Need Help identifying and dating this chair

I would appreciate any help with information about this chair in regards to its production period and location. The underside is unfinished and rounded. It does look like it could be a church chair but that's all I know. Any help would be much appreciated.

 

Hi Chris,
It looks like it might have been a church chair. The back would be a good place to place a hymnal. Could we have a photo of the under side?
greg

 

Hi Greg, thanks for the reply..I included a pic of the underside. thanks for the help

 

I vote church chair, too. Very handy and functional... my only twinge is regarding the height of the back... could kids or shorter folks see over it?

 

I am going to go out on a limb here and offer an alternative. This may be a tavern chair with the shelf in the back for sitting your beer when sitting backwards in it. The basic form is that of a tavern chair. The slice of log seat is a very early vernacular form and the idea of a backwards sitting chair goes back nearly as far. The way the back narrows at the seat would lend itself to backwards sitting. I am conjecturing about the shelf for your beer but the shelf structure adds strength to the piece. I doubt this goes back to before the 30s and may be as late as the 50s.

 

It looks more comfortable sitting backwards.....but in either case my ass cheeks..( as well as others here..) would bulge over the sides......
Not something I'd enjoy for any length of time unless I were drunk ..or paying penance !!

That said......it's an interesting design..!!

 

Suddenly I want this chair.