AKA Abraham Bacoln

I had one of the strangest experiences of my life today. Did you know that there is a gigantic treehouse in Crossville, TN? I didn’t either. Leon told me about it a few days ago and tried to describe it, but I was seriously not prepared for the enormity of the whole thing.

The amount of background I have on this place is absolutely zero. I’ve found a very few scattered references to it online and even those are just someone mentioning having been there or having heard of it. I can’t begin to tell you who built it, or why, or how long it took. The most I can say is that the guy must have liked Jesus ’cause there are several references around.

Okay, so, let’s see. Apparently there was once a barn on this property in Crossville. Then someone had the bright idea to remove the roof and build on to the top. And from there, more levels, and more levels, and then some more, and then a spiral staircase leading even higher than that, finishing somewhere at least four stories off the ground, maybe higher. Five or more if you count the ladder climb to the bell tower.

I’m now realizing how impossible it is to describe this thing. Leon tried to describe it to me, and he’s good with words, and the concept didn’t really come across. The magnitude and enormity of this undertaking is … mind-boggling, to say the least. The haphazardness of it makes it far more interesting – at every turn it seems like there’s a staircase or a landing that leads to a whole lot of nowhere, a boarded-off dead end. If not that then it leads to a new area in a way you can’t anticipate, perhaps down a half-flight and under a previously-explored room, or around the outside of a tree and up through the floor of a different room.

There’s a large main ‘hall’ in the middle of the second floor complete with old elementary school chairs and a basketball goal. There are bedrooms in several locations, complete with mattresses, couches, dressers, pictures in frames, candles, and so forth, all in various states of disrepair. There’s a wood-burning stove somewhere up around the 3.5th floor. Around every corner there’s a new discarded piece of furniture, or maybe a hanging poster, or length of mirror. The walls are very open in some parts and closed, complete with windows, in others. There’s zero rhyme or reason to the layout.

Leon and Jennifer and I (oh, and their dog Malachi) traveled damn near every square foot we could find our way to, and it seemed like we didn’t cover even half of the whole structure.

I’m running out of ways to describe this thing and feeling overwhelmed just contemplating the enormity of it. It’s made even more odd by the fact that it’s not an official attraction, there’s no gate, no guard … it’s just some guy’s treehouse.

Oh, and the location apparently is a closely-guarded secret, so I’m afraid I can’t tell you exactly where it is.

Kevin–your pics of this place are amazing!!! It looks like such a cool place. I may have to take a roadtrip someday and explore it myself. Thank you for sharing!!!

Comment by Bobbilynne August 20, 2006 @ 9:31 am

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Wow. Who knew? Looks like I’ve driven within a mile of this place hundreds of times and never knew it was there. Is it on private land? Abandoned? The photos make it look pretty run down.

Comment by dshular August 20, 2006 @ 1:22 pm

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Apparently it’s private land, and based on some signs inside I think the gentleman that was doing all the work (or the bulk thereof) has passed on to better places, so it may be moving towards derelict now. I’m not sure.

Comment by Kevin O'Mara August 20, 2006 @ 1:24 pm

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What makes it a “treehouse”?

Comment by washu August 21, 2006 @ 8:43 am

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Well, the main spiral staircase is built around a gigantic tree trunk, and throughout the structure there are trunks and branches sticking out everywhere. I realize that technically the bulk of the structure is resting on the ground, but the whole thing feels like a treehouse that goes on forever.

Comment by Kevin O'Mara August 21, 2006 @ 9:33 am

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Kevin, I could give you a little more info since you’ve already been there. We discovered the place in August when were visiting the area. The man is still alive. I don’t want to give his name online since he apparently doesn’t want to advertise his creation. I wish everyone could see it but unfortunately, there are stupid people who have been there and vandalized and littered the place. I got the feeling it was meant to be a place to meditate, hang out or do whatever it is you do to get closer to the Higher Up. (No Pun intended!)

Comment by Tami October 14, 2006 @ 10:56 am

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