2018-07-12 - Church Exterior (Photograph by Chad Boorsma/Database Manager)
2018-07-12 - Church Exterior (Photograph by Chad Boorsma/Database Manager)
2006-04-19 - Identified through information adapted from <i>E. M. Skinner/Aeolian-Skinner Opus List</i>, by Sand Lawn and Allen Kinzey (Organ Historical Society, 1997), and included here through the kind permission of Sand Lawn: <br><i> Replaced #547, which had been lost in a fire; extant; unaltered.</i> -Database Manager
2009-05-01 - Updated through online information from John Gouwens. -- This organ replaced the Skinner Op. 547 that had been lost in a fire soon after its installation. At present (2009), the church has been bought by another congregation (Trinity UCC in Chicago), and is used also by a Seventh-day Adventist congregation. Neither group reportedly uses the organ. The organ shows predictable signs of wear, and is in somewhat shaky condition, but it is completely original. Room acoustics are quite good! -Database Manager
2018-07-14 - Congregation held its last service in 2007. According to a 2018 newspaper article, there is water leaking into the building through the bell tower. The floor of the bell tower had collapsed into a Sunday School room below it. -Database Manager
2020-01-13 - Down to 36 members, the last service for First Congregational was held in 2007; the facility was given to Chicago megachurch Trinity United Church of Christ, but their development plans were thwarted by the depression of 2008; with assistance from Trinity UCC and other congregations, Wide Awake United Church of Christ opened in the facility and is still going strong at this time. -Database Manager
From Allen Kinzey via <i>The Aeolian-Skinner Archives</i> Source: Source not recorded Date not recorded
Benton Harbor, Michigan
First Congregational Church
Skinner Organ Company 1927 Opus 666 4 manuals, 31 stops, 34 ranks
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GREAT ORGAN SWELL ORGAN
16' Bourdon 61 16' Bourdon 73
8' Diapason 61 8' Diapason 73
8' Claribel Flute 61 8' Rohr Flute 73
4' Octave 61 8' Salicional 73
4' Flute 61 8' Voix Celeste 73
8' Tromba 61 8' Flauto Dolce 73
Chimes EC 8' Flute Celeste (TC) 61
4' Flute Triangulaire 73
CHOIR ORGAN Mixture IV 244
8' Concert Flute 61 8' Cornopean 73
8' Dulciana 61 8' Flugel Horn 73
4' Flute 61 8' Vox Humana 73
8' Clarinet 61 Tremolo
Tremolo
8' Harp (TC) ECHO ORGAN
4' Celesta 8' Chimney Flute 61
8' Vox Humana 61
SOLO ORGAN Tremolo
8' Orchestral Flute 73
8' Gamba 73 PEDAL ORGAN
8' Gamba Celeste 73 16' Diapason 32
8' French Horn 73 16' Bourdon GT
8' English Horn 73 16' Echo Lieblich SW
Tremolo 8' Octave 12
8' Tuba Mirabilis 73 8' Gedeckt GT
8' Still Gedeckt SW
Chimes EC
[Received from Steven E. Lawson 2016-07-08]
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