World's Largest Treehouse
Categories: Wish We Could..., Gardens & Outdoor Living, Design, etc, House Tours, Architecture, News & Trends
And so he did. Fourteen years, 258,000 nails and $12,000 later, Burgess is still not done building. The treehouse has 10 floors, and it's about 8,000 to 10,000 square feet. It is made from recycled pieces of lumber from garages, storage sheds and barns. Burgess, who is a landscape architect by trade, calls this place "God's treehouse."
Burgess was awake when he had the vision of the treehouse -- it lasted only four seconds. "I saw it like a slide show, and it showed me the podium, which rises like four crosses -- two for the thieves, one for Christ, and the other cross is the one we all must bear individually," he said. The structure includes a spiral staircase, a sanctuary with pews and a 16-foot cross, a basketball court, skylights, stained glass and a flower garden spelling out J-E-S-U-S. Burgess also built a penthouse on the 7th floor where he and his wife spent their 11th anniversary. Nifty.
Burgess is a devout follower of the Old Testament and an ordained minister, but he prefers to be the pastor of the forest. He's taken in some needy souls and receives 400 to 500 visits per week. His wife Janet told USA Today that she feels "like Noah's wife when Noah built the ark...It's definitely the spirit of the Lord working in him." But he hasn't been working alone the past 14 years. Many people have helped him build the treehouse -- Is this their ticket to heaven? I have to admit -- It's a work of wonder.
Heavenly Treehouse?
Horace Burgess's divine inspiration to build this treehouse in Tennessee came from a vision he had from God. It's enormous and soars almost 100 feet into the air, and it's not done yet! Baking With Medusa, Flickr
micha michelle melancon
Ten stories high, Burgess estimates it to be somewhere between 8,000 and 10,000 square feet. Baking With Medusa, Flickr
micha michelle melancon
The treehouse is made from recycled pieces of lumber from garages, storage sheds and barns. Baking With Medusa, Flickr
micha michelle melancon
The treehouse is open to the public and receives between 400 and 500 visitors per week! Baking With Medusa, Flickr
micha michelle melancon
Horace's wife Janet told USA Today that she feels "like Noah's wife when Noah built the ark...It's definitely the spirit of the Lord working in him." The couple spent the night in the "penthouse" on their 11th anniversary. Baking With Medusa, Flickr
Jae S. Lee, The Tennessean
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Gordon Parker 10-21-2009 @ 8:54AM
How can it be called a tree house, when part of it is on the ground. It's not like it was Swiss Family Robinson.
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Terri 10-21-2009 @ 10:22AM
It doesn't matter what it looks like as long as GOD is at the center and you build it as GOD says to build and it does the work of the LORD. You can call it what ever you want. Keep up Gods work there isn't many people who truly hear God voice and obay him.
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Scott 10-21-2009 @ 10:25AM
That is because people who hear or see God are considered, rightfully so, insane.
imcornflakes 10-21-2009 @ 11:50AM
this probably would explain why the world is in such a mess. perhaps if god concentrated more important things instead of instructing white trash rednecks to build something as trivial as a treehouse, the world would be a better place. also you misspelled obay, moron. maybe god should do your spell checking for you.
gal3601 10-21-2009 @ 11:08AM
Awesome.....
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jeff 10-21-2009 @ 11:56AM
By saying God told me to do this, does not make it any less strange.
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CJ 10-21-2009 @ 12:09PM
God said "do not forsake me." This is a beautiful work of art whether you call it a tree house, God's calling or something else. The world is not a mess because people follow their 'calling' and build tree houses; maybe it is falling apart because people forget about God and the Ten Commandments?
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cfirebase 10-21-2009 @ 1:10PM
To imcornflakes Why must you be so crude and rude. It coast you nothing. At least this man has some religiious believe's. God is so concerned with your soul that He got your attention by having this man of God build a treehouse. Why must he be a redneck piece of trash anyway? Some of my best friends are of different races and probably live better than you do. Where do you get off calling people trash and rednecks.
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Chuck S 10-21-2009 @ 1:25PM
This one might be bigger. It's 12 stories, It's at about 17:50 in the video
http://kstp.com/article/stories/S640064.shtml?cat=69#
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Atomic 10-21-2009 @ 1:23PM
Love the creativity... hope there's no termites or wood boring insects in the tree....
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Mouse 10-21-2009 @ 3:23PM
Scott is just jealous because he doesn't understand the Lord. Tis ok. May you find Him along the way. Sweet treehouse!!!
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ellayne 10-21-2009 @ 1:55PM
This looks like a tenement in a tree - all that's missing are the clothes hung out to dry, over the railings!
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Ursula 10-21-2009 @ 2:49PM
I'm sorry for the tree. What a waste of material -- no one is ever going to be able to LIVE in that "house". As a "toy" to play in, it's overdone. As I said, I'm sorry for the tree.
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Scott 10-21-2009 @ 3:07PM
This isn't a treehouse...it's a house built around a tree. Big difference. Good way to kill a perfectly good tree though. What a whackjob.
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expert 10-21-2009 @ 3:40PM
This guy needs to be on some serious meds - what's wrong with his wife that she can't see that? She's getting vicarious thrills/money/notoriety off of his mental illness...shame..
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jamesnpost 10-21-2009 @ 7:01PM
It is not the ones who say God told them to make a treehouse that are insane. It is the ones who say God told them to run for President and bomb the innocent people of other countries who are insane.
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