A Brief Hook & Hastings Company History
Elias and George Greenleaf Hook operated a prominent pipe organ design and manufacturing company in Massachusetts beginning in 1827. They were sons of a cabinet maker and apprenticed under highly respected organ builder William Goodrich. The company was originally called E. and G.G. Hook. In 1832, they moved their business from its original home in Salem to Boston, and began producing larger organs. Some of their milestone achievements included their first 3-manual organ in 1833, their first concert hall organ in 1845, their first 4-manual organ in 1853, and their largest concert hall organ in 1864, installed at Mechanics Hall, Worcester, MA. It is the “oldest unaltered four-keyboard pipe organ in the Western hemisphere located at its installation site.”
Francis Henry Hastings joined the company in 1855 at the age of 19. In 1866, the Hook brothers took him into the business as a co-partner, and then a full partner in 1871, renaming the company E. and G.G. Hook & Hastings. Then, when the Hook brothers died in 1880 and 1881, Hastings bought out their share. He decided to keep the prestigious Hook name when the business was reorganized as a corporation in 1893, shortening the name to Hook and Hastings. In its day, Hook & Hastings was the premier organ builder in the United States. The company completed their final organ in 1935 and ceased operations the following year, as business dropped off during the depression.
The 1924 Hook & Hastings Pipe Organ
Over its lifetime, Hook & Hastings produced an estimated 2,614 organs. One that was produced in 1924 found its way to the Suntree United Methodist Church in 2018. It had been disassembled and kept in a mini-storage in Stuart, FL after its previous home (I believe it was a church in Sarasota) decided to change their worship style to more contemporary and the old pipe organ didn’t fit in any longer. It arrived at Suntree UMC in thousands of parts, but under the skilled guidance of Suntree’s principal organist, Tom Taylor, the pipe organ parts were reassembled and married to a fully functional Rodgers digital organ to create a unique hybrid instrument that allows the player to choose between the pipes or digital circuitry for sound production. The project took 24 months from initial concept to completion, requiring a new design and building modifications to house the instrument.
“The rescued 1924 Hook & Hastings pipe organ is registered with the national Organ Historical Society,” said Tom. “It was already in service when Lindbergh first crossed the Atlantic, when the Korean conflict ended and when man first walked on the moon. It has its own unique history and now forms the core of a brand new instrument. I feel genuinely privileged to have been part of the project that brought this magnificent organ back to life.” The official debut for the restored pipe organ in its new home was a “Music for All Reasons” grand concert on October 21, 2020.
Tom Taylor at the Hook & Hastings Console & with Some of the Pipes
The Birth of the Hook & Hastings Tribute Flutes
Prior to going to Suntree, Tom Taylor was organist and leader of the Praise Band at the Pineda Presbyterian Church (Melbourne) when I first joined the church and, shortly thereafter, the Praise Band. That was about 2009 (as best I remember). When using the functional parts from the 1924 Hook & Hastings (pipes, console, etc.) in creating their hybrid, there were some non-functional wooden pieces that were not needed. Tom called me to see if I would be interested in taking some them or they would just be thrown away. With the history behind that wood, I thought they should be salvaged and given a second musical life. That is the wood that I’m using to make my Hook & Hastings Tribute Flutes.
I don’t know for sure the species of the wood, but believe it could be pine. That would make sense, likely coming from nearby forests. It was all in excellent condition with some signs of its previous use, such as screw holes and such. There were 2 sets of wood I recovered. The first was about 2″ thick and suitable for flutes with a 1″ bore. Those went into the first batch of Hook & Hasting Tribute Flutes, in keys of E, E♭, D, and C#, with work started in January, 2024. The other set of wood wasn’t as thick, and some was used for the second batch, all of which were in the key of F#, made during the summer of 2024. There will likely be a third batch in the future, again with the smaller 3/4″ bore, possibly in 2025. Of course, the wood I have available for these tribute flutes is limited, so these flutes will naturally be “limited edition.”
One feature of all of my themed flutes made over the last 17 years has been the pyrographic artwork. Rather than my typical animal portraits, I found an old pipe organ drawing that Hook & Hastings once used for their logo on a catalogue cover along with the company name. I added the location and date of this organ’s manufacture.
Another feature of my themed flutes is the carved animal fetish. I originally considered a miniature carved organ console for the “fetish” on these flutes, but when the time came to begin carving, I realized that design was not realistic. So I imagined a design that suggested the pipes of the organ, which seemed to fit well sitting on the flute’s “sound mechanism.”
Photos of Completed Tribute Flutes
First Batch: 1″ Bore, Keys E Down to C#
Second Batch: 3/4″ Bore, All in the Key of F#