The Adirondack chair is named after the Adirondack mountain range located in upstate New York. With its 24 000 km² National Park in the Adirondacks is the largest of the parks' « Historic landmark » in the USA.
The name "Adirondacks" is an Anglicized version of the Mohawk ratirontaks, meaning "they eat trees", a derogatory name which the Mohawk historically applied to neighboring Algonquian-speaking tribes; when food was scarce, the Algonquians would eat the buds and bark of trees. (Source Wikipédia).
In the heart of the Adirondacks in Lake Placid the Winter Olympic Games were held twice, in 1932 and 1980.
Lake George in the heart of the Adirondacks
The history of the Adirondack chair starts in 1903. Mr Thomas Lee spent his holidays at Stony Sides of his summer residence in the heart of Westport Adirondack mountains. Dissatisfied with its garden furniture he decided to make the best lawn chair in the world. An optimal chair to observe nature, read, eat, drink, relax.
He made several prototypes and had them tested by the 22 members of his family. With planks and nails, he created this chair wich will become the Westport flesh. A chair for use both inside and outside, provided with wide armrests allow to lay books, glasses, cups, etc. ... and a small footstool.
 He decided to manufacture the chairs for his personal use by a carpenter friend in Westport, Harry Bunnell. Harry Bunnel wanted to add a winter activity to his work as a carpenter. He soon realized that these chairs have a hit with residents of the summer holidays.
Unbeknownst to Thomas Lee, he filed the patent application on April 4th 1904 which was granted July 18th 1905 under the name "Westport Chair" for a period of 25 years. His patent prevented others from making this chair. However his "Westport chair" was distributed only around Westport it had not expected success and today is the Adirondack chair inspired by the Weston flesh that is the most popular.
These chairs were made of pine and then painted dark brown or green. Many variants of the original model were inspired created rocking chair, face to face with a footrest Ottoman ... This chair has been popularized by style gentleman farmer, has among the wealthy families of the U.S. East Coast. It is now present in most gardens in North America. It is also known as Muskoka chair.
Today they are manufactured in the world, from United States to China: fir, cedar, teak, plastic, painted etc. ..Finaly the idea of Thomas Lee has toured the world gardens.
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