History of the Adirondack Chair

Over 100 years ago in a small town that carries the motto, “A gateway to the Adirondack Mountains,” the concept that became the Adirondack chair, was born. The year was 1903 and the town is called Westport, New York.

While vacationing in Westport, a man named Thomas Lee is said to have designed this chair. A carpenter friend of his, Harry Bunnell, saw the commercial value in the design and further developed the chair. He was awarded a patent on the design in 1905, at the time called a Westport chair (also known as a Muskoka chair), and commenced production of the new chair.

This original design had two goals in mind: to provide the user with a chair that would be comfortable to sit in on the sloping mountainside, and to be simple to build. This included minimal parts, 11 to be exact, and while it did meet the original goals, was not the most comfortable to sit in due to the flat back design. Another patent in 1935, by a man named Irving Wolpin, appears to be a further evolution of the Westport chair, this time with many more parts, a curved back and a profiled seat.

Fast forward about 80 years, travel south a few hundred miles along the same Appalachian Mountains range, and you will find Cloud Cabin Arts founder, Michael Cantwell, taking this design a step further, this time with the goals of comfort and durability being top priority.

After several years of market research, product testing and design improvements, we have come to believe we produce a superior Adirondack chair, with premium Eastern Red Cedar wood and quality construction techniques being the major differentiating features. Waterproof wood glue and hidden exterior furniture screws ensure this furniture will delight you, your friends and family for years to come.

Our Adirondack Furniture Collection

Our modern Adirondack furniture collection has been further developed from our original chair design and now consists of single and double seat options, as well as accessories to enhance your experience. They look great in your garden and on your porch or deck and are from solid Eastern Red Cedar wood- no plastic or composite materials (pvc, trex, or polywood) are used. Buy a single Adirondack chair for yourself or put together sets from our collection to fit any crowd. We think you’ll find as much enjoyment in our Adirondack furniture as we do, and hope that this chair can be your gateway to the Adirondack Mountains.

If you are looking to buy cedar wood Adirondack furniture, you are in the right place. All of our furniture listed features:

• 1” solid Eastern Red Cedar wood for every part
• Professional assembly with parts manufactured in-house with out own plans
• Waterproof wood glue and exterior furniture screws for quality joints
• Rounded edges that provide a unique and very attractive addition
• Low-voc exterior grade stain and sealer