J. Estey Organ Company

"The largest pump organ company in America"

They started as Estey & Green and were located in Brattleboro, VT 1855 - 1863; successor to I. Hines & Co., Jacob Estey and Hatsell P. Green, partners; the Main St. factory burned in 1857, a new factory was built 1858 on the site later occupied by the Brattleboro House; succeeded by J. Estey & Co.

Then they became the Estey company in Brattleboro, VT 1863 - 1872; successors to Estey & Green, the original partners were Jacob Estey, Riley Burditt, Silas Waite and Joel Bullard; a new factory was built in 1866 on Flat St. and the business reorganized with Jacob Estey, his son Julius J. and son-in-law Levi Fuller as partners; as part of the reorganization Riley Burditt and Silas Waite organized the Burdett Organ Co. Ltd. in Chicago.

A new factory was started in 1869 on Birge Street at the Dickenson Farm, later called Esteyville; reorganized as Estey Organ Co. in 1872 and as the Estey Corporation in the early 1930s, (after 1933), closed in 1959. Estey made a folding suitcase-type organ for Lyon & Healy, (qv). Estey made most of the chaplain's organs used during World War II as well as the model M-1945 introduced at the end of the war or shortly thereafter.

The Estey name was later aquired by Miner Industries of New Kensington, PA, who made an electrically blown chord organ. The name then became property of Fletcher Music Centers, Clearwater, FL, who sold electronic organs with that brand name.

Serial numbers:

1850 - 400 1879 - 90180 1893 - 257335 1910 - 377101 1959 - 515664
1855 - 2400 1880 - 100000 1894 - 270908 1911 - 377721
1860 - 5600 1881 - 106640 1895 - 280144 1911 - 383448
1865 - 9500 1881 - 114498 1897 - 291978 1912 - 385000
1867 - 12545 1882 - 120768 1898 - 296115 1915 - 400000
1867 - 14000 1882 - 127000 1898 - 301018 1916 - 401174
1869 - 17025 1883 - 132000 1899 - 305297 1918 - 408000
1869 - 23006 1883 - 135997 1899 - 305297 1920 - 418847
1871 - 23368 1884 - 146000 1900 - 311195 1923 - 437391*
1871 - 26941 1885 - 157498 1900 - 322000 1925 - 430201
1872 - 35000 1885 - 164196 1901 - 326050 1926 - 433000
1872 - 36200 1886 - 170695 1902 - 334000 1929 - 439640
1873 - 36955 1887 - 170987 1903 - 340000 1934 - 443820
1873 - 38222 1887 - 181672 1904 - 344793 1935 - 427303*
1874 - 46538 1888 - 196879 1904 - 348763 1935 - 444603
1874 - 51486 1889 - 208998 1905 - 350789 1936 - 446349
1875 - 52199 1889 - 215352 1906 - 355000 1937 - 449217
1875 - 60365 1890 - 221000 1907 - 360190 1941 - 457999
1876 - 62000 1891 - 231771 1908 - 366247 1950 - 493343
1877 - 71498 1891 - 236699 1908 - 368584 1952 - 513225*
1878 - 79000 1892 - 243981 1909 - 369835 1953 - 501290
1879 - 90180 1892 - 250000 1909 - 374352 1955 - 506000

*Out of sequence, may be in error.

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