Bannister-back armchair

When ordering chairs, it was common for buyers to specify how much or little decoration they preferred. Chairs could have carved topped or plain topped crest rails, carved or lathe-turned front stretchers, and turned or plain side stretchers. The more elaborate the decoration, the more labor-intensive and more expensive the chair. Complementing the design of this chair is its important history of ownership in the family of Samuel Adams (best known for demanding that British troops leave Boston after the famous Boston Massacre of 1770).