2005-12-26 - Identified through on-line information from James R. Stettner. -- This organ began life as Estey, Opus 627, built in 1909 for St. James Episcopal Church in Kent, Washington. It was 2-manuals and 8-ranks and operated by tubular-pneumatic action. In 1952, Balcom and Vaughan electrified the original Estey primaries, and added a used M. P. Möller console from that firm's opus 6183 built in 1933 for Central Lutheran Church in Seattle. This was done for installation in the Seattle residence of Signe Williamson. The organ was again transplanted to Steele Lake Presbyterian in 1956, again by Balcom and Vaughan, as their opus 632 - without tonal changes. What was originally the sanctuary, has since become the chapel. -Database Manager
2008-11-03 - Updated through on-line information from James R. Stettner. -Database Manager
Stoplist copied from the console August 18, 1998 Source: Source not recorded Date not recorded
Federal Way, Washington
Steele Lake Presbyterian Church
ESTEY ORGAN CO., Opus 627, 1909
Balcom and Vaughan, Opus 543, 1952 - Electrification & Rebuild
Balcom and Vaughan, Opus 632, 1956 - Moving & Re-installation
GREAT (Expressive) COUPLERS
8 Open Diapason 61 Swell to Pedal [8]
blank Great to Pedal [8]
8 Stopped Diapason 61
blank Swell to Great 16,[8],4
blank
4 Octave 61
blank FINGER PISTONS
8 Krummhorn 61 Swell & Pedal 1 - 3
Cathedral Chimes (prep) -- Sw. to Ped. Rev. (rev)
Sw. to Gt. Rev. (rev)
Great 16' Great & Pedal 1 - 3
Great 4' Gr. Ped. (rev)
Full Organ Rev. (rev)
SWELL (Expressive)
blank FOOT LEVERS
8 Stopped Diapason 61 Gr. to Ped. Reversible (rev)
8 Salicional 49 Sforzando Reversible (rev)
8 Celeste (tc) 49 To Set Combinations (rev)
4 Flute --
2-2/3 Flute Twelfth --
2 Piccolo -- PEDAL MOVEMENTS
8 Oboe [labial] 61 Swell Expression (bal.)
blank Great Expression (bal.)
Tremolo Crescendo (bal.)
Swell 16'
Swell 4'
ACTION: E-P
PEDAL (32 notes; Expressive) VOICES: 9 STOPS: 9
16 Bourdon --
16 Lieblich Gedeckt 30 RANKS: 9 PIPES: 494
NOTES
This instrument began life as a II-manual, 8-rank tubular-pneumatic organ built by the
Estey Organ Co. of Brattleboro, Vermont as their opus 627 in 1909 for St. James Episcopal
Church in Kent.
In 1952, it was removed and electrified by Balcom and Vaughan of Seattle for the Seattle,
WA. residence of Signe Williamson. The original Estey would have had an attached keydesk,
so a used, pneumatic M.P. Möller console replaced the original Estey keydesk. This was the
console from Möller's opus 6183 built in 1933 for Central Lutheran in Seattle, and much
enlarged over the years by organist/Balcom and Vaughan President William J. Bunch.
As installed at Steele Lake Presbyterian in the former church, now Edwin Q. Hurd Chapel,
there are several mysteries.
The original Möller stoptablets have not been replaced. Those tablets not in use have been
covered with blank paper labels. On the Swell, the 4' Flute, 2⅔' Flute Twelfth, and 2'
Piccolo are not covered with blank paper labels, and show no sign of one ever having been
covered, but at present [8/98] they do not play. On the Great, the 8' Open Diapason is likely
the original Estey Great 8' Diapason. The 8' Stopped Diapason is likely the original Estey
Swell 8' Stopped Diapason and may well have replaced an original 8' open wood flute like a
Melodia. The Great 4' Octave was either a new or a used rank installed by Balcom and Vaughan
and may have replaced the original 8' Dulciana. The Great 8' Krummhorn is the added rank. It
may not be the rank originally added by Balcom and Vaughan for the Signe Williamson residence
in 1952, but it is not an original Estey rank, since an 8' Krummhorn didn't appear in an Estey
stoplist until at least the mid-1950's, shortly before Estey's demise in 1960.
On the Swell, the 8' flute rank, while labeled 8' Stopped Diapason at the console, is clearly
not a stopped wood rank. It sounds more like an open wood Melodia, and may well be the original
Estey Great 8' Melodia. The Swell 8' Salicional is a tenor C string which borrows its bottom
octave from the 8' flute rank. The 8' Celeste is considerably softer than the 8' Salicional,
and may be either the original Estey Great 8' Dulciana, or Great 4' Violina. The Swell 8' Oboe,
from its sound, is clearly an Estey labial [reedless] oboe. A bottom octave of used string pipes
has been added to make it play full-compass.
The pedalboard is 32-notes, and the manual-to-pedal couplers play for 32-notes, but the Pedal 16'
Lieblich Gedeckt has only 30 pipes of its own, so it is likely the original Estey 16' Bourdon.
On the Möller console, the four reversible finger pistons are not original, and were added to the
organ either in 1952 or in 1956. The rest of the console controls - couplers, combination action,
stoptablets, etc. - are all original. The music rack is also not original to the Möller.
Sources: Estey opus list; Eugene M. Nye compilation; Balcom and Vaughan opus list
and files; JRS; extant, moved organ.
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