By Bill Kleppel
Poughkeepsie has a rich history of making and manufacturing fine musical instruments. Louis Weithan’s Piano Factory stood where I’m sitting right now, decades before the Adriance Memorial Library opened in 1898.
But we never expected a pair of 170-year-old Poughkeepsie made violins to fly home and roost in our Local History Room. Yet, that’s exactly what happened.
The Gunn Family
In 1796, Revolutionary War veteran Abel Gunn Sr. and his family arrived in Poughkeepsie from New Milford, Connecticut. There are several accounts of Abel as a soldier with George Washington at Valley Forge, as well as accompanying him on his famous crossing of the Delaware River.
In 1808, Colonel William Blodgett, also from Connecticut, travelled to Poughkeepsie with what would be the town’s very first organ. It was installed in the “English Church,” later to become Christ Church. As an accomplished musician, Colonel Blodgett was the first to play it. He immediately began teaching pupils. The one student who clearly stood apart from the others was 9-year-old Abel Gunn Jr. Within the next two years, he would become the organist for the church. He’d remain in this seat for the next 50 years.
Abel Gunn Jr.
Abel Gunn Jr., a “thin faced, delicate looking young man” (another passage describes him “with sunken cheeks, and a consumptive tendency”), was regarded as a genius and the “foremost musician in the village.”
Three Gunn Violins; photos (&violins) courtesy of John Hohenwarter
Abel Jr. and his two brothers, Joseph and Samuel, became “organ builders and violin makers,” as well as musicians. Samuel seemed to be the most prolific creator of violins. He also played the organ at the First Baptist Church for many years. Joseph played the organ at the Presbyterian Church.
It’s as if any congregation in town could not start a musical program without having a hired Gunn.
In her seminal 1912 book, A Century of Music in Poughkeepsie: 1802-1911, Helen Andrus gives us this slightly eerie passage: “There are in the city at the present time, three violins made by this family, dated 1849, 1850, and 1851.”
The three violins shown here are dated 1852, 1848, and 1820, respectively. We have received the first two. All of them built by Samuel Gunn.
Inscriptions on the three Gunn Violins (courtesy of John Hohenwarter)
The progeny of the three sons continued to flourish throughout the 19th Century. Joseph’s son, Isaac Gunn, became a talented violinist. He and his uncle, Abel Jr., also composed original songs and piano compositions. Sadly, Isaac died in 1856 at the age of 26.
“Mary Machree” by Isaac Gunn; 1851 (LOC)
“Arabella Waltz” by Abel Gunn Jr.
Our prolific violin maker, Samuel, would have a son, Samuel Jr., who would play organ music in various churches throughout town until his departure for Brooklyn at the turn of the 20th Century. Samuel’s daughter, Mary Louisa, would give birth to a son who would harness all the family’s creative abilities to become the most talented and successful of the Gunn’s.
Ira Johnson began performing at the age of seven. He was first introduced to a packed audience at Christ Church as “Professor Johnson,” before enthralling them with an incredible piano recital. Ira would perform as a pianist, organist, and trombonist for popular bands of the era, playing professionally until his death at 72 in 1924.
Several generations of Gunn’s proudly displayed their musical skills, encouraging other Poughkeepsie families to pursue their dreams. The Andrus, Van Vliet, Deyo, Wiethan, Grube, Hickok, and other families collaborated to create sounds that enriched this city for over a hundred years.
Child prodigy Ira Johnson; 1859
Ira Johnson during the 1880’s
The Violins
Recently, John Hohenwarter stumbled across a post from our patron Michael Green’s Facebook page: Historic Sheet Music of the Hudson Valley and Upstate New York (please visit this page for some of the most remarkable and interesting local music history!). John contacted Michael to tell him he was in possession of three violins created by Samuel Gunn. They were all once owned by a direct relative of the family who had been living in North Carolina.
Conversations led to Michael receiving two of them.
Michael then donated the violins to our History Room at the Adriance Memorial Library!
Michael Green and his generous donation
Times like this make me appreciate that I am a Local History Librarian here. Patrons like Michael Green are a great reminder of why I do the work that I do, and it is a privilege, and none of this could have occurred without kindred music history enthusiast John Hohenwarter. We cannot thank you enough.
We will be presenting these treasures (as well as others) very soon.
Samuel Gunn Violins: 1848 & 1852
The author hovering over the archival spoils in the History Room
Library Historian Extraordinaire Shannon Butler
