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The world’s largest chest of drawers up for sale in High Point. How much is it?

The world's largest chest of drawers in High Point, N.C., the furniture capital of the world.
The world's largest chest of drawers in High Point, N.C., the furniture capital of the world. rstradling@newsobserver.com

For that special someone who stands taller than a flagpole, wears pants the size of circus tents and owns a million pairs of underwear, consider this one-time gift:

The world’s largest chest of drawers.

Nicknamed “The Big Bureau,” the 38-foot dresser — with a pair of 6-foot socks dangling from the middle drawer — is now for sale on Hamilton Street in High Point, offering some eccentric buyer a chance at owning some of North Carolina’s most celebrated kitsch.

The listing price comes in at $175,000, and the sale includes not just the eye-catching piece of oddball sculpture but also more than 2,000 square feet inside — reportedly including a basement with a kitchen.

Its Realtor boasts the chest offers “endless possibilities” from showroom space to a unique Airbnb.

“Finally a dresser my wife’s clothes can fit in,” joked an admirer on Facebook. “How much?”

This real estate listing asks $175,000 for the world’s largest chest of drawers in High Point.
This real estate listing asks $175,000 for the world’s largest chest of drawers in High Point. Screenshot by Josh Shaffer

Giant chest of drawers and a functioning building

Built in 1926 as a tribute to the region’s furniture-making clout, the chest of drawers joined a growing list of “world’s largest” oddities — notably its nearby rival, “The Big Chair” in Thomasville.

But while thousands pose for pictures under its brass drawer handles, few knew the towering piece of mock furniture actually contained a functioning building that has housed, over the years, the High Point Jaycees, the Chamber of Commerce and an antique store.

Originally, it stood only half its modern size, and much of its height came through a mirror mounted on its then-white drawers. But through a series of renovations, it grew taller, changed colors twice and got swapped between multiple owners — most recently the Nido and Mariana Qubein Children’s Museum.

“When the museum acquired the Chest of Drawers property in 2018,” said Executive Director Megan Ward in an email, “the goal was to help preserve an important City of High Point landmark while also providing temporary workspace as we built High Point’s new children’s museum. While we’ve been proud to serve in that stewardship role, the property is now separate from our campus and outside our core operations and long-term plans.”

So make an offer, eccentrics of the Tar Heel state.

The upkeep has got to be lighter than the world’s largest ball of string.

This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 2:53 PM.

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Josh Shaffer
The News & Observer
Josh Shaffer is a general assignment reporter on the watch for “talkers,” which are stories you might discuss around a water cooler. He has worked for The News & Observer since 2004 and writes a column about unusual people and places.
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