Actress Edna Skinner and her friend Jean Fish retired in the 1970’s in Coos Bay, Ore, where Skinner built a 6,000-square-foot, boat-shaped house designed by Fish. The Coos Bay newspaper, The World, has described the house as “one of the South Coast’s architectural marvels.”
Real estate agent Shana Jo Armstrong recently told The World that people often mistake the house for a real boat. It’s perched on Simpson Heights next to Ferry Road Park with a view of the bay below. The house has four bedrooms, three baths, three kitchens, three fireplaces, a huge wet bar and an indoor Jacuzzi encased by stained glass.
The owner today is Paris Fish, son of Skinner’s friend Janet. He told The World that Skinner and his mother regularly entertained 300 guests at fully catered, over-the-top parties at the house, “with ice sculptures and food flown in from all over.”
Skinner was best known for her role as Kay Addison in the 1960’s’ television series featuring the talking mule, “Mr. Ed.” Among her full-length films are “Easy to Love,” “Long, Long Trailer,” and "Friendly Persuasion,” and she played Ado Annie in the original production of the musical “Oklahoma!”
Sources: "Big Boat House built by Edna Skinner." Flickr/US Route 40, Flickr, a Yahoo Company, https://www.flickr.com/photos/34878756@N04/12424540405. Accessed 4 Jan. 2017; Cole, Spencer. "Historic 'boat house' hits market." The World, 10 Dec. 2016 [Coos Bay, Ore.] , p. 1+, theworldlink.com/news/local/business/historic-boat-house-hits-market/article_d0545b55-57dd-5a1c-92de-0817e5311886.html. Accessed 4 Jan. 2017.
