Estey Organ facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Estey Organ

Estey's advertisement circa 1866–1872.
Industry	Musical instruments
Founded	1850s
Founder	Jacob Estey
Defunct	c. 1961
Headquarters	Brattleboro, Vermont
Area served	Worldwide
Products	Pump organs (Melodeon, American reed organ) Pipe organs, Theatre organs, Electronic organs
Subsidiaries	Estey Piano Co. (Magnatone)

The Estey Organ Company was a famous company in the United States that made musical organs. It was started in Brattleboro, Vermont, in 1852 by Jacob Estey. He bought an existing business there.

At its best, Estey was one of the biggest organ makers in the world. About 700 people worked there. They sold their great organs all over the world, even in Africa, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. Between 1846 and 1955, Estey made over 500,000 pump organs. Estey also made pianos at their factory in New York City.

The Story of Estey Organs

Who Was Jacob Estey?

Jacob Estey

Jacob Estey was born in 1814 in Hinsdale, New Hampshire. When he was young, he ran away from an orphanage. He went to Worcester, Massachusetts, where he learned how to be a plumber.

In 1835, at age 21, he moved to Brattleboro, Vermont. He worked in a plumbing shop there. Soon, he bought the shop and became a very successful businessman. Jacob Estey passed away in 1890.

Around 1850, Estey built a two-story shop in Brattleboro. He rented it to a small company that made melodeons. Melodeons are a type of small organ. When the renters ran out of money, Estey took over the business instead of getting rent. He eventually owned the whole company.

Even though Jacob Estey wasn't a musician or an inventor, he made the company very successful. He even stopped his plumbing business to focus on organs. In 1855, he started his first organ company, Estey & Greene. Over time, the company changed names several times, finally becoming Estey Organ Corporation. Jacob Estey saw making and selling these instruments, later called American reed organs, as a big new chance.

Estey Reed Organs in the 1800s

Estey Organs in the Early 1900s

Estey Piano Company Building

Welte Mignon's Philharmonic Organ

In 1926, the company was called Estey-Welte Corporation. They bought the Hall Organ Company and built a new six-floor building in New York City. This building became their main office and showroom. It also housed other related companies, including the Estey Piano Company.

Estey Residence Pipe Organ console (1922)

Estey pipe organ
opus 1111 (1913)

For over 100 years, Estey was the biggest and most famous maker of reed organs in the world. They made more than 520,000 instruments. All of them were labeled Brattleboro, Vt. USA.

In 1901, Estey Organ Company started making pipe organs. They became one of the largest pipe organ makers in America. They built and sold over 3,200 pipe organs across the US and in other countries. Estey made organs for important places like New York City's Capital Theatre and Henry Ford's home. During the time of silent films, Estey also made over 160 theatre organs.

Estey Organs After World War II

After World War II, Estey started making electronic organs. This made them one of the few companies that made all three types of organs: reed, pipe, and electronic. In the 1950s, Harald Bode joined Estey. He was a leader in developing electronic musical instruments. He helped create the Estey Electronic Organ model S and AS-1 in 1954. He later became a chief engineer and vice-president at Estey.

Later Years of Estey Organs

In 1989, Fletcher Music Centers bought the Estey Organ company name. They then made several models of home organs throughout the 1990s. These organs were sold only through their stores. In 2019, the brand was used again for new entry-level instruments made in China.

Estey Organ Company Factory

Estey Organ Company Factory
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Old Estey Organ Factory (Brattleboro, Vermont)
Location	Birge St., Brattleboro, Vermont
Area	5 acres (2.0 ha)
Built	1870 (1870)
NRHP reference No.	80000344 (original) 06001232 (increase)
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	April 17, 1980
Boundary increase	January 9, 2007

The main factory for the Estey Organ Company was in Brattleboro, Vermont. It was located southwest of the town center. At its busiest, the factory had more than 20 buildings. Many of these buildings were connected by walkways and covered bridges. Some buildings had special slate siding, making them unique.

One of the buildings now holds the Estey Organ Museum. The entire factory complex that still stands was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. This was because of its special architecture and its importance to Brattleboro's economy for many years.

Estey Family's Community Help

Estey Hall of Shaw University, North Carolina

The Estey family was known for leading the company and helping their community. They helped build homes in an area called Esteyville. They were also involved in banking, town government, schools, and fire protection. They even helped with military groups, churches, and state politics in Vermont.

Estey Hall at Shaw University is named after Estey. This is because Jacob Estey helped pay for the building to be constructed. Fletcher Music Centers, who later bought the Estey name, also helped fund a music therapy section at All Children's Hospital in Florida.