Restored piano takes the stage

The piano first arrivein the area courtesyof an oxen cart.
CORTLAND -- Music has always played a major role in the history of the Opera House.
From its early days as a recital and dance hall to the 1920s when the sounds of a piano provided the background for silent movies to now, when residents gather daily for jazzercise classes, music has filled the rafters.
Today, after a lot of hard work and dedication, the Opera House is home to one of the most important pieces of musical history in Cortland.
A square baby grand piano that first found its way to the community in 1882 sits prominently on the stage, more closely resembling a dining room sideboard than a musical instrument.
Built by Chickering and Sons in Boston, the unusual piano was a gift from one of Cortland's early settlers, David Marvin, to his daughter, Bessie.
"The piano weighs 832 pounds," explained Ann Hoover, director of operations at the Opera House, which is owned and operated by the Bazetta-Cortland Historical Society. "It was shipped from Boston, through the mountains, and several hundred miles, on a cart pulled by oxen."
Fell into disrepair
Referred to these days as the Bessie Marvin piano, the instrument was prominently displayed in the Marvin parlor until Bessie's death in 1975.
Bessie, who lived to age 99, learned the instrument well enough to eventually become a piano teacher, Hoover said. Many children in Cortland would travel to the Marvin home to take lessons on the square piano that featured genuine ivory keys and a rosewood case.
But a few years after Bessie's death, new owners of the home moved the piano into an outdoor shed, and for the most part forgot about it.
For almost 10 years the piano sat, collecting dust and dirt and becoming a home to squirrels and other rodents, Hoover said. When historical society members learned the piano was available to them for $1 in the 1980s, they weren't exactly sure it could be salvaged.
The ivory keys had been gnawed at by animals, and the inner workings of the piano were covered in acorns and walnuts stored by the squirrels. Rain and snow had leaked into the shed, wearing away the wooden case.
Salvaged
But society members were determined to save the piece, Hoover said, and dedicated almost five years and $5,000 to its restoration. Pieces were ordered from England, the wood was restored by a member who was not only a musician but also an expert in antique wooden pieces, and a local company was found to fix the inner mechanisms and tune the instrument, she said.
Today, the piano once again is used in recitals and musical performances to the delight of society members and history buffs who visit the Opera House, Hoover said.
"We consider ourselves very lucky to have that square grand piano in here," she said.
Hoover added that the historical society would like to see the piano used even more in the future. The society would like to renovate the interior of the building and remove a drop ceiling that was installed years ago in order to reopen a balcony area, she said.
If the money can be raised, members would like to begin showing old silent movies, with a pianist providing the accompaniment on the Bessie Marvin piano.
"Wouldn't that just be the greatest thing?" Hoover remarked.
Bazetta-Cortland Historical Society members are accepting donations for operations and renovations at the Opera House. Anyone interested in making a donation can send it to the society at P.O. Box 411, Cortland 44410.
slshaulis@vindy.com