30 ADIRONDACK LIFE September + October 2019
a selfie. At the Adirondack Experience,
where Windy worked from 2001–2007,
he made hundreds of child- to adult-size
chairs that were sold in the shop. At the
museum’s Marion River Carry Pavilion
he built 10 or 12 chairs on a busy day;
output topped 650 one year.
Museum visitors got more than a
useful souvenir. Windy described the
process, engaging young and old alike
through his stories of living and work-
ing in the Adirondacks. He made lots
of friends, from the Pacific Northwest
to Europe, and has the postcards, gifts
and thank-you notes to prove it. (The
smoked salmon from a delighted Alas-
kan chair owner is long gone.)
One group he impressed with his
craftsmanship and charm included the
editors of Reader’s Digest. In 2005 Windy’s
chairs were picked for the magazine’s
America’s 100 Best roster.
In 2008 Windy joined the staff at Tim-
berlock, a family resort on Indian Lake.
He built a massive outdoor fireplace at
the main lodge. But his biggest contri-
bution—hours and hours spent with
families in the woodworking shop—
created memories that may last as long
as that stonework. He recalls, “Guests
would want to build something in the
woodshop—I would make the parts and
people would put the things together.”
They’d assemble birdhouses, side tables
and, of course, Adirondack chairs.
“Some of the kids were remarkable,” he
says. “They’d pay attention. You couldn’t
believe what they could do.”
Nowadays Windy is still crafting fur-
niture. He gets orders from businesses
that like giant chairs as roadside adver-
tising. He makes furniture for friends
and acquaintances but doesn’t want a
retail outlet. He likes to make connec-
tions with his customers and sets the
prices accordingly. “I want to make
chairs affordable for anyone,” he says.
At the museum one summer, Windy
remembers, a young family was looking
and looking at his furniture. He could
tell they were not wealthy but they were
very interested in a child’s chair. “Finally
the parents asked the price. I said, ‘That
chair’s not for sale. That little baby sit-
ting in it already owns it.’”PROFILE