Indiana Town Unveils 30-Foot Climbable Hoosier Cabinet

NAPPANEE, Ind. — A 30-foot (9-meter) replica of a Hoosier cabinet has been unveiled outdoors in this northern Indiana town, honoring what was once the all-in-one workstation at the center of the American kitchen.

The giant model of a Dutch Kitchenette opened to the public last month as part of the 150th anniversary celebration of Coppes Napanee, one of two surviving companies that manufactured the popular cabinets more than a century ago. The cabinet took its name from its largest producer, the Hoosier Manufacturing Co.

Billed as the world's largest Hoosier cabinet, the replica is built against a brick background and equipped with stairs leading to a loft that visitors can look out from. It overlooks Coppes Commons, the site of the original Coppes Napanee factory, now converted into an indoor marketplace, artisan hub and museum. The company still makes custom cabinets next door.

Wesley Mast, the company's owner and president, said visitors tend to react in one of two ways.

"There's the one extreme where people are like, 'Why? Why such a big cabinet?'" Mast said. "And my response is always like, 'Why not?' The other response we get is like, 'That's so cool. Where did you get this idea? I love it.'"

Mast said the structure "brings us another level of attention and branding and makes this place more of a destination than just a pass-through."

Hoosier cabinets were freestanding units that centralized food preparation and storage. They were popular from the 1890s through the 1930s but faded after World War II, as built-in, wall-to-wall cabinetry became standard in new homes. A century ago, Mast said, "this was the kitchen."

There were 5,000 dealers of the cabinets across the country, said Mary Figueroa, curator of history at the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, which holds four in its collection. Before them, a kitchen had shelves, a separate work table and a corner cupboard.

The cabinets held flour, sugar, spices and bread, came with built-in flour sifters and small cookbooks, and were nicknamed "kitchen pianos." Advertising promised they would "strengthen your marriage" and "make you more beautiful" because of the steps they saved women, Figueroa said.

Nappanee, in Elkhart County, sits about 150 miles (241 kilometers) north of Indianapolis in a region known for recreational vehicle manufacturing, wood products and the nation's third-largest Amish settlement.

"It's bringing awareness," Figueroa said. "I mean, you can't miss it."