Organ History

1825 - The first organ is installed; the money is raised by subscription.

1850 - From 1850 to 1851 the present church building of local granite is erected and a new organ (Hook and Hastings) is installed.

1870 - A new Hook and Hastings organ is installed, and the choir gallery (surrounding the rear of the organ console) is made to connect with the galleries on the sides.  A sum of $6000 is subscribed.

1907 - The Hopson and Chapin Company install a water motor in the organ at the cost of $226.05.  This discontinues the hand-pumping of the bellows.

1913 - The organ is rebuilt and electrified by the Hall Organ Company of New Haven, a company that has since gone out of business.  The fact that the organ was electrified at this date indicates that previous organs used "tracker" action.

1956 - The large main bellows is repaired, and other small work is done by the Brummer Organ Company for $3000.

1960 - Between August 18th and September 21st, Julius Meyer replaces bellows coverings; replaces the generator with rectifier; cleans and tunes the pipes and reeds; cleans, repairs and replaces solenoids and electrical contacts; console stops are releathered; keys are fixed and replaced, the organ is tuned, a light switch and locks are added, all at a cost of $3275.

1966 - In the mid 1960's Paul White, Director of Music, "leads" the drive to have the organ rebuilt.  Bids are sent out to several companies.  After an extensive process, the Reed Company is hired to do the work.  A series of dedication concerts are held in November and December of 1966.  Unfortunately, documents written a short time afterwards indicate this rebuilt was plagued with problems right from the start, becoming worse over time.

1977 - A full set of organ chimes is given to the church and installed in memory of Larry Hefferman.

1997 - The Hook & Hastings/Hall/Reed organ is played for the last time during a service.  Too many problems deem it unusable.  Services are now accompanied on the Baldwin baby-grand downstairs.  A search for a new organ begins.

1999 - The new Rodgers 960 Electronic Digital Organ installed by Marshall and Ogletree Associates.  The dedication performance, in memory of Music Director Donald Janse, is held in September.

2001 - The Hefferman chimes, defunct at least since a lightning strike the previous year (they also possibly were never installed in the new Rodgers organ), are finally repaired after months of intense work by Mr. George Mancini of Marshall and Ogletree Associates.  The painstaking process, affectionately dubbed the "Hefferman Project", has now come to a most successful end.

2004 - A Zimbelstern (8-bell instrument connected to the organ, used as accompaniment for some organ pieces) is installed in loving memory of a long-time member of the Senior Choir, Betty Schumacher.