Crossville, Tennessee (USA) is home to the world’s largest treehouse.

Horace Burgess, the owner, says that God gave him the commission to construct the home. “The Minister’s Tree House” is another name for it.

Since 1993, almost 250,000 nails have been used in the construction of the home’s ten stories, which rest on a foundation of six oaks.

Photo Credit: Chuck Sutherland
The total “living space” is more than 3000 square meters, which is the sum of all floors.

The house took 14 years to complete and, although being constructed entirely of wood, was believed to have cost roughly $12,000.

What kind of person would construct something like that? Maybe a lunatic, you’re thinking.

According to Horace Burgess, God told him to construct the tree house in 1993 and assured him that he would never run out of wood.

Photo Credit: Chuck Sutherland

So far, it appears that God has been true to his word.

The structure contains a big central area that may be utilized for both prayer and basketball games, as well as a penthouse on the tenth floor.

It also features a half-ton church bell.

The many planks of wood that make up the structure now bear the marks of tourists who came to see it.

The residence, which had been operating for quite some time, was shut down in 2012 due to violations of the local fire code.

The local fire brigade is concerned that a huge fire could break out, which would be disastrous for a building made entirely of wood.

Photo Credit: Chuck Sutherland

In the end, it did occur…
The largest treehouse in the world, a wooden structure standing at 97 feet tall in Crossville, Tennessee, burned to the ground in less half an hour.

Construction began in the early 1990s, when architect Harold Burgess claimed in an interview, “If you build a tree house, you’ll never run out of material.” This he duly did.

Photo Credit: Chuck Sutherland

The Minister’s Treehouse was constructed over the course of two decades using raw lumber donated by locals.

There were 80 rooms in the house, including classrooms, bedrooms, and a kitchen, spread across five stories and held together by a white oak tree 80 feet in height.

There was a big wraparound porch with a winding stairway to connect the levels. The interior design successfully combined quirky with spiritual, featuring a hand-carved Bible, towering cross, and wooden pews.

The name “JESUS” was spelt out in carefully mowed grass beneath the building.

Since it was used for church services, the treehouse also attracted visitors looking for a unique experience.

Photo Credit: Chuck Sutherland

Tourism at the treehouse was halted in 2012 by state fire marshals due to numerous breaches including a lack of a load distribution system, uneven flooring and fall dangers, exceeding regulations, and the absence of a licensed design professional.

The state fire marshal ordered the building closed, so Burgess put up a sign saying “Closed by the state fire marshal. File your complaints with them.”

Photo Credit: Chuck Sutherland

When police in the area were contacted to report the fire, Captain Derek Carter of the Cumberland County Fire Department was already there.

“It was basically a pile of rubble when we pulled up. The fire was so intense we had to park 500 yards away,” says Carter. It took firefighters almost 15 minutes to put out the fire once firefighters arrived at the scene.

Pigeon Forge native Macy Leatherwood spent Christmas 2018 with her family at Cumberland Mountain State Park.

Photo Credit: Chuck Sutherland

The Minister’s Treehouse, according to Leatherwood, was “the highlight of the trip” because of its size and novelty.

Although she could only see the home through the fence, she still had a lovely view.

When she heard the news that the house had burned down, she was distraught. “It will definitely be a cherished memory of a family trip, and I’ll never forget that treehouse.”

Captain Carter, who was off-duty when he visited the treehouse as a tourist before it was closed to the public, described it as “a deathtrap.”

He summed it up by saying, “It was very cool, but also very dangerous.”

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