Today we’d like to introduce you to Chip Leavy.
Hi Chip, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Our names are Chip and Crystale Leavy, we moved to Springfield in 2015 after Chip accepted an engineering position at Electrolux. Chip was given or came up with the idea while on a lunchtime walk around the Electrolux property. We looked for a year or so, then bought an 11 acre wooded property in Greenbrier in 2017. We purchase a chainsaw and a skid steer loader and began clearing the property, which was as thick as a jungle in many places. We designed and built the place ourselves. It took us nearly a year to get the permits, driveway, pond and utilities back 1000’ to the treehouse location. The property was ideal for a treehouse, with several locations thick with 100 year old/ 100’ high oaks and many 60’ beech trees.
We worked nearly every day for the next 2 years to complete this labor of love. Chip retired 2 years into the project and worked full time on it the last year. Chip’s love of the biblically significant number 7 led to a design that included:
A seven sided treehouse with 14’ sides
A unique 7/12 pitch roof slope
A 17’ central structural cedar tree with a 21” diameter base and 14” diameter top. The 1400 lb cedar tree was cut on the property and moved into position with Crystale operating a manlift at the top and Chip operating a skid steer at the bottom of the massive tree.
A master bedroom with 49 LED stars in the ceiling
37” railing heights
A seven section swing bridge connecting the 2 treehouses
Here is a copy from a newspaper (Robertson County Connection) that was printed in 2021 that might give you more details:
He is an electrical engineer, and she is his lovely assistant — which is how Chip Leavy describes himself and his wife, Crystale, when it comes to construction.
Combine the couple’s determination to build a structure together, with what Chip Leavy describes as a God-given idea and infuse that with the number ‘seven’ and what you get is The Greenbrier Beechhouse, a short-term rental right here in Robertson County.
Nestled within 11 acres in Greenbrier, the 800 square-foot main house and 200 square-foot secondary space, is built amongst a country atmosphere and local nature — constructed solely by the couple, with the exception of some ceiling installation and guttering, Cystale Leavy said.
Pine walls and features adorn the inside of the main space, as guests can sit-back, relax and enjoy a cozy setting, with the comforts of a natural gas fireplace, queen-size bed, full kitchen with cooking essentials as well as a sofa bed.
A 17-foot cedar tree stands tall to the ceiling as the eye-catching-feature in the main room, with its own grumpy gnome stationed at the base.
Pictured is the rear side of the rental showing the main house, deck, and swing bridge that crosses to the pod.
Outside on the main deck is a gas grill, a fire-pit and rocking chairs for eating and relaxing to the music of nature in the background, not to mention the 40 foot-swing nearby on the property.
In the chicken house out front, resides six inhabitants who provide guests fresh ingredients daily for those hankering to cook up a sunny-side, over easy or scrambled-egg breakfast.
Cost at The Greenbrier Beechhouse is $260 per night for two people, with an additional $30 per night for each additional guest. There is a $60 cleaning fee. Minimum two-night stay is required.
Additionally, a third adult grants the party access to the bedroom “pod,” as the Leavys call it.
Simply cross the swing bridge to access the getaway’s secondary accommodation, which features a sleeping room, bath, coffee bar and microwave. Outside, on the pod deck is an outdoor shower.
Cystale and Chip Leavy operate The Greenbrier Beechhouse. Pictured in back is the main structure to the right with the swing bring that leads to the secondary structure, a bedroom ‘pod’ at left.
“There are a lot of people who use it,” said Crystale Leavy of the outside shower. “It actually gets used more than people think.”
The Leavys describe the entire set-up of The Greenbrier Beechhouse as ideal for two couples or weekend getaway.
But what defines The Greenbrier Beechhouse distinctly is the number ‘seven,’ or multiples of that mathematical distinction, according to Chip Leavy.
Seven relates to God’s number, he explained, which is referenced on numerous occasions in the Holy Bible.
“In the Bible, seven is the number of perfection or completion. It honors Him with the design; the sevens were the nod to God. It honors him,” he said.
Details like the main building being built seven-sided with 14-foot outside walls or 49 LED lights scattered across the bedroom ceiling make the Leavy’s special distinction of the structure a reality. Each were designed with the number “seven” or a multiple of it.
The cedar tree inside is also 21 inches in diameter at the base and 14 inches up top.
Chip Leavy said the swinging bridge connecting the main house to the pod is constructed with “seven, five-foot sections.” And the rental itself was opened on Jan. 21, 2021 — 21 being a multiple of the special number as well, the Leavys noted.
Chip Leavy said the idea for what’s now The Greenbrier Beechhouse came about while he was working a few years back, but clarifies that he doesn’t believe there are any “unique ideas.”
“We are given ideas,” he said. It’s not my idea; it’s God’s.”
This is the third construction the couple, who have been married 37 years, said they have built together, even though neither has had specific construction training. He recently retired from electrical engineering and she has been a stay-at-home mother.
“Building is common sense. It’s one step at a time. It’s like eating an elephant one bite at a time,” he noted. “You make a lot of mistakes, and you learn from them.”
As it stands today, even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the business is doing well, Crystale Leavy said. Several months have had full bookings, with weekends until mid-December filled up, she added.
“We are pleased with how it’s going,” she said. “For our first year, I think we are doing well.”
For more information about The Greenbrier Beechhouse, go to www.greenbrierbeechhouse.com.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The 11 acre property was purchased with no utility improvements. We had to clear the land with chainsaw and skid steer before bulldozing a driveway and building a dam over a small creek.
Building 15-30′ in the air required a very large 86′ manlift. We framed, sided and roofed the treehouses ourselves. We designed and installed all the plumbing, electrical, security, heating and cooling. We installed our own septic system and had it inspected and approved.
Most people write a check to their builder when they state ‘We built a new house for ourselves’.
We actually built this. Most steps were difficult but very rewarding.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Chip is an Electrical Engineer out of Penn State. He tends to think out of the box and approaches designs with an open mind for uniqueness. He holds many patents in film and digital cameras (Eastman Kodak), precision filling equipment (Johnson & Johnson), aluminum process improvement (Alcoa) and oven/appliance improvement (Electrolux).
The 3 houses Crystale and I built for ourselves were all very unique, and the treehouses were also a great creative outlet, truly starting with a vision and a blank sheet of paper.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Greenbrier is laid back and quiet. We can hear a train 3 miles away at night but never any traffic noise. The narrow roads are challenging but we have some experience with those growing up in rural western Pennsylvania.
Nashville is a nice distance away -great to visit but great to get out of it’s traffic!
Pricing:
- Price is $260/ night for two people, $30/person over that, can accommodate up to 6 guests.
- All details at www.greenbrierbeechhouse.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.greenbrierbeechhouse.com
