For Sale: Cold War-era nuclear missile base and home to family of 15
Ever wanted to live in a house that could withstand a nuclear blast? Jim and Anna Cleveland are selling their home, a remodelled Cold War-era nuclear missile base where they have been living with their 13 children since 2015 for a tidy sum of $1.25 million.
The Stanley R Mickelsen Safeguard Complex in North Dakota, 10 miles from the Canadian border, was built in 1973 as the last line of defence against a possible attack by Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Out of a number of planned bases, this was the only one ever to be completed. The 14,500 sq ft property, which is listed on Unique Property World, was one of four Sprint missile sites built on the complex and features 22 rooms. A military-grade fence encloses the 36-acre plot which also contains twelve missile tubes that would once have been used to house Sprint missiles.
57-year-old Jim met 44-year-old Anna online after both of them lost their respective partners to cancer. Jim had five children before the meeting and Anna had seven. The couple also has a daughter together, bringing up the total to 13. The Clevelands own Frenchman River Model Works, a business selling model ship and boat kits.
“We got the idea for an unconventional property with a large square footage and affordable to heat and cool,” Anna told the Daily Mail. “That was when we first looked at the possibility of purchasing an underground missile silo. The missile base came up for sale from the government in 2012 and we were able to buy it.
“At the time, we bought it we had eight children still living at home and our original idea was to use the underground command centre's 12,000 square feet to create a large living, bedroom and shop spaces to accommodate our large family.”
The underground command centre sports reinforced 30-inch thick walls, two large blast doors and a 75 feet long access tunnel. The 2,400 sq ft guardhouse, where the family spends most of their time, has also been reinforced to stand a nuclear blast and features three garage bays, a kitchen, a bathroom, an office, and a turnstile/security desk.
“Our family looks a lot different now than it did when we purchased the property and our ideas and needs are different as well,” Anna said. “The distance for many of our grown children with families of their own makes it difficult for them to visit and because of the change in our plans, the property no longer fits the vision we have for our life.”
“The above ground structure is an incredibly strong reinforced poured concrete building designed to withstand a nearby nuclear blast,” Jim added.
“The three-car garage we presently use as part of our living space and bedrooms. We have our business and shop space underground in the command center, which we work in every day with high speed fiber optic internet, phone and TV connected.
“The school bus drops our kids off every day after school and they come down the tunnel, open the blast door and tell us how their day was and then go and do their homework and watch TV down here with us.”
The Cleveland family had taken up extensive renovation of the facility adding new water, heat and sewage systems.
Jim believes that the property “would be fantastic for many different uses, among them being a high-end family survival or retreat centre, or an amazing underground lair for the person who wants something truly unique with an incredible wow factor.”