 A South Carolina museum may be the home of a recovered piece of American history. More from Katie Gray. A museum in Greenville is believed to have the first piano ever made in the United States. Curator Tom Strange says the 250-year-old piano is an extraordinary find. He says it dates back to the late 1700s, built by John Burnett, who studied in London and then Portugal before moving to the United States. State News reports that the piano was donated to the museum