About World’s Largest Chest of Drawers
High Point advertises its furniture heritage with a piece of furniture large enough to qualify as architecture. At 508 North Hamilton Street stands an enormous chest of drawers, complete with handles, carved details, feet, and two giant socks hanging from an open drawer.
The landmark traces its history to 1926, when High Point created an oversized bureau to serve as an information center and a visual symbol of the local furniture industry. The structure changed substantially over the decades and was eventually rebuilt into the larger chest seen today.
The socks add a second piece of local history. High Point was also associated with hosiery manufacturing, so the exaggerated pair emerging from the drawer turned one giant advertisement into a monument to two industries at once.
There is no need for a sign explaining what visitors are looking at. The entire structure is the sign. It can be viewed from public areas around Hamilton Street, and visitors should respect the building’s current use and surrounding property while photographing it.