We’re in the final stretch of 2020, Nooga, but we aren’t running out of weird occurrences — for instance, the mysterious monoliths that have appeared and the coming conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn on Dec. 21. To say the very least, it’s been a weird year, so let’s talk about what is possibly the weirdest home in Chattanooga.
If you’ve lived here a while, you’ve likely driven past the flying saucer house on Signal Mountain, but if you’re new to the area, you may not even know about this architectural claim-to-fame.
🛸 Fast facts:
- Built by: Curtis King
- Built: 1970
- Address: 1408 Palisades Rd.
- Materials used: reinforced concrete, acrylic, and fiberglass
- Size: 2,000 sq. ft., 52 ft. in diameter, three bedrooms + three bathrooms
- Estimated cost to build: $250,000
- Estimated price: $273, 941
🛸 Okay, but why?
Curtis King built the unique house as a bachelor pad for his sons, with hopes that it would also serve as an example of future-oriented housing for other like-minded individuals.
According to this article, “Curtis King once jokingly claimed that the decision involved a fair amount of beer.” We’ll cheers to that. 🍻
Also during this time period, futuristic architecture was pretty popular thanks to the Cold War and shows like “Star Trek.” People definitely had their heads in the stars. 🌟
Bonus: Check out these Futuro houses you can find all over the world that were built during this time.
🛸 Can I tour the Signal Mountain flying saucer house?
Unfortunately, the house is not a tourable relic of our city’s history. It’s privately owned and currently in use as a rental property for an estimated $1,750 per month.
But just because you can’t physically tour it doesn’t mean you can’t see what the inside looks like or learn more about it. Check out the Zillow listing for the most recent photos of the house, this article for more details about how + why it was built, and this article for details on past ownership and renovations that have been made.
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