William Steinway

Steinway was born in Seesen, Brunswick, Germany, the fourth son of Henry Engelhard Steinway. In Germany, he received an elementary education and was also given instruction in languages and music. He then became an apprentice in a piano factory, where he spent two years.

Steinway & Sons

He came to the United States with his father and brothers in 1850. With his father and his brothers Charles and Henry, he founded the firm of Steinway & Sons in 1853. In 1865 they were joined by Charles F. Tretbar who became William's close confidant in both business and his personal life. In 1876, he became the official head of the firm; however, he had effectively made the decisions since 1871 after his father died. In regard to representation, since 1860 when he was the speaker to inaugurate the new plant at 4th Avenue/52nd Street, New York City. In 1866, Steinway erected Steinway Hall to make a place for the exhibition of the highest musical skill. It was a huge success for the company. He also founded the Steinway Concert & Artist Department, which is still working today.

In 1870, after purchasing property from the widow of Benjamin Pike, Jr., which included a mansion that would house his family during the summertime and later bear his name as the Steinway Mansion, William began buying new property surrounding the mansion to build a company town, Steinway Village, on 440 acres (1.8 km2) in northern Astoria, New York. Avoiding the crowded streets and labor problems associated with operating in Manhattan, he directed the construction of the Steinway Piano Factory on this land, a large facility still in operation today. Near the factory was the aforementioned housing for his workers, a church, a library, a kindergarten, and a public trolley line. In 1929, a resort and amusement park area that Steinway developed just east of Astoria, in North Beach at Bowery Bay, was converted into North Beach Airport, later renamed LaGuardia Airport.

His successor as head of the company was Charles Herman Steinway.

Steinway married Regina Roos in Buffalo, New York in April 1861. He was 26 and she was 17, and reportedly the couple were deeply in love. The marriage lasted 16 years and included a series of affairs, which, according to his personal diaries, caused him considerable distress. While married to Steinway, Regina became pregnant six times, three of which ended in miscarriage or stillbirth. One son was illegitimate and moved with his mother to France when she divorced in 1876. Steinway later remarried.