2005-07-18 - Identified through online information from James R. Stettner. -- Originally built for the State Normal School in Ellensburg, Washington. -Database Manager
2007-05-16 - Updated through online information from James R. Stettner. -Database Manager
2012-02-22 - Updated through online information from David Poile. -- The church is currently closed and for sale. It is unknown what has happened or will happen to the organ. -Database Manager
Original document from James R. Stettner. Source: Stoplist copied from the console in April, 1992 2017-03-02
Bremerton, WA
St. Luke's United Methodist Church
Organ by Geo. Kilgen & Son, Inc., Opus 5683, 1936 - Original Specifications
Installation by Balcom and Vaughan, SC 579, 1984
GREAT (Expressive w/Choir) SWELL (Expressive)
8 Open Diapason 73 16 Lieblich Gedeckt 12
8 Concert Flute (Ch) –- 8 Geigen Principal 73
8 Viola (Ch) –- 8 Rohr Flöte 61
8 Dulciana (Ch) –- 8 Salicional 73
4 Octave 73 8 Voix Celeste 73
2 Rks Mixture [12-15] 122 4 Octave Geigen 73
8 Tuba 73 4 Flute d'Amour 12
Chimes (Deagan; tg-g2) (25) 2-2/3 Nazard 7
2 Flageolet 5
Great 16 8 Trompette 73
Great 8 Off 8 Oboe 73
Great 4 8 Vox Humana 73
Tremolo
CHOIR (Expressive) Swell 16
8 Concert Flute 73 Swell 8 Off
8 Viola 73 Swell 4
8 Dulciana 73
8 Unda Maris 73
4 Lieblich Flöte 73 PEDAL (Expressive)
8 Clarinet 73 16 Open Diapason [in Gt] 32
Tremolo 16 Bourdon [in Sw] 32
16 Lieblich Gedeckt (Sw) –-
Choir 16 8 Octave 12
Choir 8 Off 8 Flute 12
Choir 4 8 Still Gedeckt (Sw) –-
4 Flute (Sw) –-
COUPLERS FINGER PISTONS
Swell 8 [to Pedal] General 1 – 6
Swell 4 [to Pedal] Swell 1 – 6
Great 8 [to Pedal] Great 1 – 6
Great 4 [to Pedal] Choir 1 – 6
Choir 8 [to Pedal] Sforzando Reversible (rev)
Choir 4 [to Pedal] General Cancellor
Swell 16 [to Great]
Swell 8 [to Great] TOE STUDS
Swell 4 [to Great] Pedal 1 - 6
Choir 16 [to Great]
Choir 8 [to Great]
Choir 4 [to Great] FOOT LEVERS (Labeled; l - r)
Great Rev [Gt. to Ped.] (rev)
Swell 16 [to Choir] Sforzando Rev (rev)
Swell 8 [to Choir]
Swell 4 [to Choir]
Choir 16 [to Swell]
Choir 8 [to Swell]
Choir 4 [to Swell]
PEDAL MOVEMENTS PED. to MAN. COMB.
Swell Expression (bal.) For Swell ON / OFF
Gt/Ch Expression (bal.) For Great ON / OFF
Crescendo (bal.) For Choir ON / OFF
NOTES
This instrument was originally built for the State Normal School (later, Central
Washington College of Education) in Ellensburg, WA. It was installed in 1936 by Balcom
and Vaughan of Seattle for the builders, Geo. Kilgen & Sons, Inc.
The organ was declared surplus during the summer of 1980, and school officials were
anxious to have it removed – one way or another – because of a planned remodeling
project. On possible course of action suggested selling the pipes for scrap metal and
making the console into a roll-top desk.
Julie O'Neill, organist at St. Luke's United Methodist in Bremerton, learned of the
organs' availability, and while the church wasn't actively looking for a new organ, the
opportunity seemed ideal. St. Luke's purchased the organ in the summer of 1981 for only
$2,600.00. An identical new organ at that time would have cost at least $150,000.00.
Thus, the church acquired the organ for about 2% of the cost of new. An Organ Transplant
Team from the church under the supervision of William J. Bunch of Balcom and Vaughan Pipe
Organs, Inc. in Seattle spent 3 days dismantling and labeling the myriad of parts and
pipes for shipment back to Bremerton.
In 1982, the church was ready to hire am architect to design new organ chambers, and
volunteer carpenters constructed the new structure. The pipes were stored in the
sanctuary, the basement, storage rooms, and even the men's restroom. The chimes were in
storage in Julie O'Neill's home beneath her bed.
Overall, the organ was in good shape. It was restored, cleaned, and refurbished by Balcom
and Vaughan as their SC 579, and was installed in 1984. Several individual pipes had been
damaged over the years and had to be replaced. The replacements were made by A.R.
Schopp's Sons in Alliance, Ohio. The adjacent pipes to the ones missing were sent along
with the order so that identical replicas could be made. The damaged pipes were f 30, f#
31, and g 32 of the Pedal 16' Bourdon; g 20 of the Swell 4' Octave Geigen; c# 26 of the
Swell 8' Rohr Flöte' a# 47 from the 2nd rank of the Great 2 Rks Mixture; g 32 of the
Swell 8' Trompette; a 46 of the Great 8' Tuba; and a 34 of the Swell 8' Oboe.
The Choir 8' Concert Flute is harmonic and of open wood. The Choir 4' Lieblich Flöte is a
Rohr Flute. The Pedal-to-Manual Combinations take the form of On/Off pistons located on
the top, left side of each manual keycheek. The labeled nameplate above the stop tablets
for each division is a divisional cancel.
Sources: Balcom and Vaughan files; church history; newspaper article, “Old Organ Saved
For Resurrection at St. Luke's” in the Bremerton Sun, Saturday, Sept. 11, 1982, pg. 6;
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