Adirondack Chair — What A Strange Ride It Has Been! By Jennifer Akre At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

When we go shopping and come across a set of Adirondack furniture, it is easy to see ourselves lounging outdoors at some summer cottage on a chair or swing made in this style. The elegant Adirondack chair was designed for this very purpose: relaxing outdoors and simply enjoying the day. The sloping back, wide armrests, and simple design make any country getaway more relaxing when lounging on a chair made in this style.

While we now can go shopping for an elegant Adirondack chair on the Internet and compare prices with hundreds of different retailers—the actual origins of this furniture style are far from the hustle and bustle of modern life. In fact, it was probably boredom that gave birth to Adirondack furniture!

At the turn of the 20th century, America was still the number two power in the world behind Great Britain. The nearest furniture store in those days might have been fifty miles away or more—even up in Westport, New York where the elegant Adirondack chair was born. A man by the name of Thomas Lee owned a vacation lodge in the Adirondack Mountains called Westport Mountain Spring.

At the time of his creation, the elegant Adirondack chair was a completely new phenomenon: a piece of outdoor furniture designed for relaxation. The angled back, a defining characteristic of the elegant Adirondack chair, was actually included in the design so that visitors to Westport Mountain Spring could better sit and enjoy the view. The steep inclines and angles of the area made it difficult to relax when sitting in a traditional chair.

Of course, Thomas Lee created a classic with his elegant Adirondack chair and it became an instant sensation for his guests. Thinking he was onto something and wanting to see his elegant Adirondack chair in every furniture store, Thomas went to a local carpenter by the name of Harry Burnell and asked him to find a way to make the chair quickly and for the lowest price possible. Unfortunately for Thomas, Harry also realized the appeal of the stylish Adirondack chair and applied for a patent—and the rest is history.

While the road from its origins has been long and filled with many stories, the magnificent Adirondack chair is now a standard at many cottages, lake retreats, and backyards all around the world. So, the next time you are browsing the Information Superhighway while doing a little online shopping for some outdoor furniture and eventually come across a stylish Adirondack furniture—take a moment to think of old Thomas Lee and just what a strange ride his chair has taken in the last 100 years or so.

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