Artizan Factories Inc.

Artizan Factories Inc.

The only known photograph of the Artizan Factories Inc. building in its seven years of operation; published in a 1926 industrial survey. From the Historical Society of the Tonawandas. (1922-1929) The red brick building at 583 Division Street (in 2022 Wagner Precision Inc.) was built and first used by Artizan Factories Inc. to manufacture carousel organs, automatic musical instruments, and to perform general "mill and machine" work. It is comprised of men who have been in the local automatic musical instrument business for a long time: Its president, Stillman C. Woodruff, was the first secretary and treasurer for the de Kleist Musical Instrument Mfg. Co. in 1903. He served in a similar capacity for the North Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works before leading Artizan into business. Frank Morganti, vice president, and Christian Maerten, treasurer, have also made the rounds of the local organ factories, and each have 30 years of firsthand experience.

Like the North Tonawanda Musical Instrument Works' original factory, the single-elevator Artizan building is designed to accomodate expansion. However, in its case, an expansion is never necessary. In spite of its talented leadership, the competition from the nationwide Wurlitzer and changing tastes in public entertainment prove too much. After years of economic hardship, the venture fails in 1929.