Johnson Organs

William A. Johnson Organ Company

Company type	Private
Industry	Musical instrument manufacturing
Founded	1843 in Westfield, Massachusetts, United States
Founder	William Allen Johnson
Defunct	1898
Fate	Ceased production
Successor	Johnson & Son Organ Company
Headquarters	Westfield , United States
Area served	United States, Canada, Bermuda
Products	Pipe organs

The William A. Johnson Organ Company, based in Westfield, Massachusetts and later known as Johnson & Son Organ Company, crafted a total of 860 pipe organs distributed throughout the United States, Canada, and Bermuda between 1844 and 1898. Each Johnson organ utilized fully mechanical (tracker action) systems, with the larger instruments from 1871 onward incorporating Barker lever tracker-pneumatic mechanisms.

History

In 1843, William Allen Johnson operated a contracting firm in Westfield, Massachusetts. During the construction of a new church building for his congregation, he collaborated with an organ builder from E. and G. G. Hook & Hastings, which ignited his enthusiasm for organ construction. That winter, Johnson completed his initial small parlor organ and went on to build seven more within five years. By 1848, he had created two compact one-manual church organs.

Johnson progressed to manufacturing larger church organs, unveiling his first two-manual instrument, Opus 13 (1849), featuring approximately 15 ranks for the Congregational Church in Westfield. His Opus 40 (1855), a three-manual organ with 34 stops built for Park Presbyterian Church in Troy, New York, demonstrated further advancement. Another significant creation from 1855 is Opus 43 at First Ward Presbyterian Church in Syracuse, New York, which remains the oldest Johnson organ preserved in its original condition.

A catastrophic fire in 1871 destroyed the Johnson factory along with tools and three organs under construction (Opus 348–350). At that moment, Opus 345—a representative Johnson tracker organ comprising about 18 ranks—was being installed at First Baptist Church in Penn Yan, New York; much of its pipework continues to be used today.

Following the fire, operations relocated to the former First Congregational Church building. William H. Johnson, son of William A. and a long-time employee of the workshop, formally joined the company as it was renamed "Johnson and Son." Production rapidly resumed, supplying 52 new organs to Chicago after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. New manufacturing facilities were opened in 1873 and again during the mid-1880s. Johnson and Son constructed an additional 500 organs, including their largest models featuring roughly 55 ranks.

Johnson organs became renowned for their "excellent balance, splendid dignity, and beautiful voicing," reflecting the use of superior materials and skilled craftsmanship—particularly evident in their premium organ pipes. As tracker-action organs fell out of favor and the company chose not to adopt tubular-pneumatic or electro-pneumatic technologies, production ended in 1898. The final instrument produced was Opus 860, a substantial three-manual organ installed at St. Paul's Church in Chicago.

External links

• Video clip Johnson & Son Pipe Organ at Saint Stanislaus, Buffalo, New York. Opus 797, 1893
• History of rebuilt William A. Johnson organ, Opus 345 (1871) at First Baptist Church, Penn Yan, New York. Includes specifications and photos. Retrieved 01/31/2011
• History of extant Johnson & Son organ, Opus 690 (1888) at Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church, Chicago, Illinois. Contains specifications and company information. Retrieved 01/31/2011