Better Pipe Organ Database

Austin Organ Co. Opus 1614 (1928)

Mount Vernon Methodist Church
Birmingham, AL

Note: Not extant. Not playable. (in this location)

Images

1940 - Church exterior (Photograph by eBay, submitted by Jeff Scofield/Jeff Scofield)

Unknown - Abandoned interior to rear (Photograph by abandonedalabama.com, submitted by Jeff Scofield/Jeff Scofield)

Unknown - Abandoned interior to front (Photograph by abandonedalabama.com, submitted by Jeff Scofield/Jeff Scofield)

Consoles

Main

Organ type: Traditional With Roll Top
2 manuals
9 registers
3 divisions
Key action Type: Electrical
Stop action Type: Electrical
Stop layout Type: Stop Keys Above Top Manual
Manual compass: 61 notes
Pedal compass: 32 notes
Pedal Type: Concave Radiating (Meeting AGO Standards)
Expression Type: Balanced Expression Shoes/Pedals (Meeting AGO Standards)
Has crescendo
Combination action: Adjustable Combination Pistons
Has combination thumb pistons
Has coupler toe pistons
Has tutti toe pistons

Notes

2004-12-15 - Information identifying this instrument from the Austin Organs, Inc. web site, accessed December 15, 2004: http://www.austinorgans.com/organ-research.htm. -Database Manager

2005-12-01 - Moved to New building and enlarged in 1970s by Howard Best. -Database Manager

2007-03-03 - Updated through online information from James R. Stettner. -Database Manager

2023-11-11 - In 1948 the church had over 1,600 members; due to a transitioning neighborhood and interstate highway construction in the early 1970's, many members had moved out to the Gardendale area and formed Gardendale United Methodist Church; in 1975 the remaining members of Mt. Vernon UMC merged with the Gardendale church to become Gardendale Mt. Vernon United Methodist; the organ was relocated to the Gardendale church by Howard Best, who rebuilt it and made some tonal changes. -Jeff Scofield

Related Pipe Organ Database Entries

#11232 - Howard Best (Howard M. Best III) (1970s)