Chattanooga Stick Man’s hidden fortress in ruins

It looks like the Big Bad Wolf decided to step out from fairytales to pay an unfortunate visit to one of Chattanooga’s hidden treasures. An enormous stick fortress, built from scratch through countless hours of work by a single man, now lies in shambles.

Its architect, Glen Lee, is more than 90 years old, and for years he has shown up to the undeveloped lot off Mountain Creek Road nearly every day to twiddle with his strange creation, adjusting and expanding it a few hours at a time.

Many people in the neighborhood know Lee as “Stick Man,” an eccentric who builds his fortress and tells war stories about his time as a rifleman in Germany during WWII.

“He’s really sweet,” said Brandi, an employee at the nearby Pizza Hut who asked that her last name not be used. “He came in here one time and I made him a pizza.”

Lee welcomed passerby to visit and wander through the jumbled maze of passages, maybe even buy a handcrafted walking stick.