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Giant Furniture (page 1)

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The Big Bureau
High Point, NC
ca. 1930
1950s?
2010:
The High Point area is known for manufacturing fine wood furniture and is home to both of these giant chests. The Big Bureau was built in response to nearby Thomasville's Giant Chair described below. Originally the Chamber of Commerce Building's "Bureau of Information", it was home to the High Point Jaycees for many years. The building was available for rent when I was there in 2010. The actual office space is in an attached building behind the chest. The original Bureau, built in 1926, was 27 feet wide, 14 feet deep and 32 feet tall. It had a sign on top built to resemble a mirror. The Bureau was moved in 1951. Today's 40-foot-tall Queen Anne style makeover was done in 1996. At that point, the six-foot-tall pair of socks hanging out of one drawer was added as a tribute to High Point's hosiery manufacturing. The Bureau is made of plastic over a steel frame. In 2016, the Bureau was repainted grey with brightly colored socks. Around 2020, the chest and socks were repainted to the original colors. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

There was also the world's largest record cabinet in High Point which I believe is gone.

The Highboy
Furnitureland South
Jamestown, NC
Dresser & Rocker [Dresser gone]
Franklin, IN
At 85 feet tall, the Highboy is even taller than the Big Bureau shown above. It was built in 1999. [map]

The Dresser and Rocker are located at Long's Furniture World. The rocking chair is called "Big John". In 2006, the dresser was painted red and brown and had a giant tie hanging out of the top right drawer. By the 2010 photo above, it was repainted yellow and orange. Around 2013, the dresser was destroyed in a fire. There are no plans to rebuild it. The rocking chair is still there. [map]

The Big Chair
Gardner, MA
Gardner's original Big Chair was 12 feet tall. It was built in 1905 when Gardner had 20 chair factories in town and produced four million chairs per year. In 1928, Gardner had a 15-foot-tall chair built. It was replaced in 1935 with one that was 16 feet tall. Finally, in 1976, Gardner built this nearly 21-foot-tall chair which is the one on display now. For more about giant chairs, see this website. [map]

Giant Chair
Gardner, MA
Giant Chair
Sebastopol, CA
Welcome Chair [gone]
Union City, PA
This other Giant Chair in Gardner is located at the Chair City Wayside Furniture Company. The company's chair was originally built in 1938. It was replaced in 1989 with this 14-foot-tall Ladderback chair. [map]

This Giant Chair is located at Hardcore Espresso in Sebastopol. The 27-foot-tall Ladderback chair was built by Lars Speyer in 2005 and was originally installed on a hillside in Aptos, CA. It was moved to its present location in 2016. [map]

There is no information available about the Welcome Chair in Union City which is another major chair manufacturing town. I believe this chair has been destroyed.

Duncan Phyfe Chair
Thomasville, NC
A 13.5-foot-tall chair was built in Thomasville in 1922. It was made of forest pine with a leather seat. This chair fell into disrepair and was taken down in 1936. In 1948, this new Thomasville Chair was built. It is an 18 feet tall steel and concrete Duncan Phyfe Chair. It is installed on a 12-foot-tall base which contains a time capsule. Several Miss Americas and President Johnson have been photographed sitting in the chair. [map]

Duncan Phyfe Chair
Washington, DC
This Giant Chair was made of solid mahogany from Honduras. It was a gift from Bassett Furniture Industries to honor the Curtis Brothers furniture company which was a major employer in this neighborhood of Old Anacostia for many years. It was built in 1959 and was 19 1/2 feet tall. In 2005, the chair was deemed too rotted to be repaired. In 2006 (bottom row), a new chair was made of aluminum and installed at the same location. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map]

Fireside Chair [gone]
Wingdale, NY
Giant Chair
Denver, CO
Giant Chair
Blairsville, GA
This Fireside Chair in Wingdale was built in 1978 by the Hunt Country Furniture Company. It was 25 feet tall and 14 feet wide. The Chair took 1 1/2 tons of wood to build. After two years, it was torn down because its owner was concerned about people climbing on it. The chair was rebuilt in 1996. This time, it was 30 feet tall. This photo is from 2001 just before the Chair was destroyed by a severe storm. For more, see this website.

This Giant Chair in Denver is 21 feet tall. The fiberglass horse standing on it is six feet tall. The sculpture, entitled "The Yearling", was created by Donald Lipski. In 1997, it was installed in Central Park in New York, NY. In 1998, it was moved here to the lawn of the Denver Central Library. For more, see this website. [map]

This Giant Amish Chair is installed in front of Owltown Market. It was built in 2013. [map]

Furniture
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