Tellers Organ Company
Tellers Organ Company is a manufacturer of pipe organs in Erie, Pennsylvania. The company, in business since 1906, has produced over 1,100 organs throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.
History
The company was founded by two brothers, Henry and Ignatius Tellers, and William Sommerhof. Prior to this, the two Tellers brothers worked at Milwaukee, Wisconsin based Schuelke Organ Company until 1892. They moved to Erie and went to work for the Felgemaker Organ Company for the next 14 years, where they met Sommerhof.
In 1906, the three men established Tellers Organ Company. In 1911, the company changed its name to Tellers-Sommerhof Organ Company. Sommerhof would sell his interest in the company to A. E. Kent, another former Felgemaker employee, in 1918. The company's name was then changed to Tellers-Kent Organ Company. Felgemaker also ceased operations that year. Tellers-Kent assumed all the open contracts and service agreement work from Felgemaker. The company was known as Tellers-Kent for a number of years until the name changed back to Tellers Organ Company.
The company would eventually become a pioneer in the combination pipe/electronic organ fields and would come to produce the Conn-Tellers Electro-Pipe Combination Organ. The company later became an authorized Rodgers Instruments dealer.
The family would remain involved with the company, which has continued to the present day. Henry's son Herman eventually took over the business. In 1978, Herman's son Henry Tellers became president of the company.
The company celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding in 2006. Henry Tellers died on December 3, 2006.