Pair of old Bangor Auditorium chairs up for eBay auction to benefit local church

Bangor Auditorium Chair PicLast June the organizers of the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame sold off around 350 of the original pairs of wooden seats at the now-demolished Bangor Auditorium. The seats sold off in just a few hours, raising more than $8,000 for the hall of fame.

Mike Grondin of Bangor was one of the hundreds of people who successfully purchased a pair of seats for $25, and now, he’s donated his pair of seats to the Unitarian Universalist Society in Bangor. The church has put those seats up for auction on eBay as a fundraiser, in one of the only chances the general public has to buy a piece of Bangor’s history, now that the auditorium is gone, replaced by the Cross Insurance Center.

“I am pleased to be able to donate seats from the Bangor Auditorium to the UUSB for this auction. [It] has been an important part of the Bangor community for more than 175 years, providing an equal voice for all people,” said Grondin, a longtime member of the church. “I am glad [this will] assist the society in furthering its mission.”

Currently, the pair of seats are fetching $152.50 in the auction, which runs until 3 a.m. the morning of Wednesday, April 2.

Sue Willey McKay, council chair for UUSB and a Bangor area native, has fond memories of attending basketball games and tournaments at the auditorium,  as well as enjoying scores of special events.

“If you lived in eastern or northern Maine, you may have spent some of the most memorable times of your life sitting in those auditorium seats,” said McKay. “The lucky bidder will be able to own a piece of history.”

For more information on the UUSB, visit uubangor.org.

Emily Burnham

About Emily Burnham

Emily Burnham is a Maine native, UMaine graduate, proud Bangorian and a writer for the Bangor Daily News, where she's worked since 2004. She reports on everything from local bands to local food to all the cool things going on in the Greater Bangor area. In her quest for stories, she's seen countless concerts and plays, been lobster fishing, interviewed celebrities, hung out with water buffalo and played in a ukulele orchestra. She's interested in everything that happens in Maine.