Worlds Largest Treehouse near Crossville
Think you had the world’s greatest treehouse as a kid? Well this guy’s got you beat. Horace Burgess’s treehouse is located somewhere near Crossville, Tennessee and stands over 97-feet tall thanks to the 80-foot white oak tree it was built around which also happens to be about 12-feet in diameter at its base. It has 11 floors, somewhere in the neighborhood of 8,000 to 10,000 square feet, a miniature basketball court and is held together by roughly 258,000 nails.
Horace Burgess’s treehouse may be as close to heaven as a body can get in Cumberland County.
It rises 97 feet into the sky, the support provided by a live, 80-foot-tall white oak 12 feet in diameter at its base. Six other trees brace the tower-like fortress, but Burgess says its foundation is in God.
“I built it for everybody. It’s God’s treehouse. He keeps watch over it,” said Burgess, who received his inspiration in a vision that came to him in 1993. “I was praying one day, and the Lord said, ‘If you build me a treehouse, I’ll see you never run out of material.”‘
And thus far, as Burgess sees it, the Lord has provided. Most of his materials are recycled pieces of lumber from garages, storage sheds and barns. Now into his 14th year of construction, he is not finished.
The treehouse has 10 floors, averaging nine to 11 feet in height by Burgess’s reckoning. He has never measured its size but estimates it to be about 8,000 to 10,000 square feet. He did count the nails that he has hammered into the wood — 258,000, give or take a few hundred. And he guesses he has sunk about $12,000 into the project.
“God used my hands to put every piece in place, but I had a lot of help,” said the 56-year-old landscape architect. He’s a country boy but lives in town and compares himself to Job of the Old Testament. His pale blue Paul Newman-like eyes beam and he wears an easy smile on his tanned face.
“I’ve always proclaimed it to be the world’s largest treehouse, and no one has ever challenged it,” Burgess said.
All of story read here : usatoday, More photos: Author Micha Michelle Melancon
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Visited the tree house yesterday, and Horace was there, very nice man. There are clearly marked signs that say to climb/enter at your own risk, no smoking (obviously!), and the no trespassing sign is there for night time. It is very sad that this man opened this house to the public only to have it repeatedly vandalized and filled with graffiti. How would you react if your life’s work was treated this way by the very folks you allowed to view your work. There was a very nice girl there who offered to push my son in the swing, others were picnicking at the many tables around. It is a very peaceful place, and he makes you feel very welcome. He does not charge admission, but he does have a donation box if you would like to leave any… It’s a very interesting place to visit!
This article makes the treehouse look nice but in reality, it’s pretty dangerous and there are spots someone could easily fall off, and porches with no railings. And they give no information on it there.
My family and I visited the tree house today and it was very fascinating. I went to the top twice and rang the bells. I felt like I was on top of the world LOL
It was pretty awesome but I wish there was more information on the history of the tree house itself and the construction of it. That would be very interesting to hear.
Anyways, I enjoyed my trip to it and would love to go back again.
my my my the worlds largest tree house.I absolutely love the mowed field!!If go to the top there is a later that you can climb, I did and I am only nine. When you climb the later you can ring the bell.I also loved the swing it was cool.I belive I loved all of it.But my favoret was the field and the swing. I loved it all!!!
This looks really neat…just too bad it is not handicapped accessable!
Went to the tree house today Sunday Nov 27th, it was raining, and muddy but while we were there we were invited to the Church service as it was just starting. We would have but Mom would have had to clime the steps to the santuary. It will happen sometime but not today. Really enjoyed seeing it but I’m sorry that society can’t leave something this beautiful alone!
Beautiful creation, but am confused…which god out of thousands in mankind’s history are you referring to with guiding you?