Object

Windsor Chair

Date:	c. 1790
Dimensions:	37.5" h

About this artifact

Windsor chairs such as this one were made of several types of wood, which is why they were always painted. This one looks black now, but it was originally dark green. Green was a very common color for these durable, light, inexpensive chairs. Chairs of this shape are called "sack-backs." The long taper of the legs on this one is common to New England. The legs are strengthened, and kept from splaying outward even more than they are by the turned stretchers which form an "H" shape. This chair has a shaped seat which rises at the center front. At some point during its life, the tops of the legs came through the seat. They would have originally been even with the seat itself. The flat arms were carved for decorative purposes. This locally-made chair is stamped on the bottom of the seat, "J. H. Woodbury Sunderland." Because of their durability and low cost, these chairs were favorites for use in public places such as taverns.