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The New Haven Enterprise - Minority Businessperson
Bernard Shoninger
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Business New Haven
1/24/2000
By:
Priscilla Searles
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Groups defined as “minority” shift with the times. A new minority in the Elm City in the 1830s and '40s were Bavarian Jews, among them Bernard Shoninger.
Born in Bavaria in 1828, Shoninger came to America in 1841 with a little baggage, $14.40 and the sharp mind and fierce determination of a born entrepreneur.
Shoninger set up the B. Shoninger Organ Co. in 1850, making melodeons on a small scale in Woodbridge. He opened a small store on Chapel Street to sell his products, and soon the Woodbridge plant could not keep up with demand. In 1863 Shoninger built a two-story wooden factory on Kimberly Avenue. Fire destroyed the building in 1865 and when the Treat & Lindsley Organ Co. decided to sell out, Shoninger purchased that company's plant, located near the corner of Chapel and Church streets. Sales continued to increase, and numerous additions to the plant were made. At its peak the company employed more than 300 workers.
When Shoninger entered the business, organs and pianos were considered luxuries affordable only to the rich. Shoninger's demand for a quality product made with the best materials by highly skilled workers helped the company grow. But it was Shoninger's firm belief in constant improvement and innovation that ultimately made the company a world leader in the production of organs and pianos.
Shoninger's company held more than 30 patents. One of the more interesting Shoninger inventions for the organs was the introduction of a bell and chime. The numerous improvements in the construction and quality of the instruments over the years increased the popularity and availability of organs and pianos.
The B. Shoninger Organ & Piano Co. remained in operation through changing times and tastes. But not forever: Like so many New Haven businesses, the company closed its doors in the mid-1920s.
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