Hand-made Windsor Chair is Craftsman’s Passion

Ten thousand Windsor-style chairs were shipped from Philadelphia to Havana between 1797 and 1799. The chairs were very popular in their day, and still are among classic wood furniture lovers. Woodworker George Mathews constructs Windsor chairs, which have a long history and solid construction.

George Mathews is a woodworker who lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and has a long-standing passion for Windsor chairs. He was first introduced to hand-made Windsor chairs on a high school field trip to Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Their beauty struck him and a seed was planted. However, it was not until he was well into his adulthood that he actually attempted building them. Intimidated at first, he studied with master Windsor craftsman Mike Dunbar and overcame his fears. After retiring as a carpenter, he decided to make Windsor chairs to provide supplemental income. He now makes sought-after, historically correct Windsors, using vintage tools, milk paint, and without sandpaper.

Windsor chairs are about two hundred years old, with origins in England. Their origin and name are uncertain. One story is that they are named after the royal town of Windsor in England. Another is that they got the name after King George III stopped at a house near Windsor Castle after a hunting trip and encountered the chairs there. But, according to Mike Dunbar, they were around before the time of King George III, first making an appearance during Queen Anne’s reign in the early eighteenth century. He cites the first record of a Windsor chair as being in a British probate inventory of a man’s estate in 1709.

The chairs became very popular in the United States after being imported from Britain. They were redesigned by colonial furniture-makers in the mid-eighteenth century to be more lightweight. The chairs were originally very heavy and ornate, intended for the elite of society. In the democratic spirit of the early United States, they became the chair of the common man. They could be found in kitchens, dining rooms, entryways and gardens.

The chairs have always had a solid construction. Many of the antique chairs can be found today. Their solid construction comes from the fact that the legs are fit directly into the bottom of the chair and splayed. Because of that, the joints get stronger as they are used because they tighten. Chairs whose legs attach directly to the back, such as ladder-back chairs, are likely to weaken as they are used over time.

George Mathews is a woodworker who loves making the storied and sturdy Windsor chair by hand. Because of their quality, they will never go out of fashion.

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