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Dolly Parton was a down-home gal even when far from eastern Tennessee — with her California homes stocked with Spam, collard greens and abundant coziness.
Indeed, her two Golden State dwellings shrugged off the sea and the sand in favor of hilly and mountainous areas. Their Fort Knox-like builds, which included solid steel doors, panic buttons in every room and camouflaged windows, also show the lengths celebrities go to feel protected.
Parton owned a small cottage in the foothills of Solvang, Calif., down the road from Michael Jackson’s opulent Neverland Ranch, and a large mountainside home in Idyllwild some 240 miles away.
Now, the former stands to turn a new chapter.
The Solvang cottage, Parton’s former weekend escape, may be on the cusp of selling following her passing last week at age 80 after a brief battle with cancer. And the new owner may be a way out-of-towner.
“Serious interest” is coming in from people in the UK, France and Australia, as well as “all parts of the US,” its co-owner Chris Lapp told The Post.
Lapp, who listed the property for $2 million in April with his business partner Daniel Ferguson, said mushrooming interest following Parton’s passing even landed a firm offer. But it was an astonishingly lowball gesture; the pair rejected it while continuing to field interest from other potential buyers.
The price after Dolly’s passing “is staying the same,” Lapp said. Potential buyers now need to show proof of funds before setting foot through the door for a showing — in an effort to avoid looky-loos trying to get a peek into Parton’s onetime inner sanctum.
Lapp said he would come down “a smidge” if the City of Solvang, known as “the Danish capital of America,” bought the place for Parton’s fans to visit.
“I would love to see them own it,” said Lapp, who is an area resident.
Solvang Mayor David Brown quashed that prospect.
“We didn’t buy Neverland when Michael Jackson died,” Brown said. “We will all always love Dolly. It doesn’t take a physical property for that.”
Parton, a celebrity loved by all who was known for her iconic hits including “Jolene,” owned this property between 2004 and 2014.
When using the cottage, Parton “would come here with Judy” pretty much exclusively, Lapp said. He was referring to Judy Ogle, whom Parton is said to have met in her rural third grade classroom — and who was her lifelong friend, confidante and personal assistant.
“The caretaker had two instructions when Dolly was coming,” Lapp said. “Lots of fresh flowers and the refrigerator filled with Spam. Dolly loved her Spam.”
The home is surprisingly small — about 1,100 square feet over two stories — and is part of a three-house compound with about 2,500 square feet of living space total, plus seven bedrooms and six bathrooms.
Parton’s dashes of flair and design acumen are apparent throughout the main house where she stayed. The home retains a farmhouse feel through hand-carved woodwork, including lots of lattice, as well as a living area with stately furnishings.
Parton’s wig room is still onsite and spreads in and around a converted garage measuring 12 by 13 feet.
Her dressing room remains “a totally glam area, with all colors of lipstick, a lot of pinks, reds and spangly things,” said Ladd, who covers them when showing the house.
Parton was no slouch when it came to security at the place. Her bedroom door was solid industrial-grade steel and so heavy it took three people to take it out. Lapp said he replaced it with a wooden door.
The home’s exterior looked inviting, but was like a fortress. The frame was reinforced and, while it seemed like someone could view inside, it was an illusion. All the windows were actually blacked out as part of the property’s “pap proofing,” Lapp said.
The outside includes a small birdhouse modeled after a traditional chapel and a dog run installed by Parton, a staunch animal advocate. A miniature windmill and wooden tulips are a nod to Solvang, which is also called “the Tulip Capital of the US.”
The amount Dolly paid for the complex has remained under wraps. Solvang property records show the owner before her paid $185,000 in April 1999.
Lapp bought the home for $1.3 million in 2022, and said he put in roughly $100,000 for rehab to turn all three homes into rentals.
Lapp said he didn’t know the place was Parton’s until late in purchase process, when he was in escrow and having the title searched as part of the closing.
English (US)