Felgemaker Organ Company

Felgemaker Organ Company

Company type	Private
Industry	Musical instrument manufacturing
Predecessor	Derrick and Felgemaker Pipe Organ Company (1872)
Founded	1865 in Buffalo, New York, United States
Defunct	1918
Fate	Ceased production; service contracts assumed by Tellers-Kent Organ Company
Headquarters	Erie , United States
Key people	Anton Gottfried (joined 1894)
Products	Pipe organs

The Felgemaker Organ Company was a manufacturer of pipe organs located in Erie, Pennsylvania during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

History

Initially established in Buffalo, New York in 1865, the firm moved to Erie, Pennsylvania, and by 1872 operated under the name Derrick and Felgemaker Pipe Organ Company. During the 1870s, it employed more than 55 individuals and had capital amounting to $75,000, focusing on producing pipe organs for churches and portable models suited for small congregations, educational institutions, and parlors. By 1878, the company adopted the name A.B. Felgemaker Company and expanded its manufacturing facilities in the years 1888 and 1890.

In 1894, Anton Gottfried, a German organ craftsman, joined the company in Erie by leasing space within its factory. The plant underwent significant modernization by 1911, including electrification and increased production capabilities to meet rising demand. The business continued operations until 1917; several prominent staff members, among them Gottfried, later established Organ Supply Industries, which has grown into North America’s largest pipe organ manufacturer and supplier.

Production at Felgemaker ended in 1918, with its service contracts and agreements assumed by the Tellers-Kent Organ Company.

Surviving organs

Numerous Felgemaker organs remain functional across various churches and institutions throughout the United States, demonstrating the company's lasting influence in the market. Prominent examples include installations at Lawrence University (Appleton, Wisconsin), St. John's Lutheran Church (Erie, Pennsylvania), Trinity Episcopal Church (Iowa City, Iowa), and First Christian Church (Elizabeth City, North Carolina). Many of these instruments have been restored to preserve their historical significance and operational integrity.

For instance, a tracker organ crafted by Felgemaker in 1900 for First Baptist Church (Madison, Indiana) underwent a $93,000 restoration in 2010. Likewise, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church (Taneytown, Maryland) refurbished its 1897 Felgemaker organ in 1987 to support regular weekly services.

Other notable locations include Emmanuel Catholic Church (Dayton, Ohio), which has retained its original three-division Felgemaker organ since 1887 with multiple renovations continuing through 2015. Freemasons' Hall in Indianapolis possesses six identical Felgemaker pipe organs from 1908 that remain playable despite not having been restored.

Felgemaker instruments also serve diverse venues such as Holy Cross Catholic Church (Santa Cruz, California), where an organ from 1889 forms the foundation of their regularly used mass instrument.

A rare example is found at St. Mary Parish in Taylor, Texas; it houses one of only two Felgemaker organs in the state. Donated in 1902 with an appraised value of $3,600, this organ remains active after being relocated and restored following reconstruction of the church building.

The All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church (Bellville, Ohio) preserves a historic Felgemaker organ dating back to 1873. After extensive fundraising efforts and restoration completed by the James Leek Organ Company in 2002, this instrument continues to be a vital component of the church’s musical offerings.

These extant organs highlight Felgemaker’s lasting heritage within the pipe organ sector and its ongoing cultural significance across institutions nationwide.