Johann Gottlob Klemm was born in a village near Dresden, Germany, in 1690. He was the son of an organist, organ builder, and schoolmaster. He took up theology studies at the Universities of Freiberg when he was fifteen years old for two years. In 1709 he went to the University at Leipzig.
Early career
He decided against ministry and returned to Dresden in 1710 to take up a career in instrument building. Clemm learned the trade as a keyboard instrument builder and organ builder in Dresden from Andreas Silbermann and his brother Gottfried Silbermann. He developed a friendship with Moravian leader Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf and built a harpsichord for him. In 1726 he joined the Moravian Church and moved to Herrnhut on the estate of Zinzendorf. Clemm was in attendance at the communion service on August 13, 1727. He was a group leader who taught boys and led services. Clemm followed the Moravian ways for some years, but ultimately became disillusioned with Zinzendorf's leadership around 1730. The squabble was over doctrine and distrust of pious people. Clemm and his family remained in the community of Herrnhut for a few more years until they emigrated to America in 1733 with the Schwenkfelder family.
North America
Clemm settled in Philadelphia in 1736 and lived as a Separatist. He constructed organs and keyboard instruments for churches of the Moravians in America. He dropped his German name he was born with, Johann Gottlob Klemm, and anglicized his name as John Clemm. Clemm moved to New York City in 1737. He proposed a Schema for a large organ for Trinity Church in 1738. It was approved and he started construction of the organ in 1739. He finished it in 1741 and was paid the final payment then. It was the first church organ built in America. Clemm returned to Pennsylvania in 1747. There he repaired and built organs in the Bethlehem area for the Moravians and assisted Gustavus Hesselius. In the spring of 1748 Clemm moved with the Tannenberg family to Nazareth, Pennsylvania. He started at that time teaching David Tannenberg organ building techniques. Together they built five organs for the Moravians. Clemm was America's first professional organ builder. Late in his life Clemm dictated an autobiographical memoir, which was edited anonymously. He became gravely ill at Bethlehem on May 2, 1762, and died on May 5 at the age of 72.
