2004-10-30 - Given to this congregation by the Salem Moravian church when a Tannenberg arrived at Salem for the Parish house in 1798. Eventual fate unknown. Bethabara now part of Winston-Salem. They now have a 3-stop facsimile of this instrument built in 1971 by Charles McManis. -Database Manager
2010-02-07 - Updated through on-line information from Hal Garrison. -- This instrument was originally built for the saal of the Salem, NC (now Winston-Salem) Gemeinhaus for the Salem Congregation and, as such, can be considered the first organ for what is now Home Moravian Church and the predecessor to several other instruments: 1798 Tannenberg, 1800 David Tannenberg, 1913 W. W. Kimball Co., 1959 Aeolian-Skinner Organ Co. <br><br>FROM OLD SALEM INTERPRETATION MATERIAL: This instrument was built by Joseph Bulitschek, an apprentice of David Tannenberg's, who arrived in Bethabara in 1771. This instrument was built in 1772 and served the (Salem) congregation for 26 years before being replaced by the 1798 Tannenberg currently in the Old Salem Single Brothers' House. Since the Bulitschek organ was still usable, Philip Bachmann, who was in Salem to install the new Tannenberg, moved it to the Bethabara Gemeinhaus (replacing the 1762 Tannenberg). How long it was in service there and its fate remain unknown. <br><br>FROM "ORGANS IN THE WIDERNESS"; Charles G. Vardell, 1944: "It was placed in the back of the (Salem) Gemein Saal where the organist, who apparently had his back to the rear wall, could, by peering through a small window in the instrument, look directly into the face of the minister over the heads of the congregation." ... "The Salem musicians began to feel that the tone of their organ was unpleasant and raucous. In 1781 Brother Johann Krause ... boxed up the side of the organ nearest the congregation and made a top for the instrument which could be opened or closed at will." -Database Manager
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