Did you know that the first pianos in the United States were manufactured here in Milton?

There is an 1915 article that appeared in the Boston Globe attesting to this. You can find that article here.

The pianos were made here in Milton by Benjamin Crehore, and you too could own one. A rare Crehore piano is among the items the Boston Public Library will offer at auction from its extensive special collection.

The BPL is not immune to the slumping economy as The Boston Globe reported yesterday.

Collecting musical instruments is not within the scope of the library’s mission. The piano will be auctioned by Skinner Auctioneers and Appraisers in the coming months.

The Globe reports, “The Crehore piano, soon to be sold, now sits in a curator’s office. Though the piano no longer works, it was made by Milton resident Benjamin Crehore, who is credited with manufacturing the first piano in the United States, in the 1800s. Susan Glover, acting keeper of special collections, estimates it could fetch roughly $10,000 at auction, money she says the library would use to restore a Steinway piano.” You can read yesterday’s full Globe article here.