Nestled in Crossville, Tennessee, the world’s most colossal treehouse stood as a testament to an extraordinary vision.
Horace Burgess, its creator, claimed divine inspiration for the construction of what became known as “The Minister’s Tree House”. Since 1993, a staggering 250,000 nails were meticulously placed across its ten stories, all supported by the steadfast foundation of six mighty oaks.
Spanning over 3000 square meters, the living space amalgamated across its multiple floors. Remarkably, this wooden marvel, which took 14 years to complete, supposedly incurred a mere $12,000 in costs
What kind of person embarks on such an ambitious endeavor, you might wonder? Perhaps a lunatic, one might think. However, according to Burgess, God directed him to undertake this extraordinary project, promising an unending supply of wood.
True to his conviction, the treehouse featured a central space designed for both prayer and basketball games, along with a penthouse crowning its tenth floor. A substantial half-ton church bell further accentuated its grandeur.
Over the years, the countless planks that composed the treehouse bore witness to the marks left by intrigued tourists who flocked to witness this architectural wonder.
Despite its popularity, the treehouse faced closure in 2012 due to violations of local fire codes. Concerns mounted as the fire department feared the catastrophic consequences of a blaze in a structure entirely crafted from wood.
Regrettably, those fears materialized as the colossal treehouse succumbed to flames in less than half an hour. Standing at an impressive 97 feet in Crossville, Tennessee, the Minister’s Treehouse became engulfed in a destructive inferno.
Constructed through the 1990s with a promise that building a treehouse meant never running out of material, the structure comprised 80 rooms, including classrooms, bedrooms, and a kitchen. Supported by an 80-foot white oak tree, it featured a wraparound porch connecting the five stories with a winding stairway.
The interior, a blend of the quirky and spiritual, boasted a hand-carved Bible, towering cross, and wooden pews. The name “JESUS” was even mowed into the grass beneath the building, emphasizing its spiritual significance.
Tourism ceased in 2012 due to safety breaches, leading to its eventual closure by state fire marshals.
The demise of the Minister’s Treehouse was swift, and Captain Derek Carter of the Cumberland County Fire Department, who had visited the treehouse as a tourist in the past, described it as “very cool, but also very dangerous”.
For those who once marveled at its grandeur, the Minister’s Treehouse remains a cherished memory, even as it has now returned to the earth from which it was built.
Share the story of this once majestic treehouse with family and friends!
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After 10 years, mother returns to the abandoned home where she had left her one-year-old kid and discovers something that makes her cry
Over ten years ago, something terrible happened in Yaroslavl, a Russian City.
One day quite some time ago, a neighbor heard that a baby was crying in a house not far away, but at the time he didn’t think about it a whole lot and went back to his daily life.
In the days that proceeded, he noticed that the baby continued to cry inconsolably, even though no one had seen any signs of life from the house, there were never lights on or any sign of activity at all.
The neighbors really started to worry and called the police to investigate.
When the police got into the house it was derelict and empty, the people who had lived there before had taken all their things, cleared the house, and disappeared.
The only thing that was left in the house was their own little baby, how awful!
The little girl was one year old and they found her on a dirty cold floor all on her own for many days!!
The authorities investigated further and discovered that the baby was called Liza Verbitskaya, although her parents were nowhere to be seen, in fact, no one could find them or knew where they were.
Little Liza was taken to a doctor and she recovered in the hospital for a good number of days to make sure she really was nursed back to health after her ordeal.
While she was in the hospital there was a woman called Inna Nika, she was there looking after her sick son and was there day and night.
One particular day she happened to hear a scream from the hospital room next door and had a look inside the room, out of curiosity and concern, to see what was going on. Little Liza was there in the room and Inna felt a maternal pull toward the little girl.
From that day forth, Inna visited Liza every day and came with clothes, food and toys for her.
Inna was about to visit Liza one day, like every other day, but Liza was not there, she had gone. She found out that the little girl was thought to be strong enough to be released from care at the hospital to an orphanage.
Inna felt so empty and really yearned to be reunited with the little girl again, so much so that she made the decision to go and find her!
When she did find her she felt that there was no doubt in her mind, she wanted to adopt the little girl. Inna began the adoption process as soon as she could and after a lot of paperwork Liza was given permission to live with Inna and her family, where she loved her like one of her own.
When Inna adopted Liza, with the paperwork and delays, she was nearly two. She was so afraid of loud noises she couldn’t chew food! She had been very traumatized…
Inna was more determined than ever to give the little girl the ware and love that she had always needed and her dark times were clearly in the past.
Liza found it difficult to learn to walk, but as she got older Inna joined her with a dance school, she hoped that she would become more comfortable in herself and it would bring her out of her shell.
Exactly why, nobody will be 100% sure, but with all the love and the care she received from her adopted mom, it wasn’t long before Liza bloomed like another girl of her age.
Liza was really dark skinned unlike her siblings and stuck out like a sore thumb, it really was not easy as she began to grow up. Inna always said to her daughter that she should never listen to others as they are easily driven by jealousy.
The now teenage Liza has won several beauty contests, many talents show and worked her first job as a fashion model. Such an amazing contrast to how her life started and how she has succeeded!
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