Cottage 45 – The Soda Shack
COTTAGE 45: The Soda Shack
“Number 45 Crystal Cove cottage was built in the … early 1930s and was the original store located on the beach where the studio is now.”—Nancy and John Killen
COTTAG
E 45: Soda Shack With origins dating back to 1935, Cottage 45—also known as the Soda Shack—once served up snacks and sips to Crystal Cove visitors right on the beach. The cottage was so close to the beach, in fact, that it was constantly in danger of being washed out to sea during big storms. Local legend has it that Crystal Cove residents retrieved the cottage after it was washed away and used a neigh-bor’s tractor and chain to drag the building up the road to its current location next to the garages. “It was moved to its present location in the 1940s and was used as a garage until the early 1950s, when it became a cottage,” wrote former residents Nancy and John Killen. “The building had always been owned by the [Crystal] Cove manager until we purchased it in 1970.”As part of Crystal Cove and California State Parks’ Phase II Restoration, where additional cottages and grounds were preserved and restored for public enjoyment, Cottage 45 was restored to its former glory and now provides a nostalgic space for vacationing families and couples to rest their heads while making new memories at the Cove.