The Adirondack rocker has been popular since its inception at the turn of the twentieth century. But how did it get to be where it is today? The unique design, implementation, redesign and permeation of the chair into American culture cannot be credited to one man alone. Rather, it is the culminating work of three separate individuals that assures the Adirondack rocker a place in Americana lore.

The first man to come up with the very idea of the Adirondack chair was Thomas Lee. In 1903, Lee and his family were vacationing in Westport, New York in the Adirondack Mountains. Discombobulated by a lack of seating for he and his large brood, Lee set to work designing a simple wooden chair suitable for outdoor use. Cut from a single board made into eleven connecting pieces of wood, the chair was recognizable even then for its straight back and wide armrests. Why the slanted form? Although its ergonomic benefits came about later on, Lee’s original design was simply meant to sit better on steep mountain inclines. After testing it out on his family, Lee, who never intended to turn a profit from the sale of the chair, saw it being well-received by the townsfolk. One man in particular took a special interest.

Harry Bunnell was a fellow carpenter and acquaintance of Lee who basically stole the man’s idea and patented it as his own. Once patent number 794,777 was acquired in 1905, Bunnell officially held the rights to what he rightfully envisioned would become a popular piece of furniture. For the next 20 years, Bunnell played around with the design of the chair, coming up with the Adirondack rocker and other variations. In the end, the basic classic model remained the most popular. Called Westport Chairs, they were signed and made from green and brown hemlock.

While Bunnell was a shrewd businessman, there was no one like Sam Maloof who managed to catapult the Adirondack rocker squarely into the public eye, through his political connections. Born in 1916, Maloof died just last month, on May 21, 2009. A love of craftsmanship came about right after High School, when Maloof began work in the art department of a manufacturing company. Maloof was drafted into the army in 1941, where he served until his return to California in 1945. Married shortly thereafter, Sam took up a furniture workshop in his garage. What started as a hobby turned into commissioned work, and eventually he set up his own studio. From there, the "Hemingway of hardwood" saw his work in museums across the nation, but his real celebrity status was achieved because of how many US presidents owned his designs. Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan both owned Maloof rockers, and John F. Kennedy Jr. was especially fond of the man and his wares.

It was through the work of these men that the Adirondack rocker not only just survives today but thrives. Enmeshed in history, celebrated by presidents and the public alike, rocking chairs and Adirondack rocking chairs in particular are a unique breed firmly entrenched in our culture and in our hearts.