Anacostia in Southeast Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Worlds Largest Chair
Photographed by Richard E. Miller, February 10, 2008
1. The World's Largest Chair Marker
Presented to Curtis Bros. for their outstanding leadership and service to the public by the Basset Furniture Industries.
The chair made of solid Honduras mahogany is 19½ feet tall and weighs 4600 pounds.
Designer: Leo M. Jiranek
Builder: J.E. Bassett, Jr.
Erected 1959 by Bassett Furniture Industries.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Industry & Commerce • Landmarks • Man-Made Features. A significant historical year for this entry is 1959.
Location. 38° 51.925′ N, 76° 59.38′ W. Marker is in Southeast Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in Anacostia. It is at the intersection of V Street Southeast and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue Southeast, on the left when traveling west on V Street Southeast. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Washington DC 20020, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Big Chair (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named The Big Chair (a few steps from this marker); Transit and Trade (within shouting distance of this marker); A Legacy of Resilience (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); A Neighborhood Oasis
this page online
More about this marker. The chair became an Anacostia landmark after its erection in 1959. It was reconstucted in aluminum and rededicated with great fanfare in 2006 as a symbol of the community's revitalization.
Also see . . . The Return of the Big Chair: A Very Big Deal. 2006 Washington Post article by Paul Schwartzman. (Submitted on February 16, 2008.)
Additional keywords. Furntiture, Retailing
Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, December 20, 2025
2. The Worlds Largest Chair Marker
Photographed by Richard E. Miller, February 10, 2008
3. The World's Largest Chair, a.k.a. "The Big Chair"
Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, December 20, 2025
4. The Worlds Largest Chair
Photographed by Craig Baker, 2019
5. The "Giant Chair" in Los Angeles, California
40 feet tall, 24 tons, built in 2003 as a gift from an association of chair manufacturers in Italy for a design expo in Chicago, it is now located in Los Angeles at the LA Mart parking lot.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 27, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 16, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. This page has been viewed 5,822 times since then and 53 times this year. Last updated on February 17, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. Photos: 1. submitted on February 16, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 2. submitted on December 25, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. 3. submitted on February 16, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 4. submitted on December 25, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. 5. submitted on November 25, 2020, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.
