Mr. J. E. Stone purchased the illustrious firm of Mixsell & Company of New York City in 1872.  Members of the Mixsell family were very active in piano & organ building during the 19th Century. These family members include Aaron Mixsell, Peter Mixsell, Philip Mixsell, and Isaac Mixsell.

Aaron Mixsell is first listed at 27th & Ave. 3, New York City, in about 1843. During the 1840s and 1850s, Aaron built a limited number of square pianos and melodeons under his own name. In 1860, Aaron joined Peter Mixsell to form the firm of “A & P Mixsell”. This partnership was short lived and was dissolved in 1861.  Aaron Mixsell continued to build high quality pianos and melodeons under his own name until the late 1860s.

Peter Mixsell began his career working in a piano factory in Albany during the 1850s before moving to New York City in 1860 to join Aaron Mixsell in the firm “A & P Mixsell”. After the firm dissolved in 1861, Peter went into a brief partnership with a gentleman by the name of Flood to establish the firm of “Mixsell & Flood”.  In about 1862 Peter Mixsell reestablished himself “Mixsell & Company” at 117 East 19th Street.  In 1864, the firm was changed to “P. Mixsell & Company”, manufacturers of “Carpenter’s Patent Harmonium Grand Pianos”. These unique instruments were actually square grand pianos with a small harmonium (reed organ) built into one side of the case with its own separate keyboard. Although these instruments were widely advertised in their day, they are exceedingly rare today.  Peter Mixsell retired in about 1872, and sold his factory to Mr. J. E. Stone.

Very little information is known about the remaining Mixsell family members. Philip Mixsell is listed as being a piano maker from 1859 -1860, and Isaac Mixsell is listed as a dealer in 1856. It is likely that these family members were part of the larger Mixsell firms, but there is no record to confirm this.

Mr. J. E. Stone purchased Mixsell & Company in 1872.  The firm reorganized as “J. E. Stone, Successors To Mixsell & Company”.  It appears that J. E. Stone retired in about 1874, leaving the business to his son C. H. Stone.  Although these instruments were widely advertised in their day, they are exceedingly rare today and are definitely of museum caliber. There is no information available the company after the early 1880s.