Apparently, Longaberger was unhappy with architects’ attempts to render suitable plans for the company headquarters, and he figured the high-quality design of a Longaberger basket would stand the test of time. The giant basket, home to 500 employees, was completed two years before David Longaberger’s death in 1999. 

Longaberger Homestead Basket – Frazeysburg

Located in the town of Frazeysburg, 17 miles east of Longaberger’s Newark corporate offices, the Longaberger Homestead includes exhibits, basket-making instruction, restaurants, gift shops, a golf course, and a manufacturing tour. It also features––what else––the World’s Largest Apple Basket, which is 20 feet tall. We’re not sure when they added the apples, but it was shortly after they decided to turn the main street of the homestead into this weird town-like place where all the buildings featured different ways you could display Longaberger baskets in your home. Our guess is the giant apples were to show how you could use them to display any giant baskets you might have lying around.