Schmidt Piano and Organ Service is pleased to announce the completion of the overhaul of the Hallman Pipe organ and Yamaha piano at Chesley Lake Community near Allenford Ontario.

Jacob “Jake” Clare Hallman was born in 1912 near Mannheim Ontario Canada to Bishop Manasseh Hallman and Lizzie Ann Erb. “Jake” was baptized by his father who was Bishop at Mannheim Mennonite Church. He grew up on a farm nearby which is still in the Hallman family. In his youth he began experimenting with the family reed organ. Developing and patenting his own type of valve using the principle of Direct Electric similar to a Pipe organ. In 1938 he started his business J.C Hallman Manufacturing Company producing hydraulics for automotive, agriculture and lumber industries. The company also developed electric fence controls for livestock. Due to his love for the organ, he opened a division to manufacture electronic organs in 1949 in Waterloo Ontario.
These instruments were in a sense a hybrid organ, part electronic and part windblown reed organ. Since the organs used Direct electric action and standard pipe organ keyboards and consoles the touch and sound of these organs were similar to smaller pipe organs much appreciated by church organists and churches. The company purchased a warehouse from Bauer Felt Company at 41 John St W in Waterloo. From 1949 to 1969 over 3000 electronic organs in various models plus 59 pipe organs were built. The first pipe organ was a 5-division pipe organ for St Pauls United in Sarnia in 1964. Our company serviced the organ until the church closed several years ago. During the 1960’s the plant at 41 John St W experienced a fire, and a new building was built on Alpine Dr in Kitchener. The old property in Waterloo is now home to a parking lot used by SunLife Insurance Company and is still referred to as the Hallman Lot. Most likely many Sunlife employees have no idea why! Due to changing markets, the organ division was sold to Keates Organ Company in Acton Ontario in 1969. Don Stappels, Chief Engineer and Plant manager and George Maurer did build a few more “Hallman’s” after the closing as well.

“Jake” Hallman and his family were Philanthropists. He was a founding member of Rockway Mennonite Collegiate where also installed a pipe organ. He was instrumental in the founding of the Chesley Lake Camp with others in his Mennonite community. In 1950 a chapel was built. In 1977 the roof collapsed and a new Chapel was built and named the Hallman Chapel in his honor. The family were active in the Mennonite churches, Ray of Hope and numerous other Mennonite Initiatives always giving back.

Jake Hallman donated and built the Pipe organ at Chesley Lake with assistance of George Maurer of Phillipsburg who was the Tonal Director at Hallman Organ. Of note George Maurer also went to Keates in 1969 as Tonal director. We visited the Chapel in the fall of 2025. The council had been informed by a competitor that the organ was unrepairable. Our Associate Stacy Bock who had worked and trained with George Maurer at Keates, I and other Associates went through the organ with a nail tooth comb and found that this was the far from the truth. Despite the rural conditions such as no heat in the cold winter months and hot humid summers in this area of Ontario the quality of the materials and workmanship had really stood the test of time.

This year we undertook a major cleaning of the organ, removing all pipework, cleaning, re-voicing, and tuning. Cleaning and regulating relays and the chamber and related parts. Many Hallman’s have been converted to solid state, but this organ still functions quite well with original switching system once cleaned. We provided chamber lighting, additional humidity controls as well as overhauled the Yamaha Upright Piano. The organ is unified from 6 ranks of pipes. 16’ Flute, 8 Principal, 1-1/3’ Quint, 8’ Salicional (Viola), 8’ Celeste (TC) and an 8’ Fagotto. Combination Action is preset single memory original from Hallman. The pipes for the 8 Principal and 1-1/3’ Quinte are open in the chamber and the balance is enclosed in the Swell box.

It is our wish that with routine maintenance that this Pipe organ can continue to serve the needs of Chesley Lake. Our Special thanks go to George Maurer for his inspiration, David and Susan Seyler (the organist) for their vision, Hallman Chapel Board. Our Associates: Stacy Bock, Chadd Yaniw, Ashton Dunk for this project!

Gary R Schmidt
President
www.schmidtpianoandorgan.com