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The Swingers' Tiki Palace in Chattanooga, Tennessee, was built by strip club tycoon Billy Hull in 1972. The 5,600 square foot home was known for its unique Playboy bunny-shaped pool with ear-shaped swimming tunnels that lead to the bedrooms.
The mansion fell into disrepair when its owner was nicked for income tax evasion. But the place was left to rot 12 months later after Hull was charged with hiring a hitman to murder his wife Gloria's lover. Hull was jailed for 20 years for hiring an assassin to kill Roland Hargis, as he emerged from the Tradewinds nightclub in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Hull's grandmother Katie Holcomb had run a bootleg whiskey operation, and he was convicted of tax evasion in relation to her estate when she died in 1969, according documents about his life. Photographer Naaman Fletcher, 30, from Birmingham, Alabama, has been snapping abandoned buildings since 2009 and heard of the notorious palace through a friend. His photo series show the vandalized remains of the building with floor to ceiling marble and chandeliers still intact.
Mr Fletcher said: 'The story of the place is very interesting. It all centres around Billy Hull who tried to hire someone to kill his wife, got prosecuted for tax evasion, and did time in prison. 'Billy Hull was the original owner and was responsible for the overall concept of the home.' He added: 'My friend and I had gotten a tip about a place that was going downhill fast. They called it the Tiki House - for years and years it sat, in pristine decay. 'Very recently it had begun to see an influx of school kids who were really doing some damage to the place; breaking mirrors, windows, spray painting.' He said they wanted to take photographs before it was ruined by graffiti and vandalism.
Mr Fletcher said: 'The place is unique but the damage was disappointing. It's like finding a lost pharaoh's tomb to find it's been pillaged, all the treasure removed. 'The architecture and story are amazing. The pool is the focus of the entire house, you walk into the main entrance and you're nearly in the pool. 'The pool has two bridges over two little outlets that lead out of the main pool area which go under glass. The outlets lead up into separate bedrooms. 'There are a few bedrooms, a bathroom with opposing pink toilets, flanked by a sunken stone shower. Most of the house, however, is focused on the pool which takes up most of the square footage.' It is not known what sort of debauchery went on in the mansion but Hull is known to have owned several strip clubs, including Billy Hull's Castaways Club in Chattanooga. It is not clear if Hull died in Deberry Correctional Institute near Nashville, Tennessee, or was released, and nobody knows what happened to Gloria Hull.
Recently the mansion has been ravaged by vandals who have smashed its interior which had remained almost intact since Tiki Palace would host parties in the 70's and 80's.
The neighbors told us that the city has scheduled the Mansion for demolition and it will not be here in the next few weeks. We wanted to see it and video this amazing place before that happens.
Come with us as we Explore this Old Party Palace...
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