A new 72,000 square foot house is the topic of conversation among many in Southwest Missouri. No, it's not Brad Pitt's new home, even though Pitt once called Springfield home. Let's put that rumor to rest quickly. No this house is much more mysterious than Angela Jolie. In fact, one has to wonder if there is a federal connection to the house--possibly federal money.
The house can be seen on the east side of US 65 about a mile north of the Busiek state conservation area. It's built at the top of an old knob with a steep gravel driveway to the top. However, it's unaccessible to the public. While the gate keeping people out is nothing more than a cattle gate at this time, there are serious warnings to keep out noting there is surveillance cameras all around. Purple paint splotches on trees note where common folk best keep out.
The Christian County Headliner describes the house as:
A house currently under construction near Highlandville spans almost a full acre from wall to wall, on a 500-acre site. The ambitious project, nearly three years in and barely at the first floor, totals 72,000 square feet.
Putting that figure in perspective might require a few comparisons. According to the Census Bureau, the average new home size over the last five years was between 2,100 and 2,500 square feet. Springfield’s Pythian Castle is between 34,000 and 39,000 square feet, said owner Tamara Finocchiaro. Microsoft founder Bill Gates’ house is 66,000 square feet.
The White House, with three wings on six levels, totals 55,000 square feet.
The house has a lot of people talking and for good reason. One of the things that has been told to me is the intense concrete work that has taken place in construction, and I have seen pictures now of the layers of concrete and rebar. Talking to a good friend who spoke with one of the concrete workers claims the worker has never seen anything like this describing the structure as missile proof. Interesting, considering the remote location of the house and the steep climb to reach it.
“It’s all concrete, and I’ve heard it’ll have bulletproof glass and a concrete roof,” said Steve Johnson, neighbor to the Woods Fork Road property. “My wife was told it’s supposed to be a corporate retreat.”
Will high ranking government officials be flown to Southwest Missouri to meet here? After all, the owner of this house is one Steven L. Huff, whose Overwatch Systems plays a huge role in the national security of the United States.
The property’s deed says the Steven T. Huff Family, LCC is located in Leesburg, Va. Available online records of political campaign contributions show a Steven T. Huff of Leesburg to be an engineer and chief technology officer of Overwatch Systems, Ltd. According to the Overwatch website, the company “delivers multi-source intelligence (multi-INT), geospatial analysis and custom intelligence solutions to the Department of Defense, national agencies and civilian organizations. ... More than 25,000 analysts in the U.S. Department of Defense and the larger intelligence community utilize Overwatch solutions.”
There are even rumors the house may have a no fly area designated around it at this time, although that hasn't been confirmed.
The mystery of the house comes from the new building techniques that are being used in its construction.
“The technology involved with the construction is proprietary in nature,” Joe Huff said. “it’s not information we are prepared to talk about right now.”
Rumor also has it that it connects to a cave, which there are many in the area, almost like Wayne Manner in the Batman comic books.
Why not? Is there something more going on here than meets the eye? Why would anyone want to build basically a bunker on one of the old hills of the Ozarks for? One of the questions that I have been approached with in recent days, does this house make the Ozarks a target for terrorism and other threats based on the manner it's being built (notice they are building it in a central location of the United States) and the connection it has to a major national security firm.
I guess we will await the answers in clues and news stories in the coming weeks and months.
