Felgemaker Organ Company
Encyclopedia
The Felgemaker Organ Company was a manufacturer of pipe organ
s based out of Erie, Pennsylvania
in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was founded in Buffalo, New York
but relocated to Erie, PA. In 1872, the company was known as the Derrick and Felgemaker Pipe Organ Company. During the 1870s, the company employed over 55 workers and had $75,000 worth of capital. The firm produced between 15 to 20 organs per week. Specialties of the company included church organs and portable pipe organs for small churches, schools and residential parlors. By 1878 the company was renamed as the A.B. Felgemaker Company, relocating the factory to larger facilities in 1888 and 1890. At the invitation of Mr. Felgemaker, German organ maker Anton Gottfried moved to Erie in 1894, where he leased space from the Felgemaker plant. The A.B. Felgemaker Company remained in business until 1917. Several workers from the Felgemaker Company, including Gottfried, joined to form the Organ Supply Industries, Inc. in Erie which is today the largest and most comprehensive pipe organ manufacturer and supply house. The company produced organs until 1918, when it ceased operations. The company's service agreements and pending contracts were then assumed by the Tellers-Kent Organ Company. Organs produced by this company are still in use at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Canton, Ohio, Lawrence University
, Appleton Wisconsin, St. John's Lutheran Church, Erie, Pennsylvania, Crawford Memorial United Methodist Church, Bronx, New York, Trinity Episcopal Church, Iowa City, Iowa, St. John's Episcopal Church, Canandaigua, New York, First Congregational Church, St. Johns, Michigan, and First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
s based out of Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was founded in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
but relocated to Erie, PA. In 1872, the company was known as the Derrick and Felgemaker Pipe Organ Company. During the 1870s, the company employed over 55 workers and had $75,000 worth of capital. The firm produced between 15 to 20 organs per week. Specialties of the company included church organs and portable pipe organs for small churches, schools and residential parlors. By 1878 the company was renamed as the A.B. Felgemaker Company, relocating the factory to larger facilities in 1888 and 1890. At the invitation of Mr. Felgemaker, German organ maker Anton Gottfried moved to Erie in 1894, where he leased space from the Felgemaker plant. The A.B. Felgemaker Company remained in business until 1917. Several workers from the Felgemaker Company, including Gottfried, joined to form the Organ Supply Industries, Inc. in Erie which is today the largest and most comprehensive pipe organ manufacturer and supply house. The company produced organs until 1918, when it ceased operations. The company's service agreements and pending contracts were then assumed by the Tellers-Kent Organ Company. Organs produced by this company are still in use at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Canton, Ohio, Lawrence University
Lawrence University
Lawrence University is a selective, private liberal arts college with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, in Appleton, Wisconsin. Lawrence University is known for its rigorous academic environment. Founded in 1847, the first classes were held on November 12, 1849...
, Appleton Wisconsin, St. John's Lutheran Church, Erie, Pennsylvania, Crawford Memorial United Methodist Church, Bronx, New York, Trinity Episcopal Church, Iowa City, Iowa, St. John's Episcopal Church, Canandaigua, New York, First Congregational Church, St. Johns, Michigan, and First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Elizabeth City, North Carolina.