Better Pipe Organ Database

Henry Pilcher's Sons Opus 1439 (1928)

First Methodist Church: Sanctuary
1201 Lavaca Street
Austin, TX

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

Images

2015-05-10 - Church Exterior (Photograph by T. Bradford Willis/Database Manager)

Consoles

Main

Organ type: Traditional With Roll Top
Console position: Console in Fixed Position, Center
3 manuals
31 stops
37 registers
5 divisions
Key action Type: Electrical
Stop action Type: Electrical
Stop layout Type: Drawknobs in Vertical Rows on Angled Jambs
Manual compass: 61 notes
Pedal compass: 32 notes
Pedal Type: Concave Radiating (Meeting AGO Standards)
Expression Type: Balanced Expression Shoes/Pedals (Meeting AGO Standards)
Combination action: Adjustable Combination Pistons
Has combination thumb pistons
Has coupler toe pistons
Has tutti toe pistons

Notes

2005-04-07 - Identified through information in Vol VII p. 111 of the Pilcher factory ledgers and a list of Pilcher organs typed by William E. Pilcher of Louisville. For more information see the document referenced below. -Database Manager

2005-04-07 - Ledger index says reeds voiced by Syl Kohler -Database Manager

2011-08-28 - Updated through online information from Jeff Scofield. -- Either replaced or rebuilt and enlarged by Otto Hoffman in 1975. -Database Manager

2015-09-01 - Updated through online information from T. Bradford Willis, DDS. -Database Manager

Stoplist

Stoplist copied from the factory ledgerbook via the OHS Archives Source: Source not recorded Date not recorded

     Austin, Texas
     First Methodist Church

     Pilcher   Op. 1439   1928   3/33
     _________________________________________________

     GREAT (*enclosed)             CHOIR

  8' Open Diapason 1   73       8' English Diapason 73
  8' Open Diapason 2   73       8' Concert Flute    73
  8' Gross Flute       73 *     8' Flute Celeste    61
  8' Gamba             73 *     8' Dulciana         73
  8' Gemshorn          73 *     4' Flute d'Amour    73
  4' Octave            73 *     8' French Horn      73
  4' Flute Traverso    73 *     8' Clarinet         73
     Tremolo                       Tremolo
     Sub                           Sub
     Unison Off                    Unison Off
     Unison Separation             Unison Separation
     Super                         Super
     Harp              CH          Celestial Harp   49

     SWELL                         ECHO

 16' Bourdon           73       8' Echo Flute       61
  8' Open Diapason     73       8' Vox Angelica     61     
  8' Stopped Diapason  73       8' Unda Maris       61
  8' Viol d'Orchestra  73       8' Quintadena       61
  8' Viol Celeste      61       8' Vox Humana       73
  8' Aeoline           73          Tremolo
  4' Flute Harmonic    73
  2' Flautina          --          PEDAL
III  Dolce Cornet     183
  8' Cornopean         73      32' Resultant        --
  8' Oboe              73      16' Open Diapason    32
     Tremolo                   16' Bourdon          32
     Sub                       16' Lieblich Gedeckt SW
     Unison Off                16' Contra Viol      12 GT
     Super                      8' Violin Cello     GT
                                8' Dolce Flute      12

       [Received from Jeff Scofield May 15, 2015]

Documents

(2005-04-05) Pilcher Organs Summary of Pilcher Sources by Soosie Schmitt -Database Manager

Websites

History of First Church Organ - Description of Pilcher, Hoffman, and Colby organs. (Check Internet Archive, archive.is)