Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article
July 17, 1988
By Susie Dewey
Vigo County Historical Society
Stool part of area musical history
The piano stool in the museum must have delighted many an adventurous child who, contrary to parental admonition. spun around and around.
Sitting before the Paul Dresser piano at the museum, it presents a staid and sober demesne. It was not always so--as the scuff marks and scratches on the wood and metal parts attest.
It was a gift of Warner Paige to the Vigo County Historical Society, but the date or its exact whereabouts before are not known. Because of the style, it was not likely in a living room. Victorian ladies preferred to draw up an occasional chair to their upright pianos and a bench before any parlor or baby grand. The bench may have been used in a music room at a school, or at a restaurant, or perhaps it came from the Paige Music Store.
The Victorian household valued a piano highly. In the United States, the arrival in 1855 of Henry Steinway began the vogue. A German-born piano maker, he quickly solved many structural and musical problems inherent in the earlier pianos. His upright or vertical piano required less floor space than the grand piano. Families purchased a piano not only as a status symbol, but as an entertainment focus for the house.
Music lessons for children were standard in middle- and upper-class families. In 1871, Paige’s Music Store advertised lessons of one hour’s duration for 40 cents. Mothers and daughters regularly played hymns for the family and for church services. Popular music was just beginning to be available in sheet music. Guests were invited to hear children play their “pieces,” and evenings for young people often consisted of a group around the piano singing traditional songs and hymns.
The only requirement for a piano bench, chair or stool was that the player’s feet be able to touch the pedals easily and that the arms be comfortable at the keyboard. Concert performers or professional pianists required that the seating be more precisely adjusted. The adjustable, screw-type stool, while not especially attractive, was efficient in that it could be adapted to many players of different physiques.
The donor of the piano stool merits a place in Terre Haute history, both business and cultural. In 1871, W.H. Paige at that time head of the music program in the Terre Haute schools, founded the W.H. Paige and Co. Music Store. His store at Sixth and Main streets on the Deming Block (later destroyed by fire), advertised pianos and musical merchandise for all customers.
So successful was the business that in 1873, Paige resigned from the school system and bought out his partner, W.B. Wharton, who left Terre Haute. The business became not only the oldest music house in Western Indiana, but also the most prominent Midwestern music firm. Fred and Warner Paige succeeded their father in managing the firm. They worked tirelessly to promote musical activities in the area.
Today’s owner of the W.H. Paige Co. is the fourth generation with the initials W.H.
In February 1871, W.H. Paige published a two-page leaflet to advertise his new business. He called the publication “Musical Guest.” It was so successful that other stores asked to advertise in it. This very rare publication is highly valued by collectors of memorabilia of the era.
The piano stool in the museum is evidence of the lifestyle of the earlier Terre Haute scene and the business of the day. More importantly, it is a testament to the generosity and commitment of the Paige family to their community and culture.
The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.