World's Largest Tree House

Crossville, Tennessee
Bean Pot Campground
Site #15

Bill and I took a very short drive to visit The Minister's Tree House.  We knew before going that it wasn't open as the fire marshal shut it down, but we wanted to see the exterior.

The tree house was down a one lane dirt road.  We passed three different signs that said it was closed before coming to these signs.  

As we walked up to the fence surrounding the tree house, we saw another couple with their grand daughter.  They told us they had been inside a couple of times. The lady told us there is a chapel inside.  About this time we saw someone way up in the tower and then the bell rang.  

There was a hole in the fence and a man walked out carrying and infant.  He said the kids were playing inside the tree house while he watched the baby.  

I thought a little while about going through the fence but the weeds were at least four feet high and I didn't want to meet any of the local Tennessee creatures and I was without my Deet.  

The Minister, Horace Burgess, was on ABC TV showing The World's Largest Tree House.  I would suggest you check out the photos on the internet because the ones we took wouldn't do it justice.  There are also photos on Roadside America.

We were a long way from it.  

Our next stop, The Homestead Tower Museum,  was also nearby.  Bill and I were the only visitors in the museum for awhile.  There was a short video on how Roosevelt began the New Deal in 1933 and the homestead was enacted.

The museum was small but full of a lot of information.

All the red dots show where the programs were located.  Can you imagine our surprise when we found out there were 60 homes in our hometown that were on the program?

Bill said he really felt old because he remembered all the items they had displayed.

Bill said he wondered if his dad learned his profession as an electrician from this program.

The homesteader's worked for one third of their wages.  The other two thirds went to pay back their average $2,100 for the 20 acres.

We walked up partway inside the water tower, but it was very humid and hot and no air movement whatsoever.

I started up a little ways, then I had flashbacks of my ladder accident.  It was difficult to get back down the few steps I had taken.  

I'm sure the view would have been great, but I wasn't going to push the envelope. 

There was an original homestead house about a mile away, but it was closed today.  

We're always enjoying history, but this was definitely in a different time period than most places we visit.  I'm glad we stopped.  

Turtle Safely........