The Adirondack Chair Over Time

The Adirondack chair is an important kind of patio furniture. These chairs have a unique and stylish design, and are comfortable and fashionable. Adirondack chairs have been existed for over one hundred years, and have evolved over time to be what they are today.

Adirondack chairs are named after the Adirondack Mountains, where the chair of was invented. The Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake, New York exhibits the history of the Adirondack chair.

The Adirondack chair, originally called the Westport chair, was designed in 1903 by a man named Thomas Lee. Every summer, Lee and his 22-member family traveled to a small town on the coast of Lake Champlain called Westport, New York. Stony Sides, their home in Westport had a serious outdoor furniture shortage.

So Lee decided to take matters into his own hands. He started creating new chair designs by nailing boards together on his front lawn, asking his family members try them out. The Lee family picked a chair with a slanted back, a slanted seat, and wide arm rests.

The slanted back and seat were actually quite common in the hilly areas of New York. Chairs were designed like this so that you could sit up straight even on an incline. The Westport chair, however, was the first slanted chair designed for use on flat ground.

Then, Lee showed his design to a carpenter named Harry Bunnell. Bunnell was the owner of a small shop in Westport. Lee thought Bunnell would just make chairs for his family, but Bunnell saw a chance to make a living.

In 1904, Bunnell requested a patent for Lee's chair, naming it the Westport chair. He was awarded a patent in the summer of 1905 and started to make and sell Westport chairs. Bunnell did not ask Lee for his permission to sell his chairs, and did not even tell him he was applying for a patent.

According to AdirondackChairs.com, the Westport chair's popularity spread throughout the region. Unfortunately, its area of fame never went beyond 100 miles from Westport. Over the next twenty years, Bunnell created different variations of the Adirondack, including tete de tetes and kid's Adirondack chairs.

Bunnell built his chairs out of basswood or hemlock. He painted them either green or dark red brown, or he simply left them unfinished. The backrest of each chair was also stamped his United States patent number and signed by hand.

Bunnell originally sold his Westport Adirondack chairs for about four dollars a piece. Today, however, an antique Westport chair that meets certain specifications can sell for up to $1,200 today.

The Adirondack chair has grown a great deal from when Thomas Lee first began nailing boards together in his yard. Today, it is one of the most beloved pieces of patio furniture. Many companies also sell Adirondack rocking chairs and Adirondack benches.

Clearly, it is possible to enjoy your Adirondack chair while being completely unaware of its history. Such chairs are unique, comfortable, and attractive. However, exploring the rich heritage of Adirondack chairs allows you to appreciate the chair on a much deeper level.

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