34
When thinking about Zippo's Headquarters everybody automatically has a picture in mind, the famous office building on 33 Barbour Street.
In fact the story of Zippo & Barbour Street goes back more than seventeen years before this building was finally completed in 1955.

On March 27, 1938 George Grant Blaisdell purchased the first building on Barbour St., Bradford, Pa.
36 Barbour Street, previously an automobile salesroom, was Zippo's headquarters until 1955, with the office being locatated in the front & the factory in the back of the building.
In the early 1960's, after the new headquarter was finally completed right across the street, this building housed the new Zippo lighter fuel company. Since 1966 when the new Zippo fuel plant was completed on Congress Street the former headquarter was & still is used for storage today.


29 Barbour Street was purchased in 1944, one year later the Dupont building, 27 Barbour Street was purchased.
Until 1950 three more buildings were purchased to complete the new factory building.


The famous giant neon sign on top of the Barbour Street office building was created by Bruce Ganoung, of Ganoung & Sons Sign Company out of nearby Olean, New York, in the early 1950s.


Although the Zippo headquarters today looks like one building, there are actually five buildings combined to make up the
Zippo Factory Offices.


On December 24, 1952 George G. Blaisdell announced plans to construct a three-story-building on Barbour Street. The rendering from 1952 by architect Earl G. Wheeler of Bradford shows the proposed building for Zippo Headquarters. Finally in 1954 demolition of houses began to make space for the new building, which was built at a cost of US $800.000.


On August 1, 1955 the construction was completed. Bradford craftsmen played a mayor role in the construction of the new Zippo office building. Mr. Blaisdell requested that, whenever possible, contracts to be awarded to Bradford firms. Among these were Tuna Manufacturing Co., Hull Electric, Inc., Monago's Floor & Wall Covering & many more. A true-to-scale Zippo lighter with neon flame dominates the two-story high entrance. The face of the building was completely covered with glossy black-pigmented structural Carrera glass & glass block was used on the windows at the street level.

Handprints of the Blaisdell family are displayed beneath the winding, brushed chrome staircase in the lobby of the Zippo office building. Handprints from left to right are:
grandsons George Blaisdell Duke & Paul Carnahan Duke III, daughter Sarah Blaisdell Dorn, George G. Blaisdell, daughter Harriet Blaisdell Wick, grandson David Blaisdell Wick & granddaughter Barbara Wick Kearney.

On September 15 & 16, 1955 George G. Blaisdell held and Open House - the first public plant visitation ever - to welcome Bradford residents & businessmen at the new Zippo office building.
Guests admired Mr. Blaisdell's office in the top right corner, which still looks very much like this today, now occupied by Gregory W. Booth, Zippo president & chief executive officer.


Two vintage visitor's badges from a plant visitation in the 1960's

The very first plant visitation on September 15 & 16, 1955 held for the grand opening of the new Barbour Street office building was a big success & Mr. Blaisdell decided to offer plant visitations for small groups & businessmen ever since. Visitors had to sign the guest book at the lobby desk, were given a visitor's badge & after their conducted tour received a Zippo lighter or other Zippo metal product, sometimes having their facsimile signature engraved & color-filled on the back of it. 

ZIPPO PLANT VISITATION BRADFORD, PA.
pocket knife 3-31-69
brush chrome  

ZIPPO PLANT VISITATION BRADFORD, PA.
pull-a-part keyring brush chrome
backside engraved with visitor's name Mary Ann Valenti


ZIPPO PLANT VISITATION 10-11-76 Bradford, Pa.
ZIPPO rule brush chrome

ZIPPO PLANT VISITATION BRADFORD, PA.
pocket knife brush chrome
engraved & color-filled visitor's facsimile signature on the back side


NEW >     ZIPPO PLANT VISITATION COMBINATION GIFT SET     < NEW

ZIPPO PLANT VISITATION BRADFORD, PA. 7-19-78
pocket knife, brush chrome pull-a-part keyring, brush chrome



ZIPPO Plant Visitation April, 1979 Bradford, Pa.
magnifier high polish chrome

ZIPPO Plant Visitation Bradford, PA
JUNE 10, 1988
D  ZIPPO  IV April 1988
high polish chrome regular size

33 Barbour Street Office Building - Home of the Zippo lighter
by cat's meow 1991


On September 5, 1991 reconstruction of the face began due to safety concerns & was accomplished early 1992.
A metal grid was seperately attached to the Zippo office building & the Carrera glass was replaced with a granite
base & dark green glass panels made of modern tempered glass.

ZIPPO Plant Visitation Bradford, PA
3-3-95
C  ZIPPO  IV March 1988
high polish chrome slim size

Barbour Street Office Building neon sign #1
K  ZIPPO  XI November 1995
high polish chrome regular size
Barbour Street Office Building

E  ZIPPO  XII

May 1996
brush chrome / gold plated sides regular size

Barbour Street Office Building
D  ZIPPO  XIII April 1997
high polish chrome regular size
reverse side

HOME OF THE ZIPPO WINDPROOF LIGHTER
limited edition 31 / 50

Barbour Street Office Building
D  ZIPPO  XIII April 1997
high polish chrome regular size
reverse side

HOME OF THE ZIPPO WINDPROOF LIGHTER
same design as above not numbered

ZIPPO Plant Visitation Bradford, PA
F  ZIPPO  XIII June 1997
high polish chrome regular size

Zippo buildings
B  ZIPPO  XIV February 1998
high polish chrome regular size
Barbour Street Office Building

I  ZIPPO  XV

 September 1999
high polish chrome regular size

Barbour Street Office Building neon sign #2
I  ZIPPO  XV September 1999
quicksilver finish regular size
Barbour Street Office Building neon sign #3

J  ZIPPO  XV

October 1999
black matte regular size

Barbour Street Office Building
A  ZIPPO  XVI January 2000
brush chrome regular size
Barbour Street Office Building

ZIPPO  F  2000  XVI

June 2000
brush chrome regular size

Zippo Headquarters 33 Barbour Street, Bradford, Pennsylvania
by cat's meow 2001


Barbour Street Office Building neon sign #4
C  ZIPPO  02 March 2002
brush chrome regular size
Barbour Street Office Building neon sign #5
D  ZIPPO  02 April 2002
high polish chrome regular size
Barbour Street Office Building neon sign #6
L  ZIPPO  02 December 2002
high polish chrome regular size


Images of America
by Linda L. Meabon shadow box & Zippo
#IOA-2 1 of 3,600
Images of America

D  ZIPPO  03

April 2003
black matte 1 of 3,600


Linda Meabon, Zippo historian, compiled this 128-page book with the foreword by Zippo owner George Duke, grandson of Zippo founder George Blaisdell and more than 200 photos culled from the scrapbooks and photo files of the Zippo archives. The book displays many rare corporate and Blaisdell family photos, most of which have never been published. The companion lighter was only available as part of the combination set & reproduces the cover of the book, a 1950s photo of Zippo headquarters on Barbour Street in Bradford, Pennsylvania & a custom sleeve displays both pieces. The set includes a certificate of authenticity,a two-piece lighter box & a handsome see-through display box.
Every set that was ordered by a zippo click member is autographed by Linda Meabon! Members who placed their orders first were guaranteed to receive the very limited & autographed First Edition.


Zippo Barbour Street Building 50 Years Commemorative Set #1   -   official release


Barbour Street     50 Years
J  ZIPPO  05 October 2005
high polish chrome regular size




Zippo Barbour Street Building 50 Years Commemorative Set #2   -   Click member release


Barbour Street     50 Years
I  ZIPPO  05 September 2005
high polish chrome armor case


Zippo Barbour Street Building 50 Years Commemorative Set #3   -   employee edition


ZIPPO     Barbour Street     Built 1955
J  ZIPPO  05 October 2005
high polish chrome regular size
limited edition one of 2,200



In 2006 the fourth issue of the Zippo Heritage Series was released. This series started in 2003 and was planned as a 10-piece collectible series, an innovative & unique production regocnizing building associated with the background, founding, history & operations of the Zippo Manufacturing Company.
Only 1,500 consecutively numbered sets were produced for each collectible in the series.
Unfortunately in 2007 after the release of fifth issue the production of this series was stopped.


36 Barbour Street Office Building
E  ZIPPO  06 May 2006
brush chrome 1941 replica
Heritage series issue 4   -   model KHA19414
reverse side
limited edition 199 / 1500


Barbour Street Office Building neon sign #7
K  ZIPPO  06 November 2006
brush chrome regular size
the photo on the front of this release was
taken in 2006 during the fireworks held on

Barbour St at the Swap Meet 2006

BRADFORD, PA.     1956
A  ZIPPO  07 January 2007
brush chrome armor case
reverse side

limited edition

 22 / 50
japanese release  

Barbour Street
G  ZIPPO  10 July 2010
high polish chrome regular size
Zippo     Barbour Street     Built 1955

C  ZIPPO  12

March 2012
brush chrome regular size

NEW   ZIPPO     Barbour Street     Built 1955
J  ZIPPO  12 October 2012
street chrome regular size
limited edition Planeta deAgostini


NEW   ZIPPO     Barbour Street
60th Anniversary Edition
L  ZIPPO  13 December 2013
ebony finish regular size


NEW   ZIPPO     Barbour Street
GGLC   -   Bradford, Pa   -   2014
C  ZIPPO  14 March 2014
high polish chrome regular size


NEW   ZIPPO neon sign
on top of Barbour St building
K  ZIPPO  14 November 2014
satin finish regular size