2013-07-31 - This entry describes an original installation of a new pipe organ. Identified by Steven E. Lawson, using information found in Roosevelt Opus List. -- -Database Manager
2013-11-20 - Updated through online information from Jim Lewis. -- from the Kalona (Iowa) News. Nov. 16, 1894 Pg. 2 An article about the Pickhardt residence on 5th Avenue: "The organ, the biggest and finest chamber organ ever made in this country, is in a storage warehouse, where it has been for years." -Database Manager
2022-04-20 - This organ was installed in Wilhelm's 2nd larger home 5th Ave & E. 75th St NYC. , Wilhelm Pickhardt made his fortune importing German dyes and chemicals. His wife was an amateur organist. A smaller 2 man Roosevelt (opus 99) was in their nearby residence. Though Pickhardt was trained as an architect, he never practiced the trade though greatly interfered with the construction of the 5th Ave house. It was never finished in his life time, and was sold off soon after his death. An ad in the NY newspapers announced the auctioning off of the house and $50,000 organ, to take place Jan 17, 1895. The new owner was a collector of Asian china & silver, and cleared the house to house his collection In the Sept 5 1898 issue of The Baltimore Sun Paper and a Chicago paper, included a large ad was display advert announcing the sale of a large unused Roosevelt organ, giving some details 46 speaking stops, 26' tall x 25' wide x 12 deep, three manuals, full set of pedals, 75 stops including couplers, cost $15,000; Interested parties should contact STADACONA, Bard Ave , Livingston Station, West NE Brighton, Staten Island. Another ad, this time in the NY Sun, Sept 24, 1899, is asking for anyone who has a building with suitable space to rent, to contact John W. Heins, 1945 Park Ave, as he needs a space to temporarily erect a large pipe organ. Heins has a connection with Roosevelt Organ Co, as in 1890 he took over the Baltimore branch of the Rooosevelt Company, while its original manager, Adam Stein , went to the home office in NYC. Heins only stayed, in Baltimore, a year, before returning to NYC to work with the Votey Organ Co., then to Cranston NJ as the shop manager for Aeolian. The middle name of one of Hein's sons was Roosevelt. Another curious fact - A notice in the Sept 14, 1882 Baltimore Sun Paper (same year as the Pickhardt organ was built), stating that a large organ was built in the Baltimore branch of the Roosevelt Organ Co, and was to be installed in NYC. Adam Stein and Henry Niemann are mentioned as the Baltimore organ builders. It also says that the organ had "novel points of construction" It also said the organ cost $4,000. So possibly not the the large Pickhardt organ. Adam Stein continued in the organ business after the 1892 closing of Roosevelt. He had permission to use the patented designs. He also built several large 3 manual organs, St. Mary's Episcopal (Hampden) Baltimore, and St. Augustine's, DC, in 1901, which may have been the Roosevelt organ from Pinhardt's house. More research will be needed to solve the mystery. -Steven Bartley
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