in front of the house to the sidewalk in front of the property.
Portions of the grounds can be rented for weddings and other events.
Today, the house is best known for the romantic story that unfolded on its grounds--read the rest of the description for the details!
Scroll down below the map for more information
Portions of the grounds can be rented for weddings and other events.
Today, the house is best known for the romantic story that unfolded on its grounds--read the rest of the description for the details!
Scroll down below the map for more information
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Contact Information:
Phone: (530) 538-2497
www.cityoforoville.org/index.aspx?page=128
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The house's history goes back to gold rush days, when C.F. Lott came to California to find his fortune, and stayed to become a wealthy and prominent local citizen.
Today, the house is best known for its romantic story of true love conquering all, and it goes as follows:
Under the guise of warding off fortune hunters, Judge Lott refused to let his grown children marry, threatening to cut off his son's inheritance and refusing to let anyone court his daughter, Cornelia.
His son never married, and after the Judge's death he took over the role of warding off potential suitors for his sister's hand. Finally, after many trials, and years of secret courtship aided by friends and family, Cornelia was able to marry her true love, Jess Sank, after both her father and brother had passed away.
Jess built the extensive wisteria arbor at the front of the house, where he and Cornelia were married beneath its shelter. They lived a long and happy life together until Cornelia's death in 1953. Jess willed the house and property to the City of Oroville upon his death a few years later, and the park that now encompasses the property was named "Sank Park" in his honor.
As a gift to his bride, Jess built a fireplace hearth out of polished rock slabs in the parlor, and hidden in the stonework you can find the word "Love" embedded as a testament to his feelings for his beloved Cornelia. He also completely remodeled the upstairs bathroom for his bride, and though it was done in a more modern style than the rest of the house, it's been left that way to help display the history of the house and of the only family that ever lived there.
The following is current as of May 2011:
The Lott Home can be toured during the following hours:
Sun-Mon-Fri 11:30 to 3:30
Closed Dec 15 through Jan 31
Admission:
$3 Adults ($2.50/each for AAA members or groups of 15 or more)
Children Under 12 Free
Group/classroom tours on any weekday by prior arrangement
The grounds of Sank Park are open to the public as follows:
Mon - Sat 9am to 9pm
Sun - 9am to 8:30pm
Today, the house is best known for its romantic story of true love conquering all, and it goes as follows:
Under the guise of warding off fortune hunters, Judge Lott refused to let his grown children marry, threatening to cut off his son's inheritance and refusing to let anyone court his daughter, Cornelia.
His son never married, and after the Judge's death he took over the role of warding off potential suitors for his sister's hand. Finally, after many trials, and years of secret courtship aided by friends and family, Cornelia was able to marry her true love, Jess Sank, after both her father and brother had passed away.
Jess built the extensive wisteria arbor at the front of the house, where he and Cornelia were married beneath its shelter. They lived a long and happy life together until Cornelia's death in 1953. Jess willed the house and property to the City of Oroville upon his death a few years later, and the park that now encompasses the property was named "Sank Park" in his honor.
As a gift to his bride, Jess built a fireplace hearth out of polished rock slabs in the parlor, and hidden in the stonework you can find the word "Love" embedded as a testament to his feelings for his beloved Cornelia. He also completely remodeled the upstairs bathroom for his bride, and though it was done in a more modern style than the rest of the house, it's been left that way to help display the history of the house and of the only family that ever lived there.
The following is current as of May 2011:
The Lott Home can be toured during the following hours:
Sun-Mon-Fri 11:30 to 3:30
Closed Dec 15 through Jan 31
Admission:
$3 Adults ($2.50/each for AAA members or groups of 15 or more)
Children Under 12 Free
Group/classroom tours on any weekday by prior arrangement
The grounds of Sank Park are open to the public as follows:
Mon - Sat 9am to 9pm
Sun - 9am to 8:30pm
Archived in May, 2011
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