This side chair is one of several walnut chairs with a history of use in George Washington's presidential household in Philadelphia. Carved numerals in the front seat rail and front slip-seat rail identify the chair as part of a set. While the chair could have been used in several rooms in the executive mansion, its current crimson silk damask upholstery corresponds to that used in the state dining room. There were approximately three-dozen dining chairs in the room to accommodate the large parties of thirty or more guests who often ate with the president.