Gardner, MA
Gardner, Massachusetts earned its nickname the honest way. Beginning in the early 19th century, Gardner’s craftsmen, mills, and manufacturers built a furniture industry that made this small north central Massachusetts city one of the most productive chair manufacturing centers in the world. At the industry’s peak, Gardner was producing more chairs per capita than any other city on the planet. That legacy is preserved in the giant chair on Main Street, a landmark that is equal parts local pride and accurate historical record. Gardner did not just make chairs. It made them better, faster, and in greater volume than anywhere else.