Steinway Hall

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Steinway Hall, completed in 1866, was more than one of New York’s finest concert and lecture halls.  It was attached to the piano “warerooms,” or showrooms, of Steinway & Sons.  The attached buildings included the Steinway shipping department, and more important to the readers of the William Steinway Diary, 1861-1896, it served as the headquarters and offices for Steinway & Sons.

After Steinway Hall opened in 1866, it soon became one of the premier, if not the premier concert and lecture venue in New York City. Many great talents performed there. Steinway Hall itself was more than a concert and lecture hall. It was attached to the piano "warerooms," or showrooms, of Steinway & Sons (through which concertgoers passed to enter the auditorium). Those instrument rooms had been completed two years before, in 1864. The attached buildings included the Steinway shipping department, and more important to the readers of the William Steinway Diary, 1861-1896, it served as the headquarters and offices for Steinway & Sons. Steinway Hall is certainly one of the most mentioned buildings throughout William Steinway's diary (there are hundreds of references to "Steinway Hall," "St. Hall," or, simply, "the Hall"). William's diary refers to other Steinway Halls in Chicago and London (which appeared to have served as warerooms with some concert venue capacity).

Construction of the initial portion of the building began in 1863, and the offices and warerooms were completed in 1864. The front of the warerooms building was on 14th Street. It was four stories high and had a basement. Square pianos and uprights were displayed on the first floor; grand pianos were in a large room on the second floor. There were also music rooms, artist studios, and offices.(13)

The addition of a concert hall was begun in May of 1866 and completed in October, just five months later. The opening ceremonies took place October 31, 1866, with a grand concert featuring a mix of vocal, violin, piano and orchestral music provided by Theodore Thomas's Grand Orchestra. (1)(3, p. 159-160) Steinway Hall was soon recognized as a first-class concert hall with unequaled acoustic properties. In the 24 years of its existence, it hosted a wide array of special events, since the Hall was available for rent. In the rush to open the hall, concerts were begun before the hall was decorated. After two years of elaborate work, the Hall was opened a second time in its finished state on October 24, 1868.(18) In October 1884, a new annex was added.(19)

The opening of Carnegie Hall, combined with increasing demand for pianos, moved William to consider new uses for Steinway Hall. On March 20, 1890, the Steinway & Sons' Board of Trustees resolved to give up Steinway Hall.(Diary, 1890-03-09, 03-20)(3, p. 353) It closed in May 1890.(16) The new renovation plans resulted in a transformation of the building. They required removal of the stairs in the concert hall and created four new floors, making the Hall a seven-story building. It included rooms for regulating and finishing pianos, plus packing space and shipping offices. The entrance to the warerooms was changed on 14th Street to make easier access to the firm's offices in the adjoining building. A small new concert hall, 84 feet by 23 feet, was built for piano and song recitals.

The facilities that William had devoted so much effort to create existed until October 1925, when Steinway & Sons opened a new, 10-story Steinway Hall at 109 W. 57th Street, which until 2014 served to display Steinway pianos. That Steinway Hall also housed offices, small concert rooms, piano studios and a basement warehouse of Concert Grand pianos for Steinway artists to utilize for concerts. The former Steinway Hall facilities on 14th Street were closed and later became a clothing store (3, p. 457).

Initial steps

Steinway & Sons, established in March of 1853, was first housed at 85 Varick Street, in “New-York.”  In 1854, the company moved to more spacious quarters at 82-88 Walker Street, which housed their warerooms, office and small factory.  In 1860, the company opened a very impressive larger factory between 52nd and 53rd Streets on Fourth Avenue (now Park Avenue).(5)  Temporary warerooms were set up in the factory in addition to those on Walker Street, but plans were underway for a combined sales room and office building to be built on 14th Street in the expanding Union Square area.(2, p. 4)(17)  

Even as members of the Steinway family were serving in Civil War regiments, William Steinway began acquiring land in 1862 on 14th Street near Union Square for the new warerooms and the site for a future concert hall.  As noted in the diary, William contracted with the attorneys of “Mrs. Crocker and Buckley for the purchase of their property on 14th St. between Union Square & Irving place, running thru to 15th street for $45,000 cash.” (Diary, 1862-12-27)  At the same time, George A. Hearn, owner of the adjacent property on 15th St., agreed to sell his property running from 14th St to 15th St. for $30,000.  Articles of Agreement were drawn up December 31, 1862, thus placing the two properties under Steinway & Sons control for $75,000.  Both parcels would form the land on which Steinway Hall was built (the offices, warerooms in 1864, the concert hall in 1866).(Diary, 1862-12-27, 12-31)

Offices and Warerooms 1864

Work on the warerooms section of the new building began around July of 1863, although construction was slowed by the Civil War.  Beams had been laid for the first floor and walls were nearly up to the second tier, according to William.(Diary, 1863-07-20)  By August 5, “iron front [was] being put up at our store on 14th street, second story by masons.”(Diary, 1863-08-05)  By October 16, the floors were being laid.(Diary, 1863-10-16) On February 26, 1864, William wrote “We commence to move various things from our old store to the new one.”  The removal to 71 and 73 E. 14th Street was done by February 29, and the “Inauguration of our new Store” took place May 10, 1864 with the press and some artists attending.(Diary, 1864-02-26, 02-29, 05-10)

The guests first toured the factory (on Fourth Avenue between 52nd and 53rd Streets) then went down to the 14th Street store where they “sat down in large Room 2d story to a fine Collation, Toasts, speeches & splendid affair in every respect.  I though being alone entertaining the guests handsomely.”(Diary, 1864-05-10)  From the diary we learn that William not only served as host to the press and artists, but had met his brother Theodore and wife that morning as they arrived from Germany on their first trip to America.(Diary, 1864-05-10)  He was also concerned about the serious illnesses of his brothers Charles and Henry, Jr. and his brother-in-law Theodore Vogel (factory foreman who, though ill, assisted at the factory tour under duress and died three days later on May 13).(Diary, 1864-05-13)(15)  In addition William and his wife Regina moved on May 16 to 69 14th Street, next door to the new warerooms.(Diary, 1864-05-16)

The front of the warerooms building on 14th St was of white marble, 72 feet high, 50 feet wide and 85 feet deep.  It was four stories high and had a basement.  The first story was in the Corinthian style with a 17-foot wide covered entrance supported by four columns.  There were two windows on each side plus six ornamental windows on each of the above three floors.  Entering, one saw that all the interior woodwork, such as doors, stairs and partitions were solid black walnut and the floor was Italian marble of mosaic pattern.  To the left was a large wareroom with square pianos and to the right a smaller room with upright pianos on display.  The main stairway ahead was six and one half feet wide and led up to the display of grand pianos in a large room on the second floor.  The ceiling height of the first and second floors was 15 feet.  The music rooms and artists’ studios were on the top two floors.  In the rear of the building was a plot of ground 100 feet by 125 feet deep, with frontage on 15th Street, which was reserved for the erection of the large concert hall.  The wareroom building was designed and built under the supervision of John Kellum.(13)

Concert Hall, 1866

On May 26, 1866, the cornerstone for the concert hall was laid with a ceremony which included Mayor Hoffman of New York, various artists and press. (9)  From all accounts, the design, engineering and construction of the concert venue were “in-house” Steinway & Sons endeavors.  This new facility was 123 feet by 75 feet and 45 feet high, with a seating capacity of 2,000 (2, p. 4).  Just four days prior to the groundbreaking, New York’s largest music hall, The Academy of Music, which seated 4,000, was destroyed by fire, thus providing Steinway Hall the distinction of being the city’s largest music venue when completed in just five months.(6) 

The front wall of the new building was raised June 11, and on September 30th William was “lay[ing] out position of chairs in [new] hall.”(Diary, 1866-09-30)  The plasterers finished the Great Hall at noon, October 2nd and in the afternoon of October 18, William was “able . . . to go into the building.”(Diary, 1866-10-18) The next day the workers were “setting up iron [framed arm] chairs on first [Orchestra] gallery.”(Diary, 1866-19)  The 9,225 square foot “Concert Hall” was completed five months after breaking ground on October 30, 1866.  The firms involved in the construction of Steinway Hall were: Marc Eidlitz (masonry work); Isaac Lewis (carpenter work); Hess & Sons (timber framers); W. Conolly & Co. (slate roofer); Power Brothers (plastering); Geo H. Kitchen & Co (gas fitters and importer of the Patent “DeFries’ Sunlights from London); B. Koechling (chair manufacturer); and M. Grosz & Sons (iron work).  The cost to construct the concert hall was $90,786.(10)(3, pp. 157-158) The completion of the concert hall fulfilled the Steinways’ long felt desire to more fully meet the musical interests of the people of New York. 

The evening before the formal dedication of the new Steinway Hall, William Steinway handed out a press release describing the building and its safety features.  With fire a serious threat in such buildings, he emphasized that pains had been taken to ensure the safety of Steinway Hall.  The doors opened outward and the building could be evacuated in three minutes.  Construction was of stone and basement walls were 3 ft. of granite.  The upper stories were 32” brick walls and had exterior supports.  The seats in the Hall were cushioned Iron Framed Armchairs etc. (3, p.159). The following is an updated description of the “Concert Hall” and Warerooms written by William in 1872 and used in all the Steinway & Sons’ catalogs from that date on:

"THE WAREROOMS AND CONCERT HALL OF MESSRS. STEINWAY & SONS

      This building is located on East Fourteenth street, between Union Station and the Academy of Music (Italian Opera House). It has a frontage of white marble, four stories high, and 50 feet wide, by a depth of 84 feet; from this point the buildings are 100 feet wide, extending to Fifteenth street, a distance of 123 feet.
     
      The entire first floor from Fourteenth to Fifteenth street, a depth of 207 feet, is exclusively devoted to the exhibition and sale of piano-fortes manufactured by the firm. At the left of the entrance on Fourteenth street is a room for square pianos, 17 feet high, 23 feet wide, and 84 feet deep. Contiguous to this room is the office of the firm, from which a private telegraph extends to the factory, two miles distant. From this office, doors lead to the room devoted to grand pianos, which is 17 feet high, 25 deep wide, and 80 feet deep. In connection with this hall are two smaller rooms for the tuning and regulating of grand pianos.
     
      On the opposite or westerly side of the building are the warerooms for upright pianos, rooms for tuners and polishers, and the regulating room, where every piano is carefully examined, prepared for the climate of its destination, and thoroughly regulated, prior to being shipped or sent home.
     
      The main entrance to the warerooms and upper floors of the front building is through an elegant marble portico on Fourteenth street, 17 feet in width, supported by four Corinthian columns, leading to a large vestibule, from which a door on the left conducts to the warerooms, and one on the right to the ticket office, which is located in a large vestibule with two wide entrances from Fourteenth street.  From this latter vestibule a staircase, 14 feet wide, and from the other vestibule a staircase 7 feet wide, lead directly to a large vestibule on the next floor above, 42 feet in height, thoroughly lighted and ventilated.
     
      From this latter vestibule three large doors lead to the main floor of the Concert Hall, and two separate stairways lead to each of the two balconies above.
     
      The hall is 123 feet long by 75 feet wide, and 42 feet high, and has 2000 numbered seats. The lighting by two patent sun-burner apparatuses of Defries & Son, London, is brilliant in the extreme.  The hall as well as the whole building is heated entirely by steam, and the ventilation is most complete. The hall with its splendid outfit and frescoing, and its boldly arched galleries, at once creates the impression that it is an opera hall, without its losing the noble simplicity of a grand concert room; and according to the unanimous verdict of artists, the musical public, and the newspaper press in regard to its perfect acoustical qualities, is admitted to surpass every other music hall in the United States.
     
      In connection with this large hall, which is supplied with an organ of forty-two registers, there is also a smaller hall, on the same floor and level opposite the stage, 25 feet wide and 84 feet long, which, by means of colossal sliding partitions, can either be opened into the large hall of shut off from it. In this smaller hall 400 persons find comfortable accommodation."(12, p. 37)

The opening ceremonies took place October 31, 1866, with a grand concert featuring a mix of vocal, violin, piano and orchestral music provided by Theodore Thomas’s Grand Orchestra.  Music of Wagner, Donizetti, Lipinski, Rossini, Schuman and Liszt filled the hall, concluding with Meyerbeer’s “Torch-Light March.”(1)(3, p. 159-160)  Additional safety features were added to the building in 1877.(15)

Steinway Hall was soon recognized as a first-class concert hall with unequaled acoustic properties.  William noted in his diary the approval of the public and the great success of the opening.(Diary, 1866-10-31)  In the 24 years of its existence, it hosted a wide array of special events, since the Hall was available for rent.  During the music season, there were between 40 to 70 major concerts and numerous artists who performed in the hall, such as pianist Anton Rubinstein in 1872, Rafael Joseffy and Franz Rummel.  There were over 34 violinists, plus cellists, singers, organists (who played on the Hall’s organ) as well as over 20 conductors.  Steinway & Sons offered many benevolent and charitable organizations use of the facility for no charge.  Charles Dickens read to a capacity audience on December 9, 1867, in Steinway Hall.(6)(8)

E. 14th Street Steinway Hall interior, circa 1866

Interior Renovations of the Concert Hall 1868

There was a rush to finish and open Steinway Hall to fill the void for a performance venue left by the destruction by fire of the Academy of Music in May of 1866.  Thus, when the hall opened to the public, it had been hastily finished devoid of decoration.  It took two years for Steinway to complete interior improvements to the hall.  Viennese architect, Heinrich Reck was hired to decorate the hall in a rich “Renaissance” style. 

The old orchestral platform was converted into a large permanent stage, with box seats on both sides, over which were placed busts of Beethoven on the left and Mozart on the right.  In the rear, two large alcoves were constructed with two large statues, one symbolic of poetry, the other, of music.  The balconies were enhanced with lights, graceful curves, moldings and decorative trellis work, while the side walls and window had been embellished.  The interior decorations were completed at a cost of $25,000.  On October 24, 1868, after renovations were completed,  Steinway Hall was reopened with a concert featuring pianist S.B. Mills and the Theodore Thomas Orchestra, to begin the fall season.(3, p. 161)(18)

Ventilation Improvements  1872

As a major concert and lecture facility, Steinway Hall encountered a problem with which most large public facilities battled, lack of good ventilation.  Obviously, this was most significant during warm weather.  Steinway Hall was singled out by The New York Times in a long article on September 27, 1872, which took the Steinways to task for a September 25th Rubinstein concert,: “The atmosphere there was simply murderous.”  Several people had to leave the hall.  The article went on to say that the paper had previously “spoke of the very bad ventilation in the Hall.  Many complaints were made after the 1871-72 season was over, but nothing has been done to improve it.”(4)

William Steinway’s immediate answer to The New York Times article appeared in the next day’s paper.  William pointed out that Steinway & Sons had opened the hall’s 1872 schedule two weeks before schedule to avoid a conflict with the Patti & Italian Opera season at the Academy of Music, which had been rebuilt after the 1866 fire.  Steinway & Sons had been in the process of completing installation of a roof, and at the gable ends large additional openings were made, while in the center two large ventilators were installed.  On the Wednesday of the Rubinstein concert the outside temperature was 85 degrees, and the ventilation system was not yet completed. (Diary, 1872-09-27)(14)

Steinway Hall concert advertisement, 1872

Steinway Hall Annex 1884

The economic depression of 1873 began in the fall impacted the sale of pianos.  By 1876, William Steinway was forced to mortgage both Steinway Hall and the factory, in order to raise $175,000.  Eventually the economy did improve and in 1884 William met with architect William Schickel and a mason contractor, Eberspacher, to discuss building a large annex to the Steinway Hall complex.  In October of 1884, Steinway & Sons moved warerooms and regulators into the “new St. Hall Annex Building,” which cost an estimated $15,000 to construct.(Diary, 1884-02-24, 06-11, 10-01)(19)

Steinway Hall concert advertisement, before 1883

Carnegie Hall Opens, Steinway Concert Hall Closes, Transformed into Hall for Finishers, 1890

As New York City grew in the last decade of the 19th Century, so did the demand for larger and more modern concert venues.  A new facility, financed by Andrew Carnegie, opened on May 5, 1891.  Indeed, William was instrumental in booking many of the artists that appeared in Carnegie Hall, including Paderewski and Tchaikovsky.  In fact, booking Steinway piano artists not only showed off the company’s pianos; it also in the process produced some profits for the company.  Steinway Hall could not be expanded to compete with Carnegie Hall (3, pp. 352-353). 

The advent of Carnegie Hall, combined with increasing demand for pianos, moved William to consider new uses for Steinway Hall.  In March, he again met with architect William Schickel and together they “went all over Steinway Hall” to see how the great concert hall could be remodeled into a final finishing area where Steinway pianos were regulated and polished before being shipped out or sent to the warerooms.  On March 20, 1890, at the Board of Trustees’ meeting the “Steinway Board Resolved to give up STEINWAY HALL…”  The last event at the hall, held on May 3, 1890, was a lecture by the critic, H.E. Krebiehl.(Diary, 1890-03-09, 03-20)(3, p. 353)(16)   On March 28, 1890, William noted in the diary that the newspapers during the week had been “full of comments on Steinway Hall being given up.”  Among those reports was a review by the New Yorker Staats-Zeitung of the important concerts that had taken place in the Hall since its opening.(11)

The new renovation plans resulted in a transformation of the building.  They required removal of the stairs in the concert hall and created four new floors, making the Hall a seven-story building.  It included rooms for regulating and finishing pianos, plus packing space and shipping offices.  The entrance to the warerooms was changed on 14th Street to make easier access to the firm’s offices in the adjoining building.  A small new concert hall, 84 feet by 23 feet, was built for piano and song recitals.  On November 14, 1890, William reported to the Steinway Board of Trustees: “The alterations and improvements in the Steinway Hall building in creating 4 new floors had been well nigh completed.”  In his January 23, 1891, report to Board, William stated that a “new floor had been built in the space formerly occupied by the ‘Great STEINWAY HALL’ and all the workmen in the Polishers & Regulators Dept at the Factory on 53rd St have been placed in STEINWAY HALL, which now has 156 men working daily (this will increase to over 250 in time).”  Extensive alterations were made to not only to the Concert hall but to adjacent buildings Nos. 109 and 111 E. 14th Street with a new staircase.  Room No 9 in Steinway Hall building was connected by a wide door with new elevators, thereby adding two new rooms for tuners.  Due to the increase in workers, the 15th Street Annex was to have new air shafts and water closets on every floor to handle the workmen on the large new floors of the former Steinway Hall.(7, 1890-11-14, p. 142, 1891-01-23, pp 154, 155)

The famed Steinway Hall organ was donated to the new Union Church at  Steinway, Long Island City,  N.Y. (7, 1890-12-31, p. 150)  It was placed in the church by organ builders George Jardine & Son.  1891 was a good year for Steinway & Sons.  Indeed, William wrote that 1891 was “by far the best year since business existence for we shipped from our warerooms” at the new Steinway Hall, 2,479 pianos.(Diary, 1891-12-31)

Theodore Thomas and orchestra at the E. 14th Street Steinway Hall, 1890

Steinway Hall Closes

The 14th Street warerooms and offices existed until October 1925, when Steinway & Sons opened a new, 10-story Steinway Hall at 109 W. 57th Street, which until 2014 served to display Steinway pianos.  That Steinway Hall also housed offices, small concert rooms, piano studios and a basement warehouse of Concert Grand pianos for Steinway artists to utilize for concerts.  The former Steinway Hall facilities on 14th Street were closed and later became a clothing store (3, p. 457).

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Sources:

1. “Amusements,” The New York Times, November 1, 1866, p.5.
2. “Biographical Sketch of Henry Engelhard Steinway,” Encyclopedia of Contemporary Biography, Volume 2, New York: Atlantic Publishing and Engraving Company, 1882.
3. Fostle, D. W. The Steinway Saga: An American Dynasty, New York: Scribner, 1995.
4. “Fresh Air in Public Halls,” The New York Times, September 27, 1872, p. 4.
5. “General City News: Opening of Messrs. Steinway & Sons’ Piano-Forte Manufactory,” The New York Times, September 1, 1860, p. 8.
6. Lieberman, Richard K. Steinway & Sons. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995 pp. 50-51
7. Minutes, Steinway & Sons’ Board of Trustees
8. “Mr. Dicken’s First Reading,” The New York Times, December 10, 1867, p. 5.
9. “A New Music Hall,” The New York Times, May 27, 1866, p.5
10. “Opening of Steinway’s New Concert Hall”, New York Tribune, November 1, 1866, p. 5.
11. “Review-Music,” New Yorker Staats-Zeitung, April 27, 1890, p. 4.
12.  Steinway & Sons Catalog, 1872
13. “Steinway & Sons New Building,” Frank Leslies Illustrated Newspaper, May 28, 1864.
14. “Steinway Hall,” The New York Times, September 28, 1872, p. 7.
15. “Steinway Hall,” The Music Trade Review, November 3, 1877, Vol. 1, No. 2, p. 10.
16. “Steinway Hall Closed,” The New York Times, May 3, 1890, p. 4.
17.  Steinway, Theodore E. People & Pianos, 1853-1953, New York: Steinway & Sons, 1953, pp. 12-13.
18. “Theatrical,” The New York Times, October 25, 1868, p. 5.
19. “Trade Notes,” The Musical Courier, May 7, 1884,

Read more about Steinway Hall and other places popular in New York City in the last half of the 19th century at blog post William Steinway's New York http://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/steinway-nyc