Note: Not extant. Not playable. (in this location)
2008-05-28 - Identified from factory documents and publications courtesy of Stephen Schnurr. ARTISTE -Database Manager
2013-03-13 - Updated through online information from Mark Hurley. -- Having grown up in the Church which was built in 1950, I well remember this organ as I sang in the men and boys' choir and it was the first organ I played. Recalling the history of parish, which was formed in 1947, the Church was built in 1950 and the pastor at that time set about purchasing a good [sic] organ for the Church. This would most certainly mean that the organ was purchased new, or at least, it was built for another Church to which it was never delivered and Immaculate Heart of Mary was able to purchase it. [Editor: the organ appears on the Moller opus list for Immaculate Heart of Mary]. The organ was, of course, a straight forward three-rank Artiste, with a detached console and the pipes inside a free-standing case with that ubiquitous fleur-de-lis grill in front of the swell shades. The blower was installed in the basement. The console was in the center of the choir galley and the case sat in the back of the gallery to the right of the tall window at the back of the Church (which is still there). The pipe case was on the same floor level of the gallery as the console, so the sound egress was not the best. Sometime in the early 1960s, the choir gallery was extended over the rear pews and the console was moved forward, still in the center. Risers for the choir (which are still there) were built and the "chamber box" was raised and moved to be in the of the gallery, under the center window, which improved the sound. The Church's organist decided that a new organ was justly needed, so a 2 manual, 27 rank Austin (Opus 2434) was installed in the summer/fall of 1965. The pipes were installed in chambers under the eaves of the roof on both sides the choir loft with black painted large swell shades. The entire organ was enclosed (SW/GR/PED). It was obviously a great improvement and for who had started formal organ studies, really something to play. (I tried it right before it was removed before it being replaced by the current wonderful Schantz organ and it really suffered from being installed under the eaves of the gallery.) The Moller organ was removed and stored in the Church's social hall for short while, with the thought of installing it there. However, it was quickly sold to an individual in Fall 1965 who installed in his row house in Baltimore City, not too far from the Church. Being a theatre organ enthusiast, he wired a castenets action to the Chime tab and installed a toe stud on the console that operated a crash cymbal. Around the summer of 1997, the owner moved to rural Baltimore county with the thought of installing the Moller in his new home that had a basement with a high ceiling in order to install the Moller. I helped move that organ at that time and only saw it partially completed in the new home. (I, in fact, rode in the back of the U-Hail truck, with the entire organ!) In 1968, the Moller was sold to another individual because its current owner purchased a 2m/7r Style E Wurlitzer from the State Theater in Baltimore and moved it to the his residence in early 1969. It was the last in-theater organ in Baltimore. I helped in the restoration of the Wurlitzer which was completed in Fall 1972 and tuned it many times. It was recently donated/sold to the Engineer's Club in Baltimore, where it is only partially playing. The last time I saw the Moller was around Summer 1968, but it was not playing. When the Austin organ was purchased, Moller supposedly bid on the contract as well, but lost. Rumor had it that the Austin was designed by the Moller representative as he was friend of the organist at Immaculate Heart of Mary. M.P. Moller supposedly wasn't too happy about about that. I hope that this sheds light on Moller Opus 8203. There was a red jewel light for power and a green jewel light for the crescendo pedal on the console. -Database Manager
Stoplist from Console, May 29, 2012 Source: Source not recorded Date not recorded
Warren, Vermont Residence of Carl and Linda Schwartz M. P. Möller, Inc., Opus 8203, 1950 Resources: 4' Principal 61 pipes, linen lead 16' Gedeckt 80 pipes, 1-12 capped zinc, 13-61 stopped wood the open metal 8' Viola 80 pipes 1-12 zinc, rest spotted metal, all slotted Great 8 Diapason 1-12 Gedeckt 8/4 and 8 Viola 8 Gedeckt 8 Viola 4 Principal 4 Flute 4 Viola 2 2/3 Twelfth from Viola 2 Fifteenth from Viola Chimes prepared Swell to Great Swell 8 Gedeckt 8 Viola 4 Flute 4 Viola 2 2/3 Nasard from Gedeckt 2 Flute Tremolo (tab "8 Trumpet" - rank removed 2004) Pedal 16 Gedeckt 8 Gedeckt 8 Viola 5 1/3 Quint from Gedeckt 4 Principal 4 Flute Balanced Swell Pedal (disconnected) The organ is not under expression presently Balanced Crescendo Toe Stud for Tremolo - Tremolo disconnected and in storage Detached Console, Compass 61/32 Electro-pneumatic action Reportedly the organ came "from a Lutheran Church" somewhere in Baltimore. Immaculate Heart of Mary Church purchased Austin Opus 2434 in 1965 (now replaced by a recent Schantz organ). It is possible that the organ was moved to the alleged Lutheran Church or that the oral history is simply mistaken about the church in which it resided. At some point, perhaps in 1965, Opus 8203 was moved to an unknown private residence near Baltimore, then to the residence of Fague and Connie Springman near Washington, D.C. by Tom Allen. Allen added a reed stop on a new chest playable on Manual II by means of over-key contacts. This was replaced by a Moller Oboe rank. He rebuilt the reservoir and blower. Subsequently it was sold to James Weed of Columbia, Maryland in 1994. Carl Schwartz purchased the organ in 2004 and moved it to a vacation home in Vermont for use as a practice instrument. The reed rank, actually an Oboe, and associated action was given to Mr. Allen for use at his church. The organ is located on the concrete slab of the basement of the mid-19th century farmhouse. The organ was reassembled by Michael and Christopher Schwartz, sons of Dr. Schwartz. The organ is presently unexpressive and includes some cabinet work from the Springman home installation, not original. The organ is tonally unaltered and except for some minor details of the cables and wind system, original It is, 2012, playing on the original action leather. David Moore, organbuilder, revised the miters of two of the pipes so that these pipes would fit under the log beams of the home's first floor above. [Received from Carl Schwartz 2012-05-30.]
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