Brinkerhoff was first established in Chicago in 1906 by William Temple Brinkerhoff. The Brinkerhoff Piano Company was then officially incorporated in 1911. Brinkerhoff was known for building a better quality, affordable line of instruments during the “golden age” of American piano manufacturing. The firm offered a full line of upright pianos, baby grand pianos, and player pianos until the Great Depression era. Player pianos by the firm were of especially good quality and design. After about 1930, the firm discontinued upright pianos and player pianos, adding console and spinet pianos to their product line.

The Brinkerhoff Piano Company was affiliated with the prominent M. Schulz Piano Company, and many of the Brinkerhoff instruments were actually manufactured by Schultz during the ‘teens and ‘twenties era. In addition to Brinkerhoff, pianos by the firm were sold under the name of Schriver & Sons. The Brinkerhoff name was discontinued in about 1950.