Thomas Edward Chickering Thomas Edward Chickering ( born Boston , Massachusetts , October 22 , 1824 ; died there , February 14 , 1871 ) was a piano manufacturer and soldier . The Chickering and Sons piano manufacturing company was established by Thomas Chickering ' s father and was among the first and most celebrated piano manufacturers in the United States . Thomas took over administration of the firm from his father in 1853 . In 1862 , Chickering became a colonel during the American Civil War , eventually being awarded the honorary grade of brevet brigadier general . Early life . Chickering was the son of Jonas Chickering , a notable piano manufacturer in Boston . Having established his firm in 1823 , Jonas Chickering was among the earliest manufacturers of pianos in the United States and , by the 1830s , Chickering pianos were well known throughout the country . In 1845 , at the age of 21 , Thomas Chickering began working with his father in the family firm . He gained not only skills for designing pianos but also cultivated a talent for business and marketing . Chickering married Caroline Battelle on September 8 , 1847 and had at least one child , Lillian Chickering Prince , in 1849 . In December 1852 , the firm suffered a setback when their factory burned . The Chickerings constructed a new factory on Tremont Street in Boston in 1853 . The same year , Jonas Chickering died and Thomas Chickering and his brothers took over management of the firm at which point the company became known as Chickering and Sons . Thomas Chickering , as the eldest brother , became head of the firm ' s affairs . Civil War service . For several years before the Civil War Chickering had been interested in the military and commanded a company , the New England Guards , in the state militia . On September 15 , 1862 , Chickering was placed in command of the 41st Massachusetts Infantry . The regiment was deployed to New Orleans in November 1862 as part of Major General Nathaniel Banks ' s Louisiana expedition . During the winter of 1862 – 1863 , the 41st Massachusetts garrisoned Baton Rouge , Louisiana without any significant incident . During April and May 1863 , the 41st Massachusetts was part of an expedition to Opelousas , Louisiana to forage for supplies and gather freed slaves by the thousands for recruitment into the Union Army . Chickering was appointed military governor of Opelousas and commanded the Union troops ( consisting of seven regiments of infantry ) that were part of the expedition . In June 1863 , as Chickering and the 41st Massachusetts prepared to join other troops of the Department of the Gulf in the Siege of Port Hudson , the regiment was consolidated with three companies of Massachusetts cavalry and became a mounted unit . The regiment was renamed the 3rd Massachusetts Cavalry . The unit saw action in the Siege of Port Hudson and the Red River Campaign . Chickering commanded this unit until September 1 , 1864 when he resigned from the army . For his service during the war , Chickering was awarded the honorary grade of brevet brigadier general , nominated February 21 , 1866 , confirmed April 10 , 1866 , to rank from March 13 , 1865 . Post - war life . Following the war , Chickering returned to his career as senior partner of Chickering and Sons . The company continued to expand its reputation through new designs and patents . Chickering pianos were exhibited at the 1867 World Exposition in Paris to much acclaim . For his accomplishments , Chickering was honored in Paris by the award of membership in the Légion d ' honneur . Chickering died in Boston in 1871 at the age of 47 . Legacy . The Chickering and Sons piano company , under the management of Thomas Chickering ' s younger brother , Frank Chickering , further increased their prestige after opening a showroom in New York City . The firm also built a concert hall , Chickering Hall , in New York in 1875 which hosted concerts by accomplished musicians of the era . The " famous " hall , according to " The New York Times " , stood on the northwest corner of Fifth Avenue and 18th Street . It was designed by architect George B . Post . The hall was torn down shortly after the firm sold the building in 1901 .