Why buy Adirondacks?

The name "Adirondack" comes from the Mohawk (Iroquoian) Indians' term: adiro:daks "tree-eaters," which was a derogatory name that they applied to neighboring Algonquian tribes, who ate tree bark in times of scarcity. The Mowhaks and Algonquian tribes were rivals, and at one time lived in what is now known as the Adirondack Mountain region.

Originally, though, the chair design was not called "Adirondack". The original name was "Westport Plank Chair", a nod to the town of Westport, where the design was born.

The story of Adirondack Furniture begins with a gentleman named Thomas Lee. Thomas Lee was vacationing in the town of Westport, NY, which has historically been known as the gateway to the Adirondack Mountains.

History has it that Lee couldn't find furniture that met his specs for being comfortable and suited for the rugged terrain of the Adirondacks, so he set out to design a chair of his own. In the first years of the 20th century, he came up with the chair design that is now called "Adirondack".

The wide armrests were designed so you could rest a book or drink on the armrests while seated on a slope without the drink or book tumbling to the ground.

After developing a design that met his needs, Lee gave the design to a carpenter friend in Westport named Harry Burnell, who in 1905 patented the chair design on his own.

In the early 1900's, Adirondack chairs were widely used in Tuberculosis sanitoriums in upstate New York. The design of the chair facilitated opening up the sitter's chest and airways out in the purified mountain air.

The design evolved considerably after the patent expired, with various manufacturers trying out slats instead of solid planks, rounded arms, and eventually, the folding versions used today.

The Adirondack furniture sold by SturdyBuilt is constructed from poly material that is durable, portable, and relatively easy to clean.