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All the United States North Carolina 'The Chair'

'The Chair'

A 30-foot-tall cement chair pays tribute to a historic design and a local industry.

Thomasville, North Carolina

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Greg
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The Chair of Thomasville   Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress
Plaque on the Big Chair   Red / CC BY-ND 2.0
Big Chair   Red / CC BY-ND 2.0
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A large chair designed to capitalize on the achievements of furniture design and those that make it. This large cement chair is based on a design by Duncan Phyfe, a 19th-century cabinetmaker who brought Neoclassical designs from Europe to America. The 30-foot cement chair was built in 1950 by James Harvey as a tribute to the furniture industry in Thomasville, North Carolina.

Commonly known as the "Big Chair" (not to be confused with Washington, D.C.'s landmark of the same name), it is the second chair that has stood in this location. The original, a wooden structure built in the early 1920s, stood just over 13 feet tall. Over time it was worn down by exposure to the elements, and was torn down in the 1930s.

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Industry Statues Monuments Furniture

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Poor mans world traveler

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Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

April 18, 2023

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Sources
  • https://www.visitnc.com/listing/APyV/world-s-largest-chair
  • https://docsouth.unc.edu/commland/monument/160
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Chair
'The Chair'
44 W. Main Street
Thomasville, North Carolina, 27360
United States
35.88292, -80.082076
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Photo of North Carolina

North Carolina

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Explore the Destination Guide

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North Carolina

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Places 199
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