Kilgen
Encyclopedia
Kilgen was a prominent American
builder of organ
s which was in business from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century.
, fled France
and took refuge in a German monastery
near Durlach
. There he learned organ building from the monks, and built his first organ in 1640. Succeeding generations of Kilgens remained in Durlach and carried on organ building as a family trade.
, Germany in 1821 and apprenticed to the organ builder Louis Voit in Durlach. In 1840, he emigrated
to the United States for political reasons and was employed with the Jardine organ company in New York City
. He founded his own company there in 1851, and in 1873 relocated to St. Louis, where his company became one of the principal suppliers of church organs to the Midwestern United States
.
George Kilgen's son Charles (1859-1932) was made partner in 1885, and the business was renamed George Kilgen and Son. By the turn of the century, Kilgen and Son had grown to be the largest and most well-known organ company in St. Louis. George Kilgen died in 1902, and Charles Kilgen took over the company and headed it during its most productive years. In 1909, Charles Kilgen purchased the Pfeffer Organ Co. and added it to the company's assets.
and St. Patrick's Catholic Church (Toledo, Ohio)
. Henry Kilgen died on July 29, 1918. His death certificate identified him as employed at the time by Kilgen and Son of St. Louis, Missouri.
pipe organ
s for small churches in the Midwest. By 1924, over four thousand Kilgen organs had been installed, many of which remain in use today. Some large Kilgen organs were built during this period as well, including the one in the Cathedral of San Fernando
in San Antonio, Texas
and that in the Ste. Anne de Detroit Catholic Church
. Later, the company produced greater numbers of large organs, including the chancel and grand gallery organs at St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York
and over 190 theatre organ
s.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
builder of organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
s which was in business from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century.
History
The Kilgen family
The Kilgen family's history of organ making supposedly dates to the 17th century, when Sebastian Kilgen, a French HuguenotHuguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
, fled France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and took refuge in a German monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
near Durlach
Durlach
Durlach is a borough of the German city of Karlsruhe with a population of roughly 30,000.-History:Durlach was bestowed by emperor Frederick II on the margrave Hermann V of Zähringen as an allodial possession, but afterwards came into the hands of Rudolph of Habsburg.It was chosen by the margrave...
. There he learned organ building from the monks, and built his first organ in 1640. Succeeding generations of Kilgens remained in Durlach and carried on organ building as a family trade.
George Kilgen and Son
George Kilgen was born in MerchingenMerzig
Merzig is the capital of the district Merzig-Wadern, in Saarland, Germany. It is situated on the river Saar, approx. 35 km south of Trier, and 35 km northwest of Saarbrücken.-Municipalities:...
, Germany in 1821 and apprenticed to the organ builder Louis Voit in Durlach. In 1840, he emigrated
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
to the United States for political reasons and was employed with the Jardine organ company in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He founded his own company there in 1851, and in 1873 relocated to St. Louis, where his company became one of the principal suppliers of church organs to the Midwestern United States
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
.
George Kilgen's son Charles (1859-1932) was made partner in 1885, and the business was renamed George Kilgen and Son. By the turn of the century, Kilgen and Son had grown to be the largest and most well-known organ company in St. Louis. George Kilgen died in 1902, and Charles Kilgen took over the company and headed it during its most productive years. In 1909, Charles Kilgen purchased the Pfeffer Organ Co. and added it to the company's assets.
The Kilgen Church Organ Company
George Kilgen had another son named Henry C. Kilgen (1851-1918). The March 3, 1894 edition of Music Trade Review identified that Charles O. Kilgen, Henry Kilgen and George J. Kilgen organized the Kilgen Church Organ Company in Chicago, Illinois, with capital of $3,700. Up until this time, it appears Henry Kilgen had been operating independently, having established his own firm in St. Louis, Missouri in the early 1870s. Examples of his work can be found in Saint Augustine's Cultural Center (formerly Saint Augustine's Catholic Church) in Austin, NevadaAustin, Nevada
Austin is a small, unincorporated community located in Lander County, Nevada, in the United States. As of 2004, its population is approximately 340. It is located on the western slopes of the Toiyabe Range at an elevation of . U.S...
and St. Patrick's Catholic Church (Toledo, Ohio)
St. Patrick's Catholic Church (Toledo, Ohio)
The Historic Church of St. Patrick is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo located at 130 Avondale Avenue in Toledo, Ohio. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.- History :...
. Henry Kilgen died on July 29, 1918. His death certificate identified him as employed at the time by Kilgen and Son of St. Louis, Missouri.
Kilgen Associates/Kilgen Organ Company
Following Charles Kilgen's death, disagreements among his four sons led to the dissolution of the Kilgen and Son firm in 1939. Charles' sons George, Charles, and Alfred Kilgen formed Kilgen Associates, which went bankrupt in 1943. His other son, Eugene, formed the Kilgen Organ Company, which build some notable organs prior to closing its doors, due to financial difficulties and labor disputes, in 1960.Organs
During the company's early years, Kilgen primarily built and installed tracker actionTracker action
Tracker action is a term used in reference to pipe organs and steam calliopes to indicate a mechanical linkage between keys or pedals pressed by the organist and the valve that allows air to flow into pipe of the corresponding note...
pipe organ
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 for small churches in the Midwest. By 1924, over four thousand Kilgen organs had been installed, many of which remain in use today. Some large Kilgen organs were built during this period as well, including the one in the Cathedral of San Fernando
Cathedral of San Fernando
The Cathedral of San Fernando is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church located in San Antonio, Texas, in the United States. It is the mother church of the Archdiocese of San Antonio and the seat of its archbishop. The cathedral is also known as the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria y...
in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
and that in the Ste. Anne de Detroit Catholic Church
Ste. Anne de Detroit Catholic Church
Ste. Anne de Détroit, founded July 26, 1701, is the second oldest continuously operating Roman Catholic parish in the United States. The current church, built in 1886, is located at 1000 Ste. Anne St. in Detroit, Michigan near the Richard-Hubbard neighborhood area, the Ambassador Bridge, and the...
. Later, the company produced greater numbers of large organs, including the chancel and grand gallery organs at St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York
St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York
The Cathedral of St. Patrick is a decorated Neo-Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral church in the United States...
and over 190 theatre organ
Theatre organ
A theatre organ is a pipe organ originally designed specifically for imitation of an orchestra. New designs have tended to be around some of the sounds and blends unique to the instrument itself....
s.
External links
- Video of the Kilgen organ at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, MN