A One-of-a-Kind American Treasure
OUR STORY
From a 980-year-old California redwood to one of America’s most extraordinary roadside attractions.
A 980-Year Journey Through Nature and American History
This extraordinary Redwood Log House was created from a single giant California redwood tree and transformed into a complete, livable home.
Inside are a bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Much of the furniture was built specifically for the house using unusual redwood burls and rare curly-grained redwood, making the interior nearly as remarkable as the tree itself.
A Giant Among Giants
The redwood from which this house was created was approximately 260 feet tall and 14 feet across at its base.
Even more remarkable was its age:
980 years old.
The tree is believed to have begun growing around 960 AD, giving it a lifespan that crossed nearly a millennium of human history.
By the time Christopher Columbus reached the Americas in 1492, the tree was already more than 500 years old.
When the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, it had been growing for more than 800 years.
When Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860, the tree was approaching its 900th year.
And when the Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937, this ancient redwood was still part of the California landscape.
From Giant Redwood to Extraordinary Home
The section selected for the house came from approximately 100 feet above the ground.
The massive log measures approximately:
33 feet long • 8 feet wide • 5–10 inch thick walls • approximately 12 tons
According to the historical account, the tree came from a Redwood Tree Farm and was harvested as part of a selective thinning program.
Two men then spent approximately one year working full-time to hollow the enormous log and transform it into the remarkable structure you see today.
Built to Show the World How Big a Redwood Can Be
Although completely self-contained and livable, the Redwood Treehouse had another important purpose.
It became a traveling exhibit designed to allow people to experience something photographs simply cannot communicate:
the enormous scale of California’s giant redwoods.
An original sign displayed inside the house explains its purpose beautifully:
“This exhibit is to let you see in reality how LARGE the Great Redwood Tree grows.”
That message remains at the heart of the Redwood Log House today.
An American Treasure Preserved for Future Generations
The Redwood Log House is more than an unusual camper.
It represents nearly 1,000 years of natural history, American craftsmanship, roadside Americana, and generations of people fascinated by the giant redwoods of California.
Originally owned, built and operated by Maxwell Kitson, the Redwood Log House has survived for decades and continues its journey today under new ownership and preservation.
Our mission is to preserve its history, share its remarkable story, and give future generations the opportunity to experience the incredible scale and beauty of the giant redwood tree.
We also believe this extraordinary surviving piece of history is a strong candidate for recognition by a major world-record organization.
Contact the Redwood Log House
For exhibitions, events, media, partnerships, sponsorships, or additional information:
Phone: (414) 630-2853
Email: info@redwoodlog.com
980 YEARS OF LIVING HISTORY
Before It Became a Redwood Log House, This Tree Witnessed Nearly 1,000 Years of History
960 AD — THE STORY BEGINS
🌱 A giant California redwood begins growing along the Northern California coast.
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1492 — COLUMBUS REACHES THE AMERICAS
🌎 By this time, the redwood had already been growing for more than 500 years.
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1776 — AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE
🇺🇸 When the Declaration of Independence was signed, the tree was already more than 800 years old.
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1860 — ABRAHAM LINCOLN ELECTED PRESIDENT
🎩 As America entered one of the most important periods in its history, this ancient redwood was approaching 900 years old.
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1937 — GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE OPENS
🌉 Nearly a millennium after the tree began growing, one of California’s greatest landmarks opened.
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1940 — THE REDWOOD LOG HOUSE ERA BEGINS
🪵 A massive section of the ancient redwood was transformed into the extraordinary Redwood Log House, preserving the scale of the giant tree for people to experience firsthand.
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TODAY — PRESERVING AN AMERICAN TREASURE
❤️ More than eight decades later, the Redwood Log House survives as an extraordinary piece of natural history, craftsmanship and American roadside history.
Nearly 1,000 Years of Nature. More Than 80 Years of History. One Extraordinary Redwood.
This is also where I would introduce your world-record goal:
A Candidate for World-Record Recognition
With its extraordinary age, size, history and construction from a single giant redwood log, the Redwood Log House is being preserved and documented as a potential candidate for recognition by a major world-record organization.