Would You Live in This Converted Ballistic Missile Silo? It’s on the Market for $750K
- Posted on August 24, 2012 at 2:17pm by
Liz Klimas
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The houses TheBlaze is featuring today might not be considered part of the “tiny house movement” per se, but they still fit into the unusual house category.
The contenders are a converted ballistic missile silo and a house with a wing thin a grown man could barely lie sideways in it.
The exterior of the former missile silo looks normal enough and its public description starts off innocent as well. The listing for the home on Yahoo! Homes states interested buyers could “own a piece of history and [peace] of mind.”
The previous owners built this home on top of a missile silo, which they refinished to an extent as well. (Image: ABC-7 screenshot)
In the next sentence though, one learns this wasn’t the house of a famous war veteran or something along those lines, but is a missile silo “converted to a luxury home.” As if that wasn’t enough, as an added bonus, an airplane runway serves as its driveway and a hanger is its garage. The space is listed in Saranac, New York, for $750,000.
This drawing illustrates what is below the ranch-style home. The owners refinished the previous below-ground living quarters. (Image: ABC-7 screenshot)
The “decommissioned intercontinental ballistic missile launch facility” was featured recently by the local ABC affiliate and here‘s more details on what’s included in the deal:
The only structure above ground at the time was a small concrete entrance around which the new owners built an 1800 square foot house.
Co owner and builder Bruce Francisco created a living space below in the launch control center
There are two doors separating the outside world from the rooms below. At several thousand pounds each, they’re built to withstand a nuclear blast.
With three-foot thick concrete walls reinforced with stainless steel mesh and epoxy resin, the subterranean dwelling is built to withstand a direct nuclear blast — or most any kind of apocalyptic event you might want to sit out.
“And who knows if the world gets really weird you may need to go underground for a month or two months to let the dust settle from what ever might have happened,” said Francisco.
Leading to the underground living facilities. (Image: ABC-7 screenshot)
Part of the underground living space. (Image: ABC-7 screenshot)
Francisco told ABC that a 110 foot missile was housed in the facility at one point.
Although the previous owners have revamped much of the property, the actual missile silo itself remains unfinished, which Francisco said leaves its next owner with endless possibilities.
Watch the report on the property that is a “mountain retreat above, apocalyptic shelter below”:
ABC-7.com WZVN News for Fort Myers, Cape Coral
The thin house is located in Japan, and although it may be 1,700 square feet, one half of the house is only 7 feet wide. Luckily for residents, when they really want to stretch out, the other side of the house is a bit wider.
(Photo: Kai Nakamura/Hiroyuki Shinozaki Architects via Dezeen)
(Photo: Kai Nakamura/Hiroyuki Shinozaki Architects via Dezeen)
Dezeen Magazine says the home called House K by Hiroyuki Shinozaki Architects is a duplex meant for two families living together. The “slender side of the house” contains the kitchens, bathrooms, closets and a bedroom.
First floor floorplan. (Image: Hiroyuki Shinozaki Architects via Dezeen)
Second floor floorplan (Image: Hiroyuki Shinozaki Architects via Dezeen)
The wider section of the house has additional bedrooms and living rooms. The designers left these rooms largely open so the family could easily communicate with others in the wider rooms.
(H/T: Gizmodo, Yahoo! House)
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watashbuddyfriend
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 1:12pmI was about to say, wish I could aford it, but, damn, it is in the State of New York! So, no thank you, even though it is in upstate.
Report Post »Daddy Hawg
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 9:29amIt is in NY, so you wouldn’t be able to afford the taxes and the utilities. Why do you think the owners are selling it? The got smart and moved to another state that hasn’t raised taxes on “the rich”.”
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 6:01pmWhat if the Russians did a crappy job of updating their targeting lists?
Report Post »FREEDOMoverFEAR
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 8:24pmIt said it could with stand a direct nuclear hit….
Report Post »corbecket
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 10:23pmFreedomoverfear:
“It said it could with stand a direct nuclear hit….”
I’m not surprised that someone said it, but sayin‘ it don’t make it so.
The best defense these silos had, was the inaccuracy of the Ruskie guidance systems. A silo is not likely to survive a direct hit, but with proper hardening it might survive a near miss. That’s why the USSR developed such high yield weapons. It compensated for their lack of accuracy.
Think about how much energy is liberated in a 25 megaton weapon. You don‘t survive in a command capsule if you’re hit with one of those. However, I‘m sure it’s strong enough to deal with most any “natural phenomenon”, as long as your sump pumps are big enough. I used to dive in Atlas silos as a young man. Without continuous pumping, they fill up with water. As I recall, if they didn’t open the doors on the top, you could descend around 100 feet in depth (if you were a moron). It was about the only way to get any sort of visibility on a dive in the midwest. Otherwise, just a bit of light gave you lots of algae, and no visibility.
Interesting “architecture”, but I wouldn’t live in one.
Report Post »efialtis
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 5:12pmI have thought about getting some money to invest in such a piece of land, one of the old Titan or Atlas missile silos… or something similar…
Putting in a runway and helicopter landing pad, and a professional level 18 hole golf course…
Then turning the silo into a 5-Start hotel, all underground…
I think it would be great fun.
Report Post »http://www.missilebases.com/properties
OKC08GT500
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 4:30pmThe biggest drawback is that it is in New York. After TEOTWAWKI that part of the country would be crawling with roving bands of criminals and just plain desperate urban feral youths fleeing the cities. You would have to come out sometime and they would get you. It would be better to purchase a silo in Idaho.
Report Post »muffythetuffy
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 4:43pmI would buy it if it comes with a armed missal. Why can’t it be use as a jail or prison. Could they get a better price selling it to the Chinese.
Report Post »BenInNY
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 9:27pmNot all the way up in Saranac. Roving bands of city-slickers would eat each other long before they got there.
Report Post »dublinthewagons
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 4:12pmThe crews quarters (command center) sub floor and walls are mounted on shock absorbers with a clearance under the floor of between three and four feet. The bottom of the silo in a seperate room is where the computers were originally house, most were flood when the silos were unarmed. There are blast doors between the crews quarters & silo. Directly across on the other side of the silo is where the air conditioner vents were with an above ground exit. The crews quarters also had a trap door in celing. In in case the external blast door was blocked, it could be opened to a tunnel escape route. The security of three blast doors is false as the air ventilation system leaves one vulnerable to outside attack. Plumbing is stainless steel, very rare at the time they were built. The fuel used for these missles was very volital and had to be kept @ very close temperature variations. If the public had know how dangerous they were @ the time of us there would have been heck to pay.
Report Post »4xeverything
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 3:43pmI’d love to own that!
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 4:36pmPerfection!
Report Post »southernORcobra
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 3:40pmDepends on how hard it would be to keep clean.
Report Post »22AUTOMATIC
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 3:52pmHere’s a link to the larget bunker in the United States (Colorado). Unfortunately, it’s not for us “peasants” but rather for the elites. And it sits below one of the creepest places in the country.
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/81651094/?lt=em
Report Post »dublinthewagons
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 4:17pmTXANNE they are all over west Texas. The government sold them for $8,000 a few years ago.
Report Post »The bottom floors were flooded with water. It was cheaper than removing the large computers in the bottom
txannie
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 3:32pmI would love it, if only it were in Texas.
Report Post »watersRpeople
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 3:11pmNah I wouldn’t live in one because if Russia and China decide to invade, they will probably still target those silos with a missile.
Report Post »cloudsofwar
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 3:53pmbullseye.
Report Post »BryanB
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 3:09pmWould You Live in This Converted Ballistic Missile Silo? It’s on the Market for $750K
Not really……
If you ever go down inside one of these Missile Silos, they have a over-powering smell. And I don’t think anyone could ever get that smell out. It’s not like you can open a window……
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 3:32pmWhat do they smell like? Napalm? I love the smell of napalm in the morning.
Report Post »BryanB
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 3:36pmAlso these Silos were not built for ICBM for the U.S.Air Force, but for the U.S. Army ASA (Army Security Agency)….
There Job was in the event of Nuclear War with the Soviet Union, was to Launch a Low Yield Nuclear Warhead, above a Squadron of Soviet Bombers, and detonate the Warhead over the Bombers, to bring down the Squadron……..
Report Post »BryanB
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 3:41pm@Gonzo
Rocket Fuel………..It smells like a real heavy industrial odor, it’s so powerful it will knock you down……..
Report Post »Halloween
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 4:10pm@BRYANB— Where do you get your information? I have been in the Air Force (and ARMY) and stationed on a base with lots and lots of silos. I will not tell you what base or how many missile silos are there but I can tell you that your information is incorrect. I have been in silos more times than it could be healthy and your description of the smell is unfounded. The ONLY reason for the silos was to house an ICBM intended for launch at GROUND targets.
Report Post »dublinthewagons
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 4:34pmGONZO. hallaween is preety much correct. The only smell I ever noticed in any of them was a musty smell, I guess from the water. But I have never been in one on a base, just the ones scattered throughout the countryside. Steps and flooring were all steel in the silo itself. Once the missle was launched the metal was all melted from the exaust heat. They were a single shot, so to speak.
Report Post »One thing that will stick in your mind is what total darkness really is. The temp. Inside is pretty consistant year round.
FREEDOMoverFEAR
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 8:26pmCarbon air filters, Ozone Generators, and Ozium can control the most potent smells. HEHEHE
Report Post »snufy
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 9:04pmI was in Minuteman 2 and 3 missile security in Grand Forks and Minot. The layout here is entirely different than ours, so I would kinda think BRYANB is right in what he says about being an army installation. Our launch control facility was not near a silo, and it controlled several missiles.
Report Post »BryanB
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 2:15am@snufy
Thanks for your comments, I get this a lot on here, If they can’t find it on the Internet, they think your lying to them. People forget, yes there is a lot of information on the internet, but even more thats not.
This Silo was one of 145 Silos and Missile Batteryies, from the Nike Hercules Ajax Missile Program, that were located through-out the United States, the Battery Command was under control Army Air Defense Command (ARADCOM) , but over-all Command was the Army Security Agency (ASA) because of National Security. There were about 18 Silos and Missile Batteries in New York State alone.
The Army hid these Bases in plain sight everywhere……..
Report Post »Halloween
Posted on August 25, 2012 at 9:03pmBRYANB—> You need to reread and see the video. This is an article that is about buying a ballistic missile silo. What you are saying about Nike missiles may be true in some instances. But in this case what you are describing holds no truth or resemblance to an ICBM silo. For you religious types it would best be summed up as; “you’re in the right church, but the wrong pew.”
Report Post »BryanB
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 12:20am@Halloween
Your a very sad little old man………
Report Post »Halloween
Posted on August 26, 2012 at 1:05am@ BRYANB–> Yes, I’m a very sad old man. Now do you feel better, Cupcake?
Report Post »Bobj_1960
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 2:32pmSeveral of these in Kansas. No pesky gun laws that NY has.
Report Post »Chuck Stein
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 2:50pmBut aren’t the Kansas silos Atlas E sites? Those are “coffin” designs. Would much prefer a Titan silo.
Report Post »pissantno.10
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 2:30pmwell there are a bunch in wy and ne. they say they were pretty comfortable just as they were
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 2:28pmI wonder if that thin house in Japan could stand up to a good wind. It looks more like a sail than a house.
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 2:22pmThe only problem I see with the property, its in New York.
Report Post »Wildblue3
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 2:26pmBut it’s upstate. Not as many whackos up there/
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 2:30pmWILDBLUE3, Have to agree with you there. When I lived in Upstate, NY I found the residents as friendly as here in the South. The further south I went in the state though it changed.
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 2:34pmTrue, but it is still a Blue state, and there are way too many wackos that live in the south part, that can make it up north. I like the western states, we have a huge mountain range between us and the Left Coast. It’s like a fence, keeps them on their side, we live on our side.
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 2:51pmDARMOK AND JALAD AT TANAGRA, Okay, on that point well taken.
Report Post »hotstick5p
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 2:51pmto Darmok and Jalad,
” I like the western states, we have a huge mountain range between us and the Left Coast. It’s like a fence, keeps them on their side, we live on our side.”
I have acquaintances in BozeAngeles, Montana who would heartily disagree.
All i know of New York is from having worked around the area from Dunkirk to Buffalo. A beautiful area, and quite friendly.
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on August 24, 2012 at 7:30pmI have a buddy from Buffalo, great guy and has told me a lot about where he grew up. I have been to New Hampshire, he says its a lot like Buffalo, blue collar kind of people.
But he also says he wont move back because for the most part, the state is run by the left.
Report Post »