In 1790, Scottish émigré cabinetmaker Thomas Affleck was commissioned to craft the seating furniture for the new Congress Hall in Philadelphia. The armchairs Affleck produced embraced the neoclassical aesthetic, which emphasized graceful restraint and classical lines. They were uniform with the exception of the upholstery - black leather for the House and "red Morocco" leather for the Senate. During conservation of this chair, a small fragment of the original black leather was found on the seat frame, indicating that it was used in the House.