Schuelke Organ Company

The Schuelke Organ Company was a Milwaukee, Wisconsin based pipe organ builder. Schuelke Organs operated in the later 19th and early 20th centuries.

William Schuelke was a Prussian immigrant who came to the United States in 1874. Schuelke's contributions to organ building included inventing the electric motor powered bellows crank, for which he received a patent. This was a major improvement over existing hand-cranked bellows.

The Schuelke Organ Company ceased operations in the early 20th century. Today, few of the organs his company produced exist intact. One such instrument is at Saint Boniface Church, New Vienna, Iowa. And another in St. Mary's Church in Remsen Iowa. The pipe organs at these churches have remained intact and, except for an electric blower, have remained basically unaltered.

Locations with a Schuelke Organ

* Saint Boniface Church, New Vienna, Iowa.
* Saint Mary's Catholic Church, Columbus, Ohio.
* Bethany Lutheran Church, Ishpeming, Michigan.
* Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
* Saint Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
* Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
* St. Mary's Church In Remsen, Iowa

External Links

* [http://organsociety.bsc.edu/OrganSearch06A.php?BuilderID=5553 Schuelke organs in the Organ Historical Society Database]
* [http://churchmusic.seboldt.net/organperformance.html#newvienna Recording and program of an event on the New Vienna organ]