Voice from the Early 1800s Heard Again
Antique Pianos Find Their Voice Again During National Piano Month
Paris, Ky.
For decades, two antique pianos sat silent inside Duncan Tavern Historic Center in Paris, Kentucky. Visitors admired their craftsmanship, but no one had heard their voices in generations.
This National Piano Month, that silence is about to be broken.
The Kentucky Society, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), has launched the restoration of the rare instruments — an effort that will reconnect Central Kentucky with the music that once filled parlors in the early 1800s.
“These pianos have always been beautiful to look at, but it bothered us that they couldn’t be played,” said Judy Owens, Chairman of the Duncan Tavern Committee. “One of our members, a pianist, felt the same way. Her generosity is what made this restoration possible — and now both pianos will sing again.”
A CRAFTSMAN's DREAM
The pianos are in the hands of Dennis Mayhew, a second-generation piano technician known for his work on antique instruments. In his workshop, the instruments have been carefully disassembled into hundreds of pieces. Mayhew describes the project as “the opportunity of a lifetime.” He is completing the work with the support of Schmidt’s Piano Service, a Lexington-based company with decades of expertise.
One piano, attributed to John Geib Jr., dates to the 1810s. It was likely sold in Lexington by his younger brother George, who ran a bustling music store downtown. Restoring it requires a brand-new soundboard — so intricate that Mayhew is consulting with master luthiers, or guitar makers, to get it just right. Another Geib piano resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, underscoring the rarity of the Duncan Tavern instrument.
The second piano carries the name of William Thompson, an English craftsman who brought his piano-making skills to Lexington in the 1820s. He advertised his work in the Lexington Weekly Press and set up shop across from Col. James Morrison’s home. A pianoforte by Thompson is also preserved at the Mary Todd Lincoln House.
Echoes of an Earlier Lexington
These aren’t modern 88-key pianos. They are “square pianos,” a short-lived form that bridged the gap between the harpsichord and the piano we know today. With a softer, more intimate sound, they were the heart of family parlors, where Kentuckians gathered by lamplight to make music together.
“Restoring these instruments isn’t just about fixing old wood and strings,” said Nate Baker, site coordinator at Duncan Tavern. “It’s about reconnecting with the sound world of early Lexington — when a piano in the parlor was a symbol of culture and community.”
Echoes of an Earlier Lexington
When the restoration is complete, the instruments will return to Duncan Tavern — not as silent displays, but as living voices of history. The Kentucky DAR is already planning performances, giving Kentuckians a rare chance to hear the delicate, graceful tones of pianos that first arrived on the frontier more than 200 years ago.
The first public concerts on the restored instruments will be announced soon. To be among the first to hear them, follow Duncan Tavern Historic Center on social media or visit duncantavern.com for updates. Don’t miss the chance to step back in time and experience the music that once echoed through early Kentucky homes.
