General Information

The Hendrickson Organ Company was founded by Charles Hendrickson in 1964. Since then, more than 100 contracted pipe organ projects have been completed.

Prior to becoming an organ builder, Charles Hendrickson was an Instructor of Physics at Mankato State College, Wisconsin State University at Superior, Northeastern State College in Oklahoma, and Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. He holds a Masters Degree in Physics and is a graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter.

In 1971 a new shop of 3400 square feet was constructed at 1403 North Fifth Street. Before the construction of the new shop, the organ business worked out of the Hendrickson residence. The first organ built in the new shop was the important tracker organ for Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. This two manual, 34-rank instrument was designed by Merrill N. Davis III and William Kuhlman, College organist. The walnut casework and tin an copper facade pipes made the instrument a revolutionary design for tracker organs in the midwest.

Charles Hendrickson is President. Sons Eric and Andreas Hendrickson are in charge of operations, design, and service.

The firm began by building electric-action pipe organs, but by 1969 had contracted for its first tracker-action instrument. Since then, both electric action and tracker action pipe organs have been built for churches, schools, and homes in the Midwest. The Luther College instrument may be the first tracker built by a Midwestern builder in modern times.

Along with new pipe organs, the firm has restored old instruments, relocated instruments, and rebuilt and enlarged existing pipe organs. The organs which are built by the Hendrickson Organ Company are done so under contract for specific churches, colleges, and individuals. The is no facility for mass productions. Rebuilding and restoration of old organs is done frequently, and regular service work and tuning are provided for approximately fifty organs. Even though the firm does very little advertising, it has been fortunate to have a backlog of work since the day it began business.

The basic thrust of the company is in the design, construction, and installation of new pipe organs. Both electric and tracker action instruments are produced. The pipework is all custom made by various pipe making firms in the United States, Germany, and Holland. Some wood pipes are made in the Hendrickson shop. The firm makes all its own chests, consoles, reservoirs, casework, and does not import ready made organs nor does it sub-contract the construction of its instruments.

Projects have ranged from a small portative of one manual and one rank up to a large-scale project - the 4-manual, 70 rank C. Charles Jackson pipe organ at Wayzata Community Church.

Charles serves as President of APOBA (Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America) a trade organization of organ builders and supply firms. He is also a member of AIO (American Institute of Organ Builders) and ISO (International Society of Organbuilders). Charles is Archivist for the Minnesota Chapter of the Organ Historical Society, and also of the Friends of the Northrop Organ - a group dedicated to preserving the 4-manual 108-rank Æolian Skinner organ at Northrop Auditorium at the University of Minnesota.

A series of more than 40 articles by Charles have appeared in The American Organist (TAO) magazine over the past 25 years. Other articles have appeared in The Diapason, and the Journal of the ISO. The articles are also available on this website.