Kotzschmar History
On January 24, 1908 Portland's city hall suffered a disastrous fire.
Plans were immediately begun to rebuild the municipal building, and it was suggested that a grand organ be included in the large auditorium, like that in the town hall in Sydney, Australia.
Cyrus H. K. Curtis, a Portland native and Philadelphia publisher who was a devoted amateur musician, stepped forward and offered the gift of an organ to the city. Mr. Curtis had only two stipulations: that the organ be built by the Austin Organ Company of Hartford, Connecticut, and that it be a memorial to the man whose name he carried, Hermann Kotzschmar.
Hermann Kotzschmar, a German native, lived in Portland from 1849 until his death in April of 1908. He was an extraordinary musician. Kotzschmar's main occupations were as organist at First Parish Church Unitarian Universalist, for 47 years, and as a choral conductor in Portland and elsewhere in Maine. He also had hundreds of students, both piano and organ, over a span of more than fifty years. Hermann Kotzschmar composed much music, and also conducted instrumental groups. He and his talented wife, Mary Ann, ran the "Kotzschmar Piano School" during the last years of the 19th century, and gave many well-received recitals at Kotzschmar Hall, a charming concert hall named after the venerable musician.
The German musician lived with Cyrus Libby Curtis and his wife until the birth of their first son in June of 1850.
By this time the Curtis family had such fond feelings for the young musician that they gave their child his name; the boy was christened Cyrus Hermann Kotzschmar Curtis.
Mr. Curtis was very proud of his full name, and never omitted the H.K. from his signature!
An enduring friendship developed between Kotzschmar and the Curtis family.
Cyrus H. K. Curtis left Portland at the age of 16 and went off to make his publishing fortune in other places, while Hermann Kotzschmar stayed in Portland and led the city in its musical awakening and development.
The culmination of this Curtis-Kotzschmar relationship, which began in 1849, was the magnificent gift of a grand Austin organ that Cyrus H. K. Curtis gave to the city of Portland.
The organ was dedicated on August 22, 1912 to the memory of Mr. Curtis' namesake, Hermann Kotzschmar. The "Kotzschmar Memorial Organ" is indeed still the "jewel" of the City of Portland, ninety years later!
Kotzschmar Memorial Organ in 1912