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The
History of Tappan Chairs In about 1800, Abraham Tappan, an English cabinetmaker, settled in that part of Sandwich known as Whiteface. There he began the tradition of making sturdy chairs from the woods at hand, mainly Rock Maple and White Ash. By 1850 his son, Daniel, had the chairmaking business well established. Daniel had 15 children by two wives, each of whom had a role in their cottage industry. Chair posts were cut from Maple, then steamed and bent into wooden forms to set the bend. Rungs were turned from White ash on a foot powered treadle lathe, and the back slats, also of Ash were steamed and bent through the rungs of already assembled chairs. Daniel's youngest son Walter continued the chairmaking business aided by his brother Winthrop until about 1932. By that time, Tappan Chairs could be found in many homes within a 30 mile radius and had a reputation as being extremely sturdy and affordable. The seating material of choice was Brown Ash splint, pounded and stripped from freshly cut trees which grew in the local swamps. The now century old patterns were kept intact and in town through the war years by various residents until Cy Blumberg again revived production in the 40's. He produced the chairs with Cecil Talbot until about 1956 when the patterns and surviving tools and machines were sold at auction. In 1980, Gunnar Berg, a cabinetmaker in town, discovered the equipment and once again revived production of the venerable chairs. The rest ,they say, is history.
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Photo Courtesy P & L Cards
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