To celebrate the USA’s centennial anniversary, Steinway & Sons crafted a unique piano that was displayed during the United States Centennial International Exposition of 1876 in Philadelphia. This historical instrument is No. 108 of 424 “Centennial” concert grand pianos produced in Steinway & Sons’ New York factory and is one of the few remaining.

No. 108 started out as an 8-foot, 9-inch Style 5 grand piano in Rosewood and was delivered in 1878. About 20 years later, the piano was reacquired by Steinway to be “clipped” and “ebonized” at their factory, as detailed in a note from Steinway’s Technical Service Administrator. The case was trimmed down to its current 7-foot, 2-inch length and the exterior was modernized to a spade leg design with a satin ebony finish. Clipping Steinway pianos was not an unusual practice at the time — done by the company itself and other rebuilders, perhaps to meet a preferred aesthetic of the period.

Not only has the case been restored, but the piano’s inner workings also have been rebuilt at Plum Piano Restoration to re-create a magnificent instrument that sounds and plays as beautiful as it looks.

The traditional-style case was refinished in built-up ebony lacquer, then hand-rubbed to a satin finish, with hardware re-plated in polished nickel. It has a full 7 ¼ octave (88 note) keyboard and 3-pedal lyre (with full function sostenuto).

The piano’s other unique details include a 17-note bass section utilizing an intermediate tenor bridge, a refinished full cupola plate with raised beading around the cooling holes and along the edge, and the modern Steinway 3-rail tubular action.

A replacement pinblock was fitted during belly restoration, along with a modern damper underlever system. Action rebuilding includes new action parts and concert-level action regulation, with key and hammer weigh-off using Stanwood SNAP protocols.

The end result is an instrument that — in addition to its visual appeal — produces a powerful bass, with extended sustain in the fifth and sixth octaves, and a superior level of control and evenness throughout the keyboard.

This Centennial piano will function well in either a home or a performance space. The piano is available for inspection at Plum Piano Restoration, La Grange, Texas.