Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-04-14
Chickering Pianos.

A Brief Sketch of One of Our Oldest and
Most Successful Firms Nearly $4,000 PIE
amos of This Kind Have Been Manuiac-
tured.
One of the largest and most important
branches of industry in the country to-
day, and one giving employment to
thousands of the most skilled mechanics,
is the pianoforte manufacturing business.
At its head the house of the Messrs,
Chickering & Sons has stood for years,
and the reputation which it won in the
past for the excellence of its work, the
superiority of its instruments, and its
good work for the musical world, is more
highly to be valued than the wonderful
success, considered in financial light,
of this old and honorable firm.
THE HOUSE WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1923,
by Mr.. Jonas Chickering, who died in
1858. He was succeeded by his sons,
Thomas E. Chickering, c. F. Chickering
and g. FL. Chickering The former died
in 1872, and the large business of the
concern has been since and is now con-
Quoted by Messers. G. f. and G. H.
Chickering, though the firm name re-
mains as before, Chickering q Sons.
The business of the house has gradually
increased, and since it was founded 49,
500 pianos have been turned out. The
factory was formerly located on Wash
ington street, opposite the Adams House,
but being destroyed by fire in December
1852, the present extensive mandatory
was erected the following year.
THIS ENORMOUS ESTABLISHMENT,
believed to be fully one-third larger
than the next largest piano mandatory
in America, is situated on fremont,
Camden and Northampton streets and
Columbus avenue. The length of the
main building on fremont street is
243.7 feet There are two wings extend
ing down either street-2626 feet on
Northampton street and $50 feet on
Camden street, which with an extension
on the latter street of ninety-seven feet
makes the total length S53 feet. The
main buildings are five stories in height
and that in the rear which connects the
wings, is three stories high above the
basement, and in it is the steam engine
which supplies all the power for the
works. The drying rooms in the rear
of the main buildings, contain 1000 feet
of steam-pipe, and like the other de-
partments is perfect in every detail.
The machinery of the establishment is
of the most costly order, and every mod
ern invention which will lessen the la
Dor of the mechanic is to be found here.
1t is thought the mechanical power rep
resents the labor of 700 men, and that
without the machinery the labor of
1900 men instead of 500, the number
now employed, would be required.
BETWEEN FORTY AND FIFTY PIANOS PER
WEEK
are at present being turned out. The
establishment is connected by telegraph
with the elegant salesrooms at 156 Ire
mont street, opposite the common. One
OF the greatest enterprises of the firm
was the erection of the elegant building
having frontage seventy-nine feet on
Fifth avenue and 1876 feet on Eighteenth
street, New York. The first floor of the
building is occupied as an exhibition
and sales room. The hall is entered
from lobby at the top of the main
staircase 1t is 103x74 feet, and the
centre is arranged as a parquet. Its
seating capacity is about 400, and the
interior finish is most elegant in design
and execution, while its heating. light
ing and ventilating arrangements are
believed to be without superior in the
world. The cost of the building was
about 100000, and of the organ, which
was built by Roosevelt, $4,000. The
formal opening of this building, it will
be remembered, took place on the 18th
of November last, when Hans Van Blu.
low displayed the wonderous beauty
tone and power of a Chickering Grand.
The firm includes in its list Of awards
the First Grand Gold Medal of Honor
awarded at the Paris Exposition offSe7