The
Estey Organ Company
was an
organ
manufacturer based in
Brattleboro, Vermont
, founded in 1852 by
Jacob Estey
. At its peak, the company was one of the world's largest organ manufacturers, employed about 700 people, and sold its high-quality items as far away as Africa, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. Estey built around 500,000 to 520,000
pump organs
between 1846 and 1955.
History
[
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]
Jacob Estey
[
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]
Jacob Estey (1814?1890) born in
Hinsdale, New Hampshire
, ran away from an orphanage to
Worcester, Massachusetts
, where he learned the
plumbing
trade. In 1835 he arrived in
Brattleboro, Vermont
at age 21 to work in a plumbing shop. He soon bought the shop, beginning a long career as a successful businessman. He died in 1890.
About 1850, Estey built a two-story shop in Brattleboro and rented it out to a small company that manufactured
melodeons
. When the renters ran short of cash, Estey took an interest in the business in lieu of rent, eventually becoming sole proprietor. Despite having no musical talent or skills as an inventor, Jacob Estey grew the company into a great success, giving up the plumbing business.
[3]
In 1855, Estey organized the first manufacturing company to bear his name, Estey & Greene?followed by Estey & Company, J. Estey & Company, Estey Organ Company?and finally, Estey Organ Corporation. In advertising copy the company claimed to have been building organs since 1846.
[4]
Jacob Estey saw the manufacturing and sale of these instruments, later known as
American reed organs
, as a new business opportunity.
Estey reed organs in the 19th century
[
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]
Estey in the early 20th century
[
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]
Estey Residence Pipe Organ console (1922)
Estey pipe organ
opus 1111 (1913)
Over its more than one hundred years, the Vermont Estey company became the largest and best known manufacturer of
reed organs
in the world.
[
citation needed
]
It made more than 520,000 instruments, all labeled
Brattleboro, Vt. USA
. In 1901, Estey Organ Company began making
pipe organs
, and became one of the largest American pipe organ manufacturers. They built and sold more than 3,200 pipe organs across the U.S. and abroad. The company provided organs for many important locations, including New York City's Capital Theatre, the Sacramento, CA Municipal Auditorium, and
Henry Ford
's home in
Dearborn, Michigan
.
Also during the era of
silent films
, Estey made over 160
theatre organs
.
[12]
[13]
Estey Organ after World War II
[
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]
Following
World War II
, Estey developed and manufactured
electronic organs
, joining a limited number of companies that manufactured all three types of organs?reed, pipe, and electronic. In the 1950s,
Harald Bode
joined Estey. He had been a pioneer in the research and development of
electronic musical instrument
since the 1930s, and had developed the
Bode Organ
in 1951.
[14]
At Estey, he helped develop the
Estey Electronic Organ model S
and
AS-1
(1954),
[15]
[16]
then served as a chief engineer and a vice-president of Estey during the late 1950s.
[14]
Estey Organ Company Factory
[
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]
United States historic place
The Estey Organ Company's main factory was located southwest of downtown Brattleboro, on the south side of
Whetstone Brook
between Birge and Organ Streets. At its height, the complex had more than 20 buildings, many of which were interconnected by raised walkways and covered bridges. Several of the buildings were built with distinctive slate siding, resulting in an architecturally unique collection of such structures in the state.
[18]
One of the buildings now houses the Estey Organ Museum; the entire surviving complex was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
in 1980, both for its architecture, and as a major economic force in Brattleboro for many years.
[17]
Social contributions by Estey family
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]
The Estey family had a long tradition of company leadership and community involvement, including residential development such as Esteyville; banking; town government; schools; fire protection; military units; churches; and
Vermont
state politics and government.
Estey Hall
on the campus of
Shaw University
is named after Estey, who contributed to the construction of the building. It was the first building in the entire U.S. dedicated for the higher education of African-American women. Fletcher Music Centers continued the tradition of community involvement by helping fund a music therapy wing at All Children's Hospital located in St. Petersburg, Florida.
See also
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References
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]
- ^
Ahern, Douglas (2013). "Arnold Bernard and Estey".
The History of the Magnatone Amplifier
. MagnatoneAmps.com.
In 1959, Estey acquired Magna Electronics and made [F. Roy] Chilton the president of the Estey Corporation. Headquarters moved from the east coast to the Torrance where a line organs would be added to what was already in production under the Magnatone name. Some vague words were spoken in regard to keeping the Brattleboro operation going, but it seemed unlikely. Within a year or two, the 100 year legacy of Estey organ manufacturing finally came to an end, and the doors were closed for good.
- ^
"Mason Buys Estey Organ Shop".
North Adams Transcript
. November 3, 1961.
- ^
Hall, Henry (1896).
Americas Successful Men of Affairs
(Volume II ed.). New York Tribune. pp. 287?289.
- ^
"Advertisement - Estey Organ Corporation"
(PDF)
.
The Diapason
.
34
(3): 6. February 1, 1943. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on October 31, 2022
. Retrieved
October 31,
2022
.
- ^
"A Brief Chronology of the Estey Organ Company"
.
EsteyOrganMuseum.org
.
Brattleboro, Vermont
: Estey Organ Museum.
Below is a very brief chronology of the Estey Organ Company. For a comprehensive examination of the company, we recommend the book,
Manufacturing the Muse
by Dennis Waring.(
Waring 2002
)
- ^
1867 Estey catalogue
, J. Estey & Company,
The Estey Perfect Melodeons
", "
Piano Style. / Nos. 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13. / Rosewood, Round Corners, Serpentine Mouldings.
; also published as
Figure 7
on
Waring 2002
, p.
24
- ^
a
b
c
PumpOrganRestorations.com
- ^
1890 Estey catalogue
, Estey Organ Company,
Boudoir Organ. -- Pipe Organ Top. / Rosewood, Round Corners, Serpentine Mouldings.
; also published as
Figure 9
on:
Waring 2002
, p.
26
- ^
1881 Estey catalogue
, Estey Organ Company,
The J. Estey & Company "New Salon Organ"
; also published as
Figure 2
on:
Waring 2002
, p.
3
- ^
"The Phonorium Organ"
.
The Estey Organ Virtual Museum
.
- ^
1890 Estey catalogue
. Estey Organ Company.
Estey Cathedral Organ (with pipe top) ...
; also published as
Figure 8
on:
Waring 2002
, p.
25
- ^
"Manufacturer: Estey"
.
Opus List Database, The Theatre Organ Home Page (TheatreOrgans.com)
. Retrieved
2017-04-22
.
167 items were found
- ^
"Search results: "Theatre Organ" on esteyorgan.com: about 18 pages"
.
Google.com
. Retrieved
2013-10-26
.
- ^
a
b
Rhea, Tom (May 2004),
"Harald Bode"
,
Video History Project
, Experimental Television Center
- ^
Harald's wonderful Instruments
, Harald Bode News, 27 April 2010
- ^
Levin, John (March 6, 2010).
Estey Electronic Organ model AS-1, designed by Harald Bode
(photograph). Estey Organ Museum, Brattleboro, VT.
- ^
a
b
"National Register Information System"
.
National Register of Historic Places
.
National Park Service
. July 9, 2010.
- ^
"NRHP nomination for Estey Organ Company Factory"
. National Park Service
. Retrieved
2015-11-22
.
- Types of pump organs
Further reading
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]
External links
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]