Posted on 07/05/2006 9:20:19 PM PDT by nutmeg
BARKHAMSTED -- Riverton's center is just a quarter-mile smattering of quaint buildings on three streets by the Farmington River.
Yet for decades, this tiny village in northern Barkhamsted was a real tourist destination because of the Hitchcock Chair Co., founded here in 1826 by Lambert Hitchcock, whose sturdy painted wooden chairs with gold stenciling became American classics.
Hitchcock closed April 26, done in, company officials said, by cheaper products from overseas. Its flagship store in the original riverside factory and the adjacent Lambert house are vacant, their parking lots empty. The shoppers and history buffs no longer visit.
Bob Wysocki, who drove the 50 miles to Riverton June 28 from his home in Bridgewater to fish for trout in the Farmington, said he's been coming here for more than 15 years - sometimes alone to fish, other times with his wife to shop at Hitchcock.
On his fishing visit Wednesday, he noticed right away that something was missing: the shoppers and cars at the Hitchcock buildings in the village center.
"It was really, really sad," said Wysocki, who had time to study the village while fishing in the cold, rocky river near the old factory. "You can already see that they're not maintaining the character of the facility. The lawn was not mowed. Hitchcock was the hub. It's going to be different."
(Excerpt) Read more at courant.com ...
RICK SWENSON, a furniture restorer in the Riverton section of Barkhamsted, specializes in
Hitchcock furniture, such as the chair he is carrying, which needs a new seat. Swenson rents
workshop space in a former Hitchcock building, vacant since the company closed.
(MICHAEL MCANDREWS)
Connecticut ping!
Sad... I always assumed the Hitchcock Chair Company would be in Riverton "forever"...
Please Freepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent Connecticut ping list.
A dining chair is a miracle of engineering so as to not collapse and fall apart when a 150 lb to 250 lb + person sits in and leans back etc.
I once talked to a rather smug and unscrupulous antique dealer who bragged of getting 4 or 5 Hitchcock chairs from an old couple for $15 to $20 a piece when they were worth $1200 to $1500 a piece.
LOL!
It's hard to believe, but some of those chairs really are worth that much. That poor old couple got ripped off. What a scumbag! :-(
A true shame. My mom's dining room set was made by Hitchcock and my kitchen table likewise. I've no doubt that these pieces will outlast my kids given a little care. They had some great deals when they were going out of business, but even at "bargain" prices, Hitchcock furniture was pricey. I was kind of surprised they weren't able to dial back production to specialty items.
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