By Doug La Rocque
Bennington’s famous 19 foot high back chair went on the auction block this past Saturday, March 17, with many fearing the iconic landmark might leave Bennington for good. The chair was most recently owned by LaFlammes Furniture, which has closed. Stepping up to the plate, however, was Jim Martinez, President of the Tri State Area Federal Credit Union, based in Hoosick Falls but which is constructing a second office at 85 Washington Avenue in Bennington. With the winning bid of $16,500, Mr. Martinez says the chair will now move right around the corner from where it current sits to the credit union’s new location.
Asked why TSAFCU bought the chair, Mr. Martinez says, “my goal was to keep the chair in
Bennington where it has been for over half a century. I remember the chair from when I was a child visiting Bennington. Of course, it was there many years later when I worked and lived in Bennington. I am now approaching 56 years of age, and I expect it will be here until my children are my age.”
Martinez added, the Tri State Area Federal Credit Union is a small not-for-profit old fashioned credit union that exists for the benefit of its members. Though we have been just across the border (10 miles) in Hoosick Falls since 1953, we have only recently expanded into Bennington County. We believe purchasing the chair and keeping it in downtown Bennington will be good for the whole community. It may be viewed by some as only a chair, but we believe it is one piece of the fabric of Bennington. It is this piece and many others that makes Bennington special to current residents and visitors alike. I believe this chair harkens back to an earlier time in Bennington, but it also represents the current community which is proving to be resilient and on the rise again. We want the community to know that we are serious about our commitment to Bennington. Investing over 1.5 million dollars in a property downtown is just the beginning. We expect to do what we always do…..give back to the communities we serve. If the community takes anything away from this purchase, we hope that they realize, “We care about this community, and we are here to stay.”