World's Largest Teapot

Before my recent trip to Ohio, my uncle emailed me to tell me that if I had time, I should go to Chester, West Virginia to see the World's Largest Teapot. I feel like a hack that I had no idea that the World's Largest Teapot was located just 1.5 hours from my hometown, but I'm happy that I got to visit it so soon after being alerted to its existence. 

The World's Largest Teapot wasn't always a teapot—it started out its life as a wooden root beer barrel for Hire's Root Beer. William Devon purchased the barrel in 1938, added the spout, handle and covered it in tin. The teapot stood in front of Devon's teapot store, and it was set up to sell souvenirs and concessions. 

It transferred hands a few times throughout the years, but remained open until it was abandoned in the 1980s. In the early 90s, the telephone company that owned the land offered the teapot to the town of Chester (just over the border from East Liverpool, Ohio), and it was restored and moved to its current location. 

The teapot is approximately 14' high by 14' wide, and sits next to the Jennings Randolph Bridge Ramp, at the junction of State Route 2 and U.S. Route 30. Because its in the middle of a high-traffic area, it's a bit hard to get to—you have to park at the gas station across the street and dart across traffic. My grandma didn't really understand why we would drive so far to see a big roadside teapot—and I wish it still sold souvenirs and concessions (candy, hotdogs and pop) or that you could go inside of it like The Big Duck—but I definitely think it was worth the trip.