Books › Ayars, Contributions to the Art of Music in America by the Music Industries of Boston (1937) — the Squier, Farley, Rettberg, Rockwell and Elias Howe matter, 1937 › scan 194
Scan 194
Ayars, Contributions to the Art of Music in America by the Music Industries of Boston (1937) — the Squier, Farley, Rettberg, Rockwell and Elias Howe matter, 1937
16 lines. Read by computer on 27 September 2026. Printed page 168. See the scan on archive.org.
15. Present Day Organ Builders
3HOOK & HASTINGS CO.
5[In March 1936 this company began winding up its long and honorable career, and the Kendall Green factory has been entirely demolished.]
7This company established in 1827 is the oldest extant firm of pipe organ builders founded in the United States. Elias and George G. Hook began business in Salem, the former having been an apprentice of William Goodrich. They moved in 1868 to their great Boston factory at [address hidden], where they earned a high reputation by their work. Francis H. Hastings was engaged by them in 1855 and ten years later became a partner. Later the name was changed to E. & G. G. Hook and Hastings. After the death of George G. Hook in 1880 the company became Hook & Hastings. Elias Hook died in 1881 and in 1893 the company was incorporated as Hook & Hastings Co. Mr. Hastings died in 1916 and the management passed into the hands of Arthur Coburn, President, Norman Jacobsen, Vice-President and Supervising Designer, Alfred R. Pratt, Secretary and Superintendent, all associates of Mr. Hastings for about twenty years. Since Mr. Coburn's death about four and a half years ago Mr. Pratt has been President of the company.
9The moving of their main office and manufacturing to the present factory at Kendall Green, Weston, Mass., was gradual as the first wing was put up in 1885 and the second in 1891. Their section of Kendall Green is called "Hastings."
11They have had a New York branch for over sixty years, and did have other branches located at Chicago, Philadelphia, and Asheville, North Carolina. At present, however, they are taking care of most of the business from the main office.
13This firm has built 3000 church, concert, university and residence organs located in all parts of the United States, "including some of the finest in the country," 1 and some in Canada, one in Mexico, one in Honolulu and a few in Germany. Their first instrument was a parlor organ. This was still in use in a private residence
151 Goodrich, Henry A. Church Organs: Some of the Early Builders in New England p. 12.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.