Why the Adirondack Chair’s Origins Matter
The Adirondack chair is one of the most iconic pieces of outdoor furniture in history, recognized instantly for its wide armrests, slanted seat, and tall, fan-like back. For over a century, it has been associated with relaxation, nature, and timeless design, making its way into patios, porches, beaches, and gardens across the world. But what makes this chair even more fascinating is its story. Understanding who invented the Adirondack chair and how it came to be adds a deeper appreciation to the design itself. When you sit back in one of these chairs, you are not just resting in a seat—you are experiencing a piece of history that began in the mountains of New York. The origins of the Adirondack chair are tied to necessity, creativity, and a bit of entrepreneurial spirit, and they continue to shape the way people see outdoor furniture today.
The Adirondack Mountains: Inspiration for Design
To fully understand the Adirondack chair, it helps to know about the region that inspired its creation. The Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York were, at the turn of the twentieth century, a destination for families seeking escape from city life. Known for their rugged beauty, lakes, and forests, the Adirondacks offered a retreat into nature, where fresh air and slower living were valued. Vacation homes and cabins sprang up across the region, but many lacked comfortable furniture suited for the uneven, outdoor terrain. Chairs of the time were often built for indoor use and did not translate well to rocky landscapes, lawns, or porches. This need for a new kind of chair—sturdy, comfortable, and practical in the outdoors—would lead directly to one of the most enduring designs ever created.
Thomas Lee: The Man Behind the Chair
The story of the Adirondack chair begins with Thomas Lee, a man vacationing with his family in Westport, a small town on the western shores of Lake Champlain in the Adirondack Mountains. In the summer of 1903, Lee sought to create a chair that would allow his family to enjoy the outdoors in comfort. At the time, furniture options were limited, and most chairs were designed for indoor settings, leaving families without seating that could handle grass, dirt, or uneven ground. Lee began experimenting with wood, cutting and nailing pieces together to form prototypes.
He tested his designs with his family, who gave feedback on each version, until he developed a chair that everyone agreed was ideal. This prototype had a wide, slanted back made from eleven flat boards, a deep angled seat that tilted back for relaxation, and wide armrests that provided support while doubling as convenient surfaces. The design was both simple and brilliant, addressing the challenges of outdoor comfort in a way no other chair had at the time. In creating it, Lee not only solved a practical problem for his family but also unknowingly designed a chair that would go on to become a global favorite.
The Original Westport Chair
The very first Adirondack chair was originally called the Westport chair, named after the town where Thomas Lee designed it. The Westport chair was different from the Adirondack chairs we see today, though its DNA is unmistakable. Its back was constructed from flat, wide planks rather than the curved, fan-shaped slats often seen now, and it had a more angular, rustic appearance. Despite its simplicity, the Westport chair was revolutionary because it combined durability with comfort and functionality. The wide arms served as makeshift tables for food or drinks, while the slanted seat provided stability on hilly or rocky ground.
Unlike flimsy chairs of the era, the Westport design was sturdy, built to withstand the outdoors, and versatile enough to be placed on porches, lawns, or lakesides. Its appeal spread quickly among vacationers who valued its practicality. Though Lee himself did not patent the design, his creation would soon take on a life of its own, thanks to someone close to him who saw its potential as a marketable product.
Harry Bunnell and the Patent Story
Thomas Lee’s friend, Harry Bunnell, was a local carpenter in Westport. When Lee shared his chair design with Bunnell, he likely hoped his friend could use it to make some extra money by producing a few for the community. Bunnell, however, recognized more than just a short-term business opportunity—he saw the potential for widespread popularity. In 1905, without Lee’s involvement, Bunnell applied for and received a patent for the Westport chair. This patent gave him exclusive rights to produce and sell the design for the next seventeen years.
Bunnell built the chairs from local hemlock and pine, crafting them by hand and marketing them as perfect for vacation homes and camps in the Adirondacks. His versions often included his signature stamped into the wood, which today makes them highly collectible. Though the patent is sometimes viewed as controversial since Lee was the original designer, Bunnell’s role was crucial in bringing the chair to a wider audience. Without his craftsmanship and business sense, the Westport chair might have remained a family project instead of evolving into the Adirondack chair we know today.
The Chair’s Rise in Popularity
After Bunnell’s patent, the Westport chair began to spread beyond the Adirondack region. Its practicality and comfort resonated with vacationers and homeowners, and soon the chair was being copied, adapted, and reinterpreted by other craftsmen. As the years passed, small changes were made to the design, including the introduction of curved, fan-shaped backs that became more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. These modifications helped distinguish the newer Adirondack style from the original Westport model.
By the mid-twentieth century, Adirondack chairs were no longer just regional curiosities. They had become staples of American outdoor living, appearing on suburban lawns, coastal decks, and lakefront cottages. Their reputation for relaxation, combined with their distinctive look, made them a symbol of leisure and simplicity. The spread of Adirondack chairs across the country mirrored cultural shifts toward valuing outdoor spaces as extensions of the home, further solidifying their place in American life.
The Evolution from Westport to Adirondack
The transition from the Westport chair to what we now call the Adirondack chair was gradual but significant. The original straight-back design of Lee’s prototype gave way to fan-shaped backs composed of narrow slats, which not only improved comfort but also gave the chair its signature style. Armrests became more refined, seat angles were adjusted, and construction methods diversified. The evolution reflected both aesthetic preferences and technological advances in woodworking and materials.
What remained consistent, however, was the chair’s defining purpose: comfort outdoors. Even as the look shifted, the heart of the design stayed true to Lee’s original goal of creating a chair suited for uneven terrain that offered true relaxation. Today’s Adirondack chairs, whether made of wood, plastic, or composite materials, owe their existence to the ingenuity of that original Westport design. They are descendants of an idea born not from trend or luxury but from practical necessity.
Adirondack Chairs as Cultural Icons
Few pieces of furniture carry as much cultural symbolism as the Adirondack chair. It has become shorthand for relaxation, leisure, and connection with nature. Whether placed on a lakeshore, a mountain porch, or a beach deck, the chair communicates a sense of escape and calm. Its image appears in photography, advertisements, and films as a visual cue for slowing down and enjoying the moment. This cultural power adds to the chair’s appeal, making it more than just seating—it is an idea. The Adirondack chair’s symbolism extends beyond America, too. It has been embraced worldwide, adapting to different settings while retaining its essence. Its universal association with rest ensures that wherever it appears, it instantly feels appropriate. The fact that a simple wooden chair designed in a small town over a century ago could become such a global icon speaks volumes about the power of functional design.
Modern Materials and Lasting Appeal
Today, Adirondack chairs are available in a variety of materials, including cedar, teak, and eucalyptus woods, as well as recycled plastics and resin composites. Each material offers distinct benefits: wood provides natural beauty and tradition, while plastic offers durability and low maintenance. The variety ensures that Adirondack chairs can adapt to different climates, budgets, and lifestyles. What ties all these versions together is the same enduring design that Thomas Lee created in 1903. The slanted seat, tall back, and wide arms remain consistent, proving that the fundamentals of comfort have not changed. Even with the introduction of modern features such as folding mechanisms, rocking bases, and ottomans, the Adirondack chair’s core identity is intact. Its ability to evolve while staying true to its roots explains why it continues to appeal across generations.
The Collectible Westport Originals
For enthusiasts and historians, original Westport chairs made by Harry Bunnell are highly sought after. These antique chairs, stamped with Bunnell’s mark, represent the earliest chapter in Adirondack history and are valued both for their rarity and craftsmanship. Collectors appreciate them not only as furniture but as artifacts that tell the story of American design. Museums and historical societies often display them as examples of early twentieth-century ingenuity.
The appeal of these originals highlights how something as simple as a wooden chair can achieve cultural and historical importance. While modern Adirondacks are built for everyday use, the Westport chairs remind us of the creativity and circumstances that gave rise to the design. They serve as a tangible link to the origins of a chair that has become so familiar it is easy to forget it once had a beginning.
Lessons from the Adirondack Chair’s History
The history of the Adirondack chair offers more than just a timeline of invention—it provides lessons about design, innovation, and cultural impact. It demonstrates how necessity can drive creativity, as Thomas Lee sought to solve a practical problem and ended up shaping outdoor furniture forever. It shows the role of entrepreneurship, as Harry Bunnell recognized the value of the design and brought it to market. And it highlights how design evolves over time, with the Westport chair adapting into the Adirondack chair through refinements that improved both form and function. For modern homeowners, understanding this history adds depth to their enjoyment of Adirondack chairs. When you sit in one today, you are not only experiencing comfort but also connecting with over a century of tradition. The chair’s history reminds us that good design lasts because it solves real problems in ways that resonate across time. That is why Adirondack chairs remain as relevant now as they were when first created.
