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The house remains an oddity that visitors to the small town can view from the road, but it is no longer open for explorers. In an odd turn of architectural fate, the Geisel Library at San Diego State University by William Pereirais named for Dr. Seuss. It is one of the classic 1960s American campus Brutalist treasures, with Seussian, gravity-defying concrete levels that expand outward toward the sky. The closest that architects have come to actually making the architecture Dr. Seuss might be husband and wife artist duo Arakawa and Gins. Dr. Seuss was inspired by architecture, and it is rumored that his famous Whoville is based on the Massachusetts town of Easthampton and nearby Mt. Tom. However, he also inspired many amateur designers, including many treehouse designs, from the simple to the fantastic.
The 185-foot-tall log structure is called the Dr. Seuss House
As time progressed, his view was impeded, and he would build another level, eventually ending with the building you see here. The 360-degree views of the surrounding wilderness can be observed for up to 300 miles. Weidner had hoped that when the house construction was finished, the family would be able to enjoy the tower.
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Sure, it’s a long way to the top, but once you get there, the view can’t be beat. On a clear day, Mr. Weidner can see for over 300 miles in all directions. There are several thoughts as to why the house kept “growing.” Some versions of the story claim that when the house was originally built, it had a fabulous view of Denali. However, the construction is said to have begun right after a forest fire; thus, the trees were all short with new growth. As time progresses, the view was impeded by the maturing trees.
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Photographer Jovell Rennie recently took some shots of the wondrous house, which looks like an appropriate spot for a Lorax to live. It sat abandoned for almost the same amount of time until a new owner came along and started to work on it. Weidner has been working on the project off and on since the late ‘90s (he’s a lawyer in Anchorage, which keeps him busy).
In order to keep the view he loved, Weidner realized that he had to keep building taller and taller. The owner built the house after a forest fire, and originally it had views of Mount McKinley and Denali National Park. But when the trees recovered, he lost his view, prompting him to add more and more stories until it became the 12-story tower it is now. Weidner did originally only plan on building a two-story log cabin, then he let his mind (and engineering degree) take over.
But he built right after a forest fire, so all of the trees were small. As the trees grew taller, he would add another level to see the mountain. As the story goes, the owner originally built the home to get a good view of Denali(Mt. McKinley), American’s tallest mountain. The story behind it is that the owner originally built the house with a view of Denali/Mt. He happened to build it right after a forest fire though, so the trees were all short, new growth.
The home’s original creator, builder, and owner, Phillip Weidner, originally planned on building a two-story log cabin. However, quickly the knowledge he gained from his engineering degree got ahead of him. One floor was added, and then another and another… more and more ladders and staircases were constructed and now, depending on how you choose to arrive at the top, there are somewhere between 14 and 17 floors. The project started as a two-story cabin, but once he got started, Mr. Weidner let his mind (and engineering degree) take over.
As Weidner is one of the top trial lawyers in Alaska, he has a hard time finding time to work on it. He says though, when he is done, he and his family will enjoy the tower. Most of all, he will sit up top and watch the Northern Lights. The stories you’ve heard are bizarre, far-fetched, and have become almost legendary over the past decade… but they are all are wrong. Mr. Weidner didn’t set out to build a fantastic, fictional place… he wasn’t even planning to create Goose Creek Tower (the structure’s TRUE name) as it stands today. In fact, not much at all was known about the house—not even the owner—until reporters from local station KTVA started looking into it.
Dr. Seuss House - Video, Photos and The Story
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The original owner worked on it extensively for 10 years before he died. Then it sat abandoned for 10 years until a new owner purchased it and has started renovations. We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet.
Weidner said once the building is finished, he may open up the outside for visitors to come and see. The 185-foot-tall (56-metre-tall) structure looks like several houses stacked atop each other, which it basically is. Weidner started with the original 40-by-40-foot (12-by-12-metre) log cabin and then realised he could construct pillars that would allow him to put another house on top.
You'd think the story behind this one-of-a-kind home would be a tall tale (har har), but it's actually not a figment of anyone's imagination. According to Colossal, the first owner of this Seussian cabin in Willow, Alaska, wanted to build a home with a view of Mount McKinley and Denali National Park. But as the surrounding area recovered from a forest fire, the trees grew tall, and the only way to preserve the view was to go up. Weidner kept adding levels to what’s been nicknamed the Dr. Seuss House until he reached 185 feet.
Depending on how you look at it, and which ladders and staircases you climb to get to the top, there are somewhere between 14 and 17 floors. Near the small town of Telkeetna, Alaska, there is a house unlike any other. In Willow, Alaska, a now-abandoned 12-story house sits mysteriously in the middle of the wilderness outside of Anchorage.
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The major building is finished, but it’ll take a while before the interior is done and the building is habitable. Weidner said he’d like to make the first few floors rooms for his family to stay in. The house is not complete and is on private property that is monitored. But if you take a ride on the Alaskan railroad through Talkeetna you’ll get an amazing view. You can also see it briefly from the highway but it is gone in a second, so be on the lookout.
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