The Minister's Treehouse

Once upon a time, there was a man who lived in Crossville, Tennessee. This man was praying one day, and he heard God speak these words to him, "If you build me a treehouse, I will see to it that you never run out of material." 

So he did it. And he hasn't. 

Once upon another time, there was a girl who met up with her friend Sarah at a splash park in Knoxville, Tennessee. Sarah told this girl about this unbelievable, behemoth of a treehouse in Crossville, Tennessee.  

The girl was intrigued.

The girl was me (surprise!)

And there you have the primary events that led to our adventure to the Minister's Treehouse in Crossville, Tennessee.

The treehouse's primary foundation is an 80-foot tall oak tree, which has a diameter of 12 feet. There are 6 additional trees that help support the structure. It is built entirely out of salvaged materials, has 10-levels, and is an estimated 8,000 square feet.

At the center of the treehouse is a chapel, with rows of pews, stadium seating, 3 or 4 balcony levels overlooking it, and the crafty altar you see in this photograph. There is a basketball hoop on the main level of the chapel - which threw me off a little - but I've moved past it.

The treehouse is topped by a 5,700 pound chime tower

I wasn't able to figure out if my family was completely amazed, or just terrified watching a 65 year old man climb a rather unstable ladder while now at 90 feet above the Earth's surface to ring the bell… 

I, myself, couldn't help but wonder how the "salvaged" material was supporting a 5,700 pound chime tower at 90 feet above the Earth's surface… but I toughed it out, and trusted God would see to it that his creation was properly supported to sustain the tower.

These are the winding stairs that go all the way up and around the large oak tree… and that's my kid… he's five.

The other feature of the treehouse that stands out is the swing, which hangs from the top level, all the way down to the ground

The Little Agrestics found great joy in the swing…

Yes, it's true, the swing's base is made out of someone's old, broken lawn chair. But again, I was trusting that my boy JC had it all under control!

I definitely recommend that you find time to go visit this treehouse. I promise it will be an adventure you will not forget! 

P.S. Just ignore the "No Trespassing", "Private Property", and "No Climbing" signs that greet you as you pull onto the property. You'll see that they are accompanied by the "Bus Parking Here" signs, which help balance the warm fuzzies.

Now go!