100-Foot-Tall Tree House Shut Down Until Up to Cod

100-Foot-Tall Tree House Shut Down Until Up to Code

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/trending-now/

A Tennessee minister is finding out the hard way that as unique and fun as tree houses can be, they have to meet some of the same requirements as ordinary homes. Horace Burgess , a 61-year-old landscape architect and part-time Christian minister in Crossville, began building his tree house 19 years ago to house his ministry. The 100-foot-tall tree house remains unfinished but is extremely popular with thousands of visitors every week. Now, though, when they come to see it, they can't get in. After its August 7 inspection, the tree house was closed by the state fire marshall for not meeting building codes.

The tree house features a winding staircase, a bell tower and a maze of rooms. There's even a light-filled sanctuary that serves as both a chapel and a basketball court. Burgess said that there has never been an injury or incident in the tree house but acknowledges that it could