In the mid-’90s a basket-shaped building seemed impossible to many but to Dave Longaberger, a true visionary, anything was possible.
After meeting with architects who advised that a building that resembled the Longaberger Companies trademark basket could not be built, a very determined Dave finally found a team that would build the one-of-a-kind new home office for the Longaberger Company.
Groundbreaking on the 25-acre property in Newark, Ohio took place in 1995 for the basket business’s headquarters. But, the new offices would not be occupied until 1997.
The building which took 30 million dollars to build is a true spectacle in every sense of the word. It stands seven stories tall and measures 192′ long by 126′ wide at grade and 208′ by 142′ at the roof. There are a total of 84 windows. The interior is quite spacious boasting 180,000 square feet, enough room for a capacity of 500 office employees at the time. To better explain its scale…it is 160 times larger than the medium market basket it was modeled after. Two 150 ton handles made of 300-foot pieces of assembled galvanized steel were the most difficult part of the build. They have to be heated during cold weather to prevent ice from forming. The handles are directly above a glass roof which allows natural light to pour into the center of the building.
Other features include a 142 seat auditorium, a large break room with a full kitchen, dual glass elevators and a grand staircase that leads to the conference room on the second floor. The cherry woodwork which is quite remarkable and noticed upon entering the building came from the Longaberger Golf Course in Hanover, Ohio. The wood was harvested, prepared and installed by Longaberger employees.
On October 20, 2019, after being empty for three years, the building was open for one special day with the approval of Steve Coon who bought the building in 2017
Heritage Ohio, an organization that supports and fosters the preservation of historic buildings, revitalization of downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts and promotes tourism held a tour of the former Longaberger corporate office building to help raise money for the restoration and preservation of historic properties like the big basket.
The smell of food and the sounds of live music greeted approximately 646 ticket holders, volunteers, Longaberger family members and other VIP attendees as they approached the entrance of the building. Inside, tour guides who were mostly former Longaberger employees volunteered to give tours of the first and second floors of the iconic building.
The event served as a reunion for many but for some, it was a rare opportunity to see inside a building that meant so much to a very exceptional man who was never afraid to dream big.
On October 21st, 2019, just one day after the event, Steve Coon, the current owner of the basket building and board member of Heritage Ohio, made an important announcement. The basket-shaped building will become a luxury hotel! It is estimated that it will be in operation sometime in 2020. Preserving the unique look of the building is important to Steve Coon who recently turned down a hefty offer for the property due to the fact that the interested party wanted to remove the handles. In addition, plans are in the works to add the building to the National Registry of Historic Places.
