High Point, NC

1. “High Point” on the Railroad

• The city’s name is literal: it was the highest elevation point (≈ 912 ft) on the original North Carolina Railroad between Goldsboro and Charlotte (completed in 1856).

• That made it a key stop for trains, which helped fuel the town’s early growth.

2. Tomlinson Factory → Market Square

• The Tomlinson Chair Manufacturing Company (est. 1900) grew into one of the biggest furniture factories in the South.

• In the 1980s, the old factory was converted into Market Square, a massive showroom complex that cemented High Point as the “Furniture Capital of the World.”

• Market Square remains one of the largest furniture exhibition spaces in the U.S.

3. World’s Largest Chest of Drawers

• High Point is home to the “World’s Largest Chest of Drawers”, a 38-foot-tall landmark built in 1926 by the High Point Chamber of Commerce.

• It symbolizes the city’s dominance in the furniture industry.

• The giant dresser features two enormous socks hanging out of its drawers, representing the city’s hosiery industry as well.