Note: Not extant. Not playable. (in this location)
2005-02-16 - Identified from company publications as edited and expanded in <i>The Hook Opus List 1829-1935</i>, ed. William T. Van Pelt (Organ Historical Society, 1991). -Database Manager
2017-01-09 - Updated by Steve Bartley, naming this as the source of information: The Evening Star Newspaper, Sept 23 1911 pg 21; The Washington Herald, 4/7/1912 pg15;Washington Herald May 12, 1912 pg9. <br>Based on contemporary newspapers, of the day, it seems that this Hook organ was not built. <br>Trinity Episcopal Church had been fitted with the Hook Brothers, opus 264, a 2 manual 26 speaking stop organ in, 1860. By 1911 the church-s music director, Oscar Frederic Comstock commissioned , the Hook firm for a 3 manual 66 registers instrument. This was also the year that Trinity Church hired a new rector. <br>The Evening Star Newspaper, Sept 23 1911 pg 21, announced that the Choir, at Trinity Church was to be reorganized, and the organ would be rebuilt in a first class style. <br>The Washington Herald, 4/7/1912 pg15 says that while the organ is being rebuilt, the music, for Easter, would have little accompaniment .<br>Washington Harold May 12, 1912 pg9 Dedication of the "rebuilt organ", at Trinity would take place next <br>Evening Star May 19 1912: Concert given by Oscar Fred Comstock, the church's music director, with the Trinity choir/augmented to 70 voices. <br>After the programmed is listed, a few notes about the organ, not including the builder. <br>"…. The organ is not large compared with many modern instruments, but is good throughout, being up-to-date in voicing and action, and having an ingenious device for rapidly setting the combination of the pistons. The keyboard is reversed and the organist sits among his singers, thus insuring much better control of his choir.<br>There are no further news paper entries concerning the organ. Prior to this date director Comstock, who was known for lavish and theatrical music productions, at Trinity, seems to have put his energies into the non church related music life of Washington. His entries, in the various newspapers, was almost weekly. Some time in 1917 he leaves Washington , returning to New York City, where he was originally from. <br>Had the organ been built it seems that its large size and being in the nations capital would have garnered some mention, especially in the Hook advertising. We do see several newspaper entries where the new rector tried various unorthodox means to endear church goers and bolster attendance at Trinity. It is possible then , like now, the new administration was interested in curbing the costly musical aspects of the church. <br>By 1921 the church had been reduced to mission status, and demolished in 1936 to make way for a parking lot. <br>One addendum, Samuel Sunset Waters, organbuilder in Washington DC at this period, placed the following advert in the Washington Times Sunday- evening edition, Aug 20, 1911:<br>Large pipe organ, now in a prominent Episcopal Church of Washington <br>very low price Samuel S. Waters #10- 10th St SE. Could this have been the older Hook organ, being sold off to make way for the new Hook & Hastings organ? Could Waters have been the one who modernized the old organ after the project got altered? Some of his "new" work was with tubular actions. -Database Manager
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