Grandfather Builds Massively Impressive 3-Story Treehouse In His Backyard

One Massachusetts grandfather has given his grandchildren an early start on owning a dream home, and it is everything! Jay Hewitt has constructed a massive three-story house for his two grandchildren, and he did it in four maple trees. The size is not the only unique thing about it. Instead of the typical teenage hobbled-together project, this 40-foot-tall treehouse is a labor of love, and boy does that show.

It took Jay a little over two years to construct the treehouse using materials purchased from Home Depot and scraps from construction jobs. Hewitt also combed yard sales for additional supplies, and some features, like the windows, were obtained for just a dollar each. The Attleboro resident is also an assistant building inspector in Seekonk, and he built the impressive treehouse in his backyard so that everything is up to code. The treehouse is a fully enclosed and shingled structure boasting a full staircase and a built-in spiral slide along with a large deck. It also features working electricity, huge bay windows, a ventilation system, a loft for sleepovers, and also a very expansive family room.

Though Hewitt had plans to build his grandchildren the “best treehouse any kid ever had” before his son’s children were even born. Now those grandchildren, aged 6 and 4, love to spend time in their hideaway. The treehouse is actually still under construction, and the Sun Chronicles states that Jay has given himself a timeline of completion and should be done with the incomplete interior by fall. The 59 year-old said that he has always loved treehouses.

“I had a treehouse when I was a kid, but it was basically a four-by-eight sheet of plywood. I never dreamed that a treehouse would be anything like this.”

The stereotypical ladder or rope to climb into a treehouse was replaced by the sprawling stairs mentioned earlier, and they lead to the deck before giving way to the first floor’s entry room, or “mud room,” and another, steeper set of stairs can be climbed to reach the 16-by-20-foot sprawling family room. A unique set of stairs, crafted from New Hampshire birch trees by Hewitt, will have to be used to gain entry to the loft on the third level of the treehouse. All of these modern luxuries are offset by rustic touch of the fully exposed tree branches and trunks that extend throughout the house and onto the deck.

Even though there is electricity in the treehouse, it does not have any plumbing facilities and is therefore not fit for full-time living. Despite all the other niceties, since the house does not meet the minimum requirements for a building, Hewitt did not need to obtain a building permit to construct it.

Grandfather of the year builds 3-storey, 40-foot-tall treehouse for his grandkids http://t.co/WGDSBiH9pp pic.twitter.com/XuD1HFFOnQ

— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) October 5, 2015

Animal Planet’s Treehouse Masters, a 4-year-old TV series, was Jay Hewitt’s motivation to build such a lavish treehouse for his 6-year-old grandson and 4-year-old granddaughter. The show is hosted by Pete Nelson, a builder who builds quirky and luxurious treehouses for adults. Nelson has placed his magic touch all over the United States and has built treehouses so fancy that the cost can run up to as much as $80,000. Hewitt says he’s addicted.

“I’ve seen every episode.”

The Daily Mail reports that unfortunately for their grandchildren, Hewitt and his wife have actually put their home on Marbury Drive up for sale. However, if the house does not sell, the grandfather already has plans in the works to expand the treehouse even more next year. He’s hoping to connect the main treehouse to another, separate tree-supported structure by a rope bridge.

For now, the treehouse serves as more than a home away from home for the grandchildren and also plays host to family members and guests of the Hewitt’s as they enjoy summer meals and activities. In fact, this has inspired a whole new set of ideas for Jay Hewitt, and if the house does sell, he plans to create a lakeside vacation resort in New Hampshire that would have visitors paying to stay in furnished treehouses that are close to the beach.

“It would be unique.”

[Photo Courtesy of YouTube Screencap]