The Holtkamp Organ Company of Cleveland, Ohio is America’s oldest continuously operating pipe organ workshop. The company was founded in 1855 by Gottlieb Votteler. The work produced by the shop has evolved over the years in terms of architectural style, sound, and mechanism. During this time the company has had a number of names, including: The Votteler Organ Company, The Votteler-Hettche Organ Company, The Votteler-Holtkamp-Sparling Organ Company, and finally in 1951, The Holtkamp Organ Company.
When Gottlieb Votteler opened his shop for building pipe organs in Cleveland in 1855 he built small instruments with mechanical keyaction and mechanical stop action. During the Votteler-Hettche years, robust mechanical actions were replaced with tubular–pneumatic actions, transitioning to electro pneumatic actions in the Votteler-Holtkamp-Sparling years, and Holtkamp Organ years. Currently the company builds electropneumatic, electric slider, and mechanical action.
The Votteler's (1855–1903)
As with so many pipe organ builders, The Holtkamp Organ Company started small and local. The founder, Gottlieb Votteler, trained as a general musical instrument builder in Reutlingen, Wittenburg, Germany. He immigrated to The United States in 1847. He eventually settled in Cleveland, Ohio and opened a shop for building pipe organs in 1855. After some time he was joined by his son, Heinrich. They ran the company together until Gottlieb’s death in 1894 (which was coincidentally also the year in which Walter Holtkamp Sr. was born). The instruments which they built were primarily one or two manual and pedal, some with divided keyboards. Wind pressures were low, in the 3” range. Visual design was neo-Gothic or neo-Classical.
Notable Organs
Henry Holtkamp (1903–1931)
Heinrich Votteler ran the company until 1903 when he was joined by Heinrich “Henry” Holtkamp. Henry was born in New Knoxville, Ohio. He was a church organist and the owner of a parlor musical instrument store in St. Mary’s, Ohio. In his store he sold music boxes, harmoniums, pianos, and the occasional small pipe organ. It is through these occasional small pipe organs that Heinrich and Henry may have known each other. Also, at that time in Ohio, German was the primary immigrant group. Most German immigrants also spoke their native tongue as their primary language. It is not a stretch to imagine that Heinrich and Henry knew each other through a German “good old boy” network.
When Henry moved to Cleveland and began work at the shop, the company underwent a name change to The Votteler-Hettche Organ Company (1903 – 1914). Ownership of the company was shared equally between Heinrich Votteler, Henry Holtkamp, and John Hettche, who was an investor knowledgeable regarding pipe organs. At this time Mary Holtkamp, daughter of Henry, began working in the shop. During this period, the robust mechanical action gave way to tubular pneumatic actions. Specifications became more weighted towards 16’ and 8’ stops. Wind pressures slowly climbed to the 4” range. Consoles became detached. Visual design remained as previously, either neo-Gothic or neo-Classical.
In 1911 Henry was joined by Allan Gordon Sparling. Mr. Sparling was a Canadian by birth, had extensive experience in organ building, and great skill in the new pneumatic technology that was becoming dominant in pipe organ building worldwide. In 1914 the company underwent a second name change to The Votteler-Holtkamp-Sparling Organ Company. In general, specifications had less and less upper work, and more 16’ and 8’ stops. Brightness, when desired was for the most part provided by super couplers. Wind pressures went up to a standard 5”, sometimes ranging higher to 8”. The prevalent design style was still neo-Gothic or neo-Classical.
Notable Organs
Walter Henry Holtkamp (1919–1962)
In 1919 Walter Henry Holtkamp returned from Europe after two years in the Army during the First World War. He joined the firm and began working side by side with his father. The company prospered and expanded its geographic range from the east coast to the Dakotas. The late 1920’s and early 1930’s were difficult times for the shop, times that brought with them multiple challenges. First was the great depression. With the stock market crash of 1929 the optimism of the roaring twenties began to evaporate. In March 1931 Henry Holtkamp died. In June of that year Mary Holtkamp died. Walter Holtkamp Sr. was left as the sole creative director of the firm.