Note: Not extant. Not playable. (in this location)
2004-12-17 - Tonal alterations to the existing Austin Opus 1272. -Database Manager
2015-06-24 - Updated through information received via e-mail from Randall Dyer. -- <br>About 1957, Second Presbyterian moved out to the "suburbs," at the edge of Sequoyah Hills on Kingston Pike, and built a new brick building high on a hill overlooking the street. When Second Pres left downtown, there were folks who didn't want to abandon their old, comfortable building, so they formed "First Congregational Church." I served as organist from about 1966 -1969. The Austin organ was still there, but it had been altered, to some degree, probably by Steve Brown. <br>When I got to FCC as organist, the stoplist of the Austin had been altered a little, (though most thoughtful people could probably figure out what the original list was). <br>By the time I was there, the organ was largely unplayable, badly needing to be releathered. The church, unfortunately, did not have the money for that. Someone had attempted to releather parts of it using saran wrap (it didn't work), and there was constant upkeep just to make sure you had the notes you needed on any given Sunday. <br>One Wednesday night after choir, I went back into the air box to fix something while the organ was running. Unfortunately, the seal on the anti-chamber did not set, and I could not get back out. Pondering a night laying on the floor of an organ that was running, after about 2 hours of yelling (there was nobody else in the building, and it was WAY before cell phones), I finally placed my foot against the wall and tugging with all my might, broke the main seal, enabling me to get out. I never went back in it again, unless there was someone else in the building! <br>With respect to what happened to it, the Akron-style building was sold to the city of Knoxville about 1969, and was unfortunately torn down for the construction of a new main library. I saved a few things out of the organ, including the console, but it largely went down with the wrecking ball. I do still have an elaborately carved post from the end of the choir rail, that periodically serves as a point of conversation for those who haven't seen it. The congregation moved even farther out west than the Presbyterians had, and are still an active group known as Church of the Savior. -Database Manager
2011-08-18 - Updated through online information from Will Dunklin. -Database Manager
2015-06-28 - Updated through online information from William Dunklin. -Database Manager
Stoplist from Randall Dyer Source: Source not recorded Date not recorded
Second Presbyterian Church / First Congregational Church Austin Organs, Opus 1271 (1920s) Tonal Revisions ca. 1960 (probably by Steve Brown) Stoplist from 1969 notes. GREAT - 8' Grand Diapason (and it WAS Grand, probably about a scale 38; btw, the windpressure of the whole organ was 7") 8' Viola da Gamba 4' Octave 2' Hohlflute (Probably an 8' Gross Flute at some point) 8' Harmonic Tuba SWELL - 16' Bourdon 8' Tibia Clausa 8' Salicional 8' Voix Celeste 5 1/3' Quinte (maybe the Swell 8' Diapason or 8' Aeoline) 4' Prestant (or this could have been the 8' Diapason--doubtful it was originally 4') 4' Gemshorn 4' Flauto Traverso 16' Contra Fagotto 8' Cornopean 8' Oboe 8' Vox Humana Tremulant CHOIR - 8' Violin Diapason 8' Melodia 8' Dulciana 4' Flute d' Amour 2' Harmonic Piccolo (I don't think this was a transplant) 8' French Horn 8' Cor Anglais Tremulant PEDAL - 16' Open Diapason (wood) 16' Bourdon Grand 16' Lieblich Gedeckt (Sw) 8 Flauto Major (16 WOD) 8' Violoncello (8' Viola or possibly a straight stop) 16' Tuba Profunda 16' Contra Fagotto (Sw.) The Pedal department also had a 10 2/3' Quinte coupler, so you could have resultants in a variety of effects. The Great and Choir were in the same box, and the console did have a swell pedal for an Echo (perhaps also some blind tabs--the church was "dark"; my photo-memory isn't working in that regard) and while there was an organ chamber in the main tower, there were no pipes in it.
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