Balthasar Kreischer

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Balthasar Kreischer (b. March 13, 1813, in Hombach, Rhenish Bavaria, Germany; d. August 25, 1886, Kreischerville, Staten Island, New York).(5) William knew him as a supportive businessman, entrepreneur and family member. Upon Albert Steinway’s marriage to Balthasar’s youngest daughter Louise Kreischer on October 3, 1865, William affectionately referred to him as "Papa Kreischer’" These family patriarchs were both leaders of the German-American community and American industry. They consulted on business matters, celebrated and dined together, enjoyed boat rides and playing card games, but they also shared the grief over their losses.

Not long after his arrival in New York in June of 1836, Balthasar married Caroline, daughter of George Haenchen of Hombach. The marriage produced eight children: four daughters (Catherine (b. 1839), Caroline (b. 1841), Fredericka (b. 1846), and Louise (b. 1848) and four sons (Henry (b. 1843), George (b. 1846), Charles (b. 1850) and Edward (b. 1853). Fredericka and George were twins; Henry died in his sixth year. (2)

Balthasar Kreischer was apprenticed to a stone-cutter and sculptor in Germany. He arrived in New York City a year after the great fire of 1835 and found employment in the rebuilding of the burned district. Soon becoming a master builder himself, he came to specialize in the construction of bakers’ ovens, and this led to the manufacture of fire brick on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. With the discovery of suitable deposits of clay on Staten Island, the company built a factory there. In addition to fire brick, the company produced clay gas retorts, a device designed by Balthasar. Despite the destruction of the factory by fire in 1867, business grew rapidly. By 1876 the entire manufacturing operation moved to Staten Island. Company headquarters remained in New York City. But in 1878 Balthasar withdrew from his management position. His sons had entered the business, but young Edward Kreischer worked for Steinway & Sons for a time as purchasing agent and paying teller.(7) William noted his encounter with Eddie Kreischer and his wife at the Holst Summer Theater in Braunschweig while visiting C.F. Theodore, who departed for Berlin the next day.(Diary, 1888-08-29; 08-30) At the end of his long European vacation William noted on October 11, 1888, “depart at 12.25 M. with Eddy Kreischer, wife & son from Waterloo station for Southampton.”

William’s association with the Kreischer family is well documented in the diary. Sometimes his dealings with Balthasar are business related, sometimes they are social. He wrote, “B. Kreischer loans to us $10.000 until March 1st he taking our note”(Diary, 1872-12-13); “See B. Kreischer about Mtge for German Savings Bk.”(Diary, 1873-02-17); “At eveg. Kreischers birthday party he is 60 years old”(Diary, 1873-03-13); “Papa Kreischer invites me to Excursion Steamer Josephine”(Diary, 1876-06-06); “Papa Kreischer consults me about sale of his lots”(Diary, 1876-10-29). William also noted the numerous gatherings of the Steinway and Kreischer families, even in German(Diary, 1882-07-25) Following the death of Albert in 1877, William frequently was with Louise and her daughters at events that included Balthasar.

Balthasar assisted his employees financially in the purchase of their homes and aided them in times of sickness and trouble. The nearby small town previously called Androvetteville, came to be known as Kreischerville, now named Charleston. He promoted development of schools, churches and local businesses. “There are a number of industrial communities like Kreischerville that can be considered quasi-company towns; these were dominated - but not entirely controlled - by the local industrialists.”(3) Balthasar became known for his generosity and towards the end of his life he donated the church he had built to its congregation free of debt; “this being only one of the many and unostentatious acts of benevolence which could be attributed to him.”(6) Balthasar was also one of the incorporators of Staten Island Railroad and an original trustee of the Dry Dock Savings Bank. He actively supported a variety of charitable organizations: among them The Association for the Improvement of the Condition of the Poor of New York. (6)(8) Balthasar’s great-grandson Frederick Vietor, Albert Steinway’s grandson, followed a career in the military but also learned piano building from the ground up. He was known as de facto head of Steinway & Sons and about to assume the title of General Manager, when he fell ill with leukemia and died at the age of fifty in 1941.(1)(4)

Balthasar Kreischer died at his home in Kreischerville, Staten Island.(5) On the day of Balthasar’s funeral William noted, “We bury the dear old man at his plot in Greenwood Cemetery.”(Diary, 1886-08-28) The ‘dear old man’ had appointed William plus his own son George executors of his will.(Diary, 1886-08-27) William read the will to the Kreischer heirs, shepherded it through probate(Diary, 1886-08-29, 08-30) and handled the distribution of estate assets of about 300 thousand dollars for each of Balthasar’s seven surviving children.(9)
(jb/hhv)

Sources:

1. Fostle, D.W. The Steinway Saga. New York: Scribner, 1995, p. 478.
2. Hauck, Linda Cutler , Director, Tottenville Historical Society.
3. “Kreischerville Workers’ Houses, 81-83 Kreischer Street, Charleston,” Landmarks Preservation Commission, July 26, 1994, Designation List 260, LP-1872, p. 4, available from neighborhoodpreservationcenter.org Web site
http://www.neighborhoodpreservationcenter.org/db/bb_files/1994Kreischerville81-83.pdf
accessed June 21, 2010
4. Lieberman, Richard K. Steinway & Sons. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995, pp. 200,217.
5. “Obituary,” The New York Times, August 27, 1886, p. 5.
6. “Prominent Citizens of New York: The Great Merchants: Balthasar Kreischer,” Magazine of Western History, Vol. XIII (November 1890-April 1891), p. 652, available from Google books
https://books.google.com/books?id=WBgXAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA650-IA3&dq=Prominent+Citizens+of+New+York:+the+Great+Merchants:+Balthasar+Kreischer&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwidkqCA3LzjAhWhiOAKHXYHCr8Q6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&q=Prominent%20Citizens%20of%20New%20York%3A%20the%20Great%20Merchants%3A%20Balthasar%20Kreischer&f=false
accessed June 21, 2010
7. Prominent Men of Staten Island, 1893, “Edward B. Kreischer,” p. 67-69, 73. Published by A. Y. Hubbell, New York, 1893, available from the rootsweb.ancestry.com Web site
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nyrichmo/prominent/kreischer_e.pdf
accessed June 21, 2010
8. Ruppert, K. Jacob, “Balthasar Kreischer,” available from the findagrave.com Web site
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8183096/balthasar-kreischer
accessed June 21, 2010
9. “They Get About $300,000 A piece,” The New York Times, August 31, 1886, p. 2.