In 1905, Harry C. Bunnell of Westport, New York, received a patent for a chair suitable for use on porches, lawns and at camps, and durable enough to be exposed to the elements. It had broad arms and its seat and back — each built of a single piece of wood — were slanted.  

Thu, the first Westport chair was born.

Westport is located on Lake Champlain, about 120 kilometres south of Montreal, in New York state. And if you look way off to the west, you’ll be able to see the Adirondack Mountains. In those mountains, there was a convalescent home for tuberculosis patients, where caregivers figured the chairs would be perfect for guests to sit out on and enjoy the recuperative powers of the fresh mountain air.  

Thus, the term “Adirondack chair” was born.  

Soon, the chair design found its way to Canada, and the term "Muskoka chair" was born, after the name of the quintessential cottage district.

What’s the difference between a Cape Cod, Muskoka, Westernport and an Adirondack? The simple answer is: Nothing.