From the OHS PC Database, derived from A Guide to North American Organbuilders, by David H. Fox (Richmond, Va.: Organ Historical Society, 1991). —

Established by Adrian V. Standaart in Suffolk, Virgina; acquired A. Gottfried Co. of Erie, Pennsylvania, 1950; in receivership 1953.

Staff: Anton Gottfried; Hugh Turpin.

Sources:

• The Diapason June, 1950, 10.


• The Diapason September 1950, 31.


• The Diapason  June 1953, 1.

From Organ Database Builders editor Stephen Hall, April 19, 2016 —

Adrian V. Standaart (1907-1976) was a Dutch organ builder who worked in the family firm in Schiedam, the Netherlands. He immigrated to the United States in 1946, settling in Suffolk, Virginia. He established the Standaart Organ Co. there.¹ The firm acquired the A. Gottfried firm in 1950, although it is not certain if the Gottfried firm was in Erie, Pennsylvania or Charleston, South Carolina at the time. It is known that Anton Gottfried became part of the Standaart staff as a voicer, despite the fact that he was in his eighties at the time.²

The Standaart firm built electrical action instruments, some of considerable size: at least one four manual instrument was built for the First Baptist Church of Gaffney, South Carolina.³ Standaart Jr. was approached in the spring of 1951 by British organist Reginald Foort who wished to join the firm. Foort came to America in 1952 and became vice president of Standaart's organ works. Foort thereby used the pseudonym "Michael Cheshire," an alias he had used previously in Great Britain while performing theater organ recitals as Standaart did not want his company associated with theater organs.⁴ The firm experienced financial problems and went into receivership in 1953.⁵

Sources:

1. Geert Jan Pottjewijd, Standaart Organs (Standaart-orgels.nl) Dutch website. Accessed using Google translation April 19, 2016.


2. David Fox, A Guide to North American Organbuilders (Organ Historical Society, 1991)


3. "Mammoth Organ Installed at First Baptist Church," Gaffney Ledger (Gaffney, South Carolina, Thursday April 3, 1952) Accessed on-line at NewsPapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/78052803/ April 14, 2016.


4. Pottjewijd, Standaart Organs.


5. Charles Callahan, The American Classic Organ: A History in Letters (Organ Historical Society, 1990), Footnote to Letter 241, 354.