Story & Clark

Hampton Story started his piano manufacturing career as a founding partner (1862) in the first piano and organ company in Vermont: Story & Powers.   Story eventually closed out business in Vermont to move on to Chicago where he partnered with Isaac N. Camp in making organs and pianos.  In 1884, he also formed a new company with his son Edward H Story and Melville Clark called the Story & Clark Piano Company.  Clark left the company in 1900 to form the Melville Clark Company.  The Story & Clark Company moved to Grand Haven, Michigan and Clark moved his company to DeKalb, IL.  Story & Clark was bought by the Lowery Organ Company on 1962. Sales fell through the next two decades and Lowery split their company into two parts and sold them to separate investors. Story & Clark became part of Classic Player Piano Company. The company is now part of QRS Music which is a company originally founded by Melville Clark after leaving the original Story & Clark! 

The Story & Clark Piano Company was a mid-sized piano maker for the Midwest through the early part of the 20th Century. It typically had annual production of about 6000 units. Kimball produced a similar number of units. However for Kimball, this represented a loss of about 50% due largely to companies like Story & Clark, Cable, Cable-Nelson, and Monarch who all started about the same time and cut into Kimball’s monopoly.

Story & Clark pianos are great for budget-minded folks who want pianos with charm and stylish cabinets.