World treehouse list

Pancho
Corsicana, TX, USA
22 December 1998

I claim the design and builder's rights to over 10 large treehouses in Corsicana, TX. When I would build a good one some bully/punk/a**holes would run me and my friends out of there. I really didn't care, because each time I had to start over the Party houses would get better and better (always real cheap with scrap wood and cheap nails).

To all you punk builders out there: think about using strong rope wraps holding your plank (floor structure boards) instead of nails and screws to keep the tree(s) alive and ready for remodeling!!!

Also try to predict where future developers are going to build houses so that your sanctuary is as far away as possible.....

Oh yea, the underground coolers full of beer work great as long as you check on them when it rains and don't let anyone else in on your secret..................................:)

Bunga
Southington, CT, USA
9 December 1998

I built a way cool treehouse..12' X 10'...porch, shingled roof, windows, power... even managed to get taxed on it!!

See also: 2000 listing

Dennis Desmarais
Guemes Island, Skagit County, WA, USA
5 December 1998

My three sons and I built the treehouse this summer on some property my folks have in the San Juan Islands. It is 16 feet off the ground between two fir trees. It is a 10ft by 10ft platform with a 7x10 house and 3x10 deck. If is a combination of salvaged and bought materials. Two sides are sided with left over cedar siding. The back wall has a triple bunk bed and each bed has a 2x2 window at the head to look out over the land and channel. If cost about $800 (twice what I estimated) and built over two weeks with help from several relatives and friends. What a satisfying project

Joe
Massachusetts, USA
3 December 1998

The day I finished my tree house me and a couple of friends slept in it and we brought a TV up and VCR and Nintendo 64 it was great!!!

Kalvin Wille
near Helena, Montana, USA
28 November 1998

The "Bridge on the River Pie" is a 150 sq.ft. cabin on a 360 sq.ft. deck supported by 3m douglas firs. It spans 31 feet across Magpie creek in Western Montana. The deck is 12 feet above the water and is reached by a single staircase. Amenities include 3 gas lights, gas range and furnace, sleeping loft, Dutch door, and French windows.

Clark Fitzgerald
Red Bluff, CA, United States
3 November 1998

I'm 12 years old and my Dad and me have been building our treehouse for a long time. We get most of our materials from my uncle, who's building a house. We just got the electricity in and had a Halloween party out there. It's got a tile roof, and it's own TV. We're planning on putting a loft for sleeping in on top and a sink in pretty soon.

Perry Lassin
Holland, PA, USA
18 October 1998

My treehouse is high in a tree about 15 to 20ft. high. Two floors, working on the third floor. To get to floor to floor I have a build in staircase that I made by my self. For when it rains I put in gutters for the rain. Also I have about 3 windows and a window on the roof to see the stars at night, and lights are hooked up too. And it took me about 2 to 2 ½ years to build. I had a lot of problems like when in a bad storm the treehouse fell down and luckily I only had 1 floor up.

Also it has a TV with cable and a VCR that I got for free. A porch in the back with two chairs to relax. You can lock the doors with a key that I had made for the locks and you can lock the windows so kids can't open them and get in and here is the cool part. From the windows breaking from kids, storms, and so one I put on storm windows on the outside you close it from the inside and you can lock it too, and it is very very hard wood. So when you lock up there are no openings to see through or get in through.

Sandy Maguire
Philomath, OR, USA
16 October 1998

Just returned from the 2nd Annual World Treehouse Conference in Takilma, OR.

Am trying to do a Master's Thesis on Treehouses. Any resources you might point me to would be helpful. I am particularly interested in acquiring building permits. Still haven't framed our treehouse, but have completed the redwood deck.

Wells Holbrook (and Chris Doody)
Knoxville, TN, USA
14 October 1998

Actually not so much a treehouse (lack of trees in our area) but a small house on stilts in the woods. It has basement and balcony, with lights and hammocks hung up for sleeping in.

Carol & Jon
near Kingston, Ontario, Canada
12 October 1998

We built our treehouse as a guest cabin for our cottage. The next one is already in design stages.

Diane Fowles
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
10 October 1998

Hi- My husband built a treehouse on a small piece of unused city land at the bottom of our driveway. A lot of kids in the neighborhood helped to build it and paint it. Unfortunately the city has ordered us to take it down by nov 2. There are two strikes against us 1. We built it in a Garry Oak - a protected tree in Victoria. 2. The city does not want to be liable. We have been trying to save it by asking the municipality to declare the area a park. We have been on the local TV station twice and radio.

Paul Guard
Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
28 September 1998

We have 3 treehouses, constructed by my father, me and others. The first was a one storey structure supported by drilling through the tree and 4x4s morticed in. The second is a 3 storey treehouse built in the fork of a lage gum tree, with a fig tree going through the middle and a flying fox exit on the first floor. The third is a 3 storey treehouse also, the main level is in the style of a gazebo and is accessed by planks from tree to tree to a height of about 13 metres above the ground.

Derek Means
Barboursville, WV, USA
23 September 1998

I have a cool tree house its got two decks so far and a basement underneath one deck with carpet a TV and a phone. It kicks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Scott Marsh
Kentucky, USA
17 September 1998

My son and I have been working on one this summer. It's a one room right now wedge shape, sort of like a piece of cheese. He has installed battery operated lights, PA system, listening device and ultra sonic alarm system so far.

Chris Hornby
Ashern, Manitoba, Canada
17 September 1998

• approximate 2400 square feet.
• costed us less then 100 bucks to build
• one f***ing big fort

Jeff
NC, USA
4 September 1998

My tree house is about 20 feet of the ground however I have 2 levels. I built a zipline going from the first level down to the ground.

Terry Codington
Hawaii, USA
2 September 1998

I have built a treehouse on the beach in an ironwood tree about 25 feet above the sand. It views my surfbreak right out back of the house here on the North Shore of Oahu. The framing was all done with local Giant bamboo. It has electricity and outdoor speakers. It is set up to sit and enjoy the evening sunset directly or Surfers on 3 different breaks close by with whales in the background. It took me two months to construct.

It has a major claim to fame...last July a Playboy video for the Playboy channel was filmed in the treehouse. It was very cool. aloha, Terry

Mathew
Wellington, New Zealand
22 August 1998

My Dad and I have been building a tree hut for the last few weekends. I have 2 big pohutakawa trees (native NZ trees with red flowers) in the back yard and I have a hut in each tree. When we are finished the 2nd hut we are going to build a flying fox that connects the 2 huts.

James Swanson
Pigion Lake, Alberta, Canada
27 August 1998

The actual treehouse part of this design is still in the design phase. The lower areas of this project consist of one 150 sq. ft deck @ 15 ft height level with stairs down to a 320 sq. ft. second deck @ the 8 ft height level. These decks are built off of the back of my cottage into a group of rather large pine trees. The treehouse will be built between two of the larger pine trees that are skirted by the upper deck. This platform will be about 28 feet above the upper deck thus giving a commendable vista of Pigion Lake.

The very real and growing concern is the anchoring of this platform to the trees in such a method that it is stable and yet does not harm the trees. However the size of the platform itself will only be about 40 sq. ft.

Franco
Abruzzo, Italy
22 August 1998

It's a fantastic and large house, up on a beautiful hill. I've built it in 4 years. It's 3 mt x 2 mt, and it's height is 1.85mt.

WebMatt5
Omaha, Ne
22 August 1998

I had a treehouse that had two floors. It wasn't walled in but it was decent for my friends and I to hang out at. Someone decided to build a building where it was, so the whole small woods where I built are gone. Now I am building a small platform in a pine tree in a park near my house.

D. Clark
SE Michigan, USA
22 August 1998

Doug has built 12 tree houses and now working on number 13.

The tree house is being built in a 120+ year old Maple. The Treehouse measures 8'x 8' and is 24 feet above ground. Much safer than some of his previous Treehouses that were 52 feet above ground. The Treehouse will have a balcony and also the roof area will be a fenced-in 'patio'.

Cody
Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada
16 August 1998

It is 220cm long, 150cm high, and 150cm wide. we have no power but we do have a fire place for winter it cost us about 100 dollars but it was worth it. We built it over the summer of 1998.

Susan Ekstrom
Exeter, NH, USA
30 July 1998

A few years ago my father built our tree house in our back yard. It was built about 15 feet up a willow tree over looking the river.

Aaron
Monroeville, PA, USA
26 July 1998

Treehouse has 2 floors, good roof, custom windows, sitting ledges. There have been several breakins and vandalism.

The break ins are still happening. The door was ripped in half one time, things have been stolen and graffiti has been sprayed. I found beer cans up there on numerous occasions. Our lock latch has been broken off, but now we have a strong door and a steel lock latch and a big lock.

Shane Fales
Corvallis, OR, USA
22 July 1998

We are in the process of building a treehouse 9 feet off ground in Ponderosa Pines. There will be pictures of it sometime soon on my web site. We are in the early stages of construction. Main supports are up. The subflooring is on. Will be 8 X 10 with a sleeping loft and approx 175 sq ft of deck around it. Not sure when it will be completed... as time and money allows.

Jan and Mike Doble
Woodbridge, Virginia, USA
22 July 1998

My husband Mike built our treehouse in June, 1997 - after receiving approval from plans he submitted to our Homeowners Association. It is 10 feet off the ground and 10' X 13', situated between 4 oak trees. It has a deck on the front, 4 windows that open and close, a skylight, bunkbeds, a chandelier and even a tv that is connected to an extension cord plugged into the house. One neighbor complained that they didn't like the looks of it and our Homeowners Association told us in April, 1998, that it has to be removed or they are going to take us to court.

Since June of 1998, our treehouse has been featured on Good Morning America, in the Washington Post, People Magazine, local and national news channels and radio talk shows across the country and in Canada and Europe. We were able to collect signatures on a petition and turned in over 700 of them to the Board of Trustees, after just 1 week of collecting. We are now waiting to see what the Association will do next: Will they take us to court, or will they allow a compromise, like we have asked for, and allow us to plant some trees to block the offended neighbors view? Stay tuned for more, as "The Treehouse War" continue..

[Ed: Read the conclusion in a treehouse list entry from August 2007.]

Russ Goldmann II
Highland Park, IL, USA
17 July 1998

Built for Zoe and Abbie (and Dad too), 13 ft. up with tree running through middle. Approx. 9 ft. across, octogon in shape. Has 42 in. high walls with 4 window openings. Shingled roof and hatchway in floor for access. 2X6 joists and bracing, 3/4" decking, 2X4 stud wall and rafters, 1/2" roof sheathing, 1X8 tongue and groove siding.

Therese Langevin
Port Wing, Wisconsin, USA
17 July 1998

I started to build my treehouse two weeks ago. We own 80 acres on a hill near the south shore of Lake Superior. We wanted to be able to see the lake. I sat in the tree most of the first day, thinking. I used ropes and ladders and hand tools and a pile of 2x6 lumber cut to stud length. My partner helped me put up the second level. We have two platforms and room in the tree for 3 or 4 more levels. Not bad for a 44 year old woman with a desk job.

Chris Gishler
Toronto, Canada
14 July 1998

This 30' high, 200sq' gazebo was started with a "how hard could it be?". The completed structure includes a trap door, front door, deck, vaulted ceiling, sliding windows and a bird feeder. All of this is suspended on 6 cables throughbolted in a 60' white pine which gives it a floating feel. Salvaged materials include the tin roof, door, and windows; one from the old village of Mont Tremblant. The lumber, which is also white pine, was harvested and milled locally. Future expansions include a spiral staircase, zip line and stain glass in the door.

Robert Gusick
New York, USA
10 July 1998

I built this treehouse in 1997 for my then 2 (now 3!) kids. (OK, perhaps it was really so I could build something fun!) I took the plans from a book by David Stiles (there is a link to the book on my home page). It's pretty simple, and I was able to do 95% by myself.

Hint... once you get over 5 or 6 feet off the ground, you probably need a small team!

One nice (but pricey) touch was the cedar shingles. It's held up very well over the past 12 months (it looks as good as new), though we did have a very easy winter.

Brian McClenaghan
Saltspring Island, WA, USA
8 July 1998

I started to build a treehouse on a steep slope about 70' above a beach on S.S.I. in May 96. I suspended two 14' beams beteen two large (1.5' - 2' diameter) Fir trees about 12' apart. I used treated 2"x6"s (10' long) for joists and used 2"x10" untreated Fir planks (14') for the floor. The lumber was donated by a freindly neighbor and the galvanized guy wire, bolts and hardware was salvaged from the local utilities. One end of this (10'x14') deck is 25' aloft - the other end is a 2' ramp off deer path. I plan to build 10'x14' house with a surrounding deck and then other units in other trees connected by suspension bridges.

Ian Moore
Battle Ground, WA, USA
3 July 1998

Was orginaly a open treehouse but since I have lived in Battle Ground I have changed it into a closed treehouse. It is not completely finished. I am still looking for more wood and other materials for it. I have done all of the work myself so it is kind of in need of some touching up.

Clark Fitzgerald
Red Bluff, CA, USA
3 July 1998

I am 11 years old and I built my first treehouse a few years ago, it was just a little wooden shack a few feet off the ground. Now I'm adding on to that one and I have a huge platform built on metal posts that connects to it with a very stable bridge. It has a great view of Mt. Shasta. It will have running water and electricity from a hose and a cable going up one of the pipes, it will have a door and a window with a rope ladder and I expect to be living in it at least by the time I go to High School.

Gary Kimberly
Delray Beach, FL, USA
2 July 1998

I have a ficus tree on my land that is about 50 or so years old and about that high. I have started building a very large treehouse in it. This treehouse will have about 300 sq ft of covered floor space and about 200 sq ft of deck, walkways and steps. I hope to able to scrounge most of the material I need from various construction I have and or hope to have this summer. I have not checked with the Bldg. Dept. about permits or codes etc yet but I may build what I want in any case because it will be a temporary structure (until it rots away).

Craig
Coulee Dam, WA, USA (by my house)
23 June 1998

One thing about it is it is big. It's about 9 feet long 6 feet wide and I have fun in it.

Tom Dunlap
Minneapolis, MN, USA
21 June 1998

I am a professional, ISA Certified arborist and an amateur builder.

Daryl Richardson
WA, USA
20 June 1998

This is my 1st treehouse. It sits in a large Maple, the first deck is 7 ft. high, but it's built around (4) 6"x6"x16' beams. I thinking about going higher and making a catwalk going even higher to some old growth ceders that are nearby. The 1st level is 13'x20'.

Craig Brigden
Milton, Ontario, Canada
13 June 1998

My tree house is on the ground but it is nailed in to a tree beside it. On my top floor you can go up in the tree. The top floor is made with a big piece of plywood going around the tree therefore I call it a tree house.

Robert J. Harder
Kahlotus, Washington, USA
2 June 1998

It's about ten feet off the ground, has several ropes and pulleys, has a moat not unlike that of a castle, has a bridge to acess it, and has a patio of cement pavers (or will soon). It isn't enclosed (yet) and is only a platform right now. It also has a hammock and several swings. Itis about a 10x10 platform and is in a willow tree about 150 to 200 yards from my house on our property.

Gary Crossman
North Carolina, USA
30 May 1998

Our treehouse was built for our two young sons, we didn't have a tree in our youd so we got some Cypress logs from a local logging company and made our own trees. It is a split level treehouse with a room for play or sleep (like a loft) and then a ladder down to the next level for play. It is constructed like a log cabin, with spaces between the layers of logs. Iron bars were made and put in place to prevent kids from falling out of it. There is a huge slide for quick escapes. There is also a stairway leading up to the treehouse with a landing halfway up. The roof is cedar shingles. It is a traffic stopper in our small town in North Carolina.

Zoe Edwards
Wheaton, IL, USA
23 May 1998

My daddy is building me a treehouse that is ten feet above the ground in a Maple tree. It is attached from a swingset that he built, using treated 6x6's as a base and 2x8's to attach the swings to the tree. Then a series of 4x4's are used to provide a base that is 6x8 around the treetrunk. There are walls opened at the middle, and a pitched roof over the whole base. It needs to be painted soon before the rain warps the base and sides. It's really neat to be up so high, but my mom usually is freaking out when she sees me climb up into my treehouse, as I'm only five. But it is really a great view, and I can't wait for my friends to come over an play, too.

Daniel Susott
Manoa Valley, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
6 May 1998

It's in a huge old banyan tree, ever-expanding, in lush Manoa Valley with a view of the ocean behind Waikiki on the island of O'ahu (Honolulu). 25 years ago it was a simple platform about 5x8 meters, and the tree has since grown upward and outward and we are in the process of building with the giant bamboo growing in the stream nearby.

Eventually there will be a central tower with decks spiraling off, areas for meditation and honeymoon, the "angel's nest", and when we get really wild we imagine the hang-gliding port and bungee-jumping platform; ziplines and rope bridges are coming, and since it is on a steep slope it was always accesses via a hanging bridge of ingenious design. People visiting Hawaii will be able to stay in it eventually, and creative ideas are sought for future expansions.

Karen Grayczk
Silverton, Oregon, USA
5 May 1998

Photo 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
26 April 2006: Photo 8

14' up to platform which is 16'x21'. Another level 3' up from the 1st using actual stairs, then up another 5 or 6' to the sleeping platform. There are 11 windows and a dutch door. We have all outer walls up and most of the rafters. There are portions of the trees that come up thru the floor and we intend to wall around them as well. House is set between two huge Maple trees that are both at least 4' in diameter at their bases. Arborist work was done to take some weight out of the tops and have reinforced some areas with cabling.

Have builder/inspector (Jeff Wearne) doing the work. I am the go-fer.