Better Pipe Organ Database

Estey Organ Co. Opus 592 (1912)

St. John's Episcopal Church
101 Chapel Street
Portsmouth, NH

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

Images

1960 - Organ room after all the chests and pipes were removed and replaced with speakers! (Photograph from an archival source: St Johns Episcopal Church, submitted by Nicholas R Scott/Nicholas R Scott)

1950 - Organ case in rear gallery (Photograph from an archival source: St Johns Episcopal Church, submitted by Nicholas R Scott/Nicholas R Scott)

1950 - Console (Photograph by St Johns Episcopal Church/Nicholas Scott)

Unknown - Church Interior, Chancel, and Altar (Vintage Postcard, courtesy of T. Bradford Willis, DDS (1950s)/Database Manager)

Consoles

Main

Organ type: Traditional With Roll Top
Console position: Console in Fixed Position, Center
2 manuals
16 stops
16 registers
3 divisions
Key action Type: Electrical
Stop action Type: Electrical
Stop layout Type: Stop Keys Above Top Manual
Manual compass: 61 notes
Pedal compass: 32 notes
Pedal Type: Concave Radiating (Details Unknown)
Expression Type: Balanced Expression Shoes/Pedals (Details Unknown)
Has crescendo
Combination action: Remote Pneumatic/Mechanical Capture
Has combination thumb pistons
Has combination toe pistons
Has tutti toe pistons

Notes

2008-09-15 - Identified through online information from James R. Stettner. -- The Estey was originally built for the Estey Store in Boston. When installed at St. John's, it was placed inside the case of the 1807 Thomas Elliot organ. It was replaced in 1960 by an electronic substitute. Disposition unknown. Sources: Estey Opus List, published in The Boston Organ Club newsletter, 1973-1979; church website. -Database Manager

2020-07-25 - Originally built in 1905 for the Estey Showroom in Boston, at 120 Boylston St (now part of Emerson College). In Sep-1912 it was purchased by St Johns of Portsmouth NH for $3,000 , and installed "ready to play" in Dec-1912. It replaced a 1807 Thomas Elliot organ which according to church documents was "showing its age, and liability of collapse at any moment". The original Thomas Elliot casework was reused, but parts of the gallery had to be removed to accomodate the larger Estey organ. In 1943, "Andrews Organ Service" was contracted to upgrade and modernize the organ. Changes made was a new LaMarche Orgatrol power unit to replace the belt driven generator that ran off the blower motor. Plus, chimes, new, longer chest cables, and releathering. The original Kinetic Engineering blower was replaced with a Spencer Organblo. In 1960, the organ maintenance was deemed too expensive, and was replaced with an electronic Allen Organ, though the 1943 Chimes were retained. The Estey organ was placed in storage. In 1970, the Estey organ was aquired by Ernest Fiske, a local organist, for use as his residence organ. The pipes, blower, and bellows for Opus #592 were retained. The console and chests came from Estey opus #3167 (originally Concord, NH). The number of ranks was reduced from 16 to 8. Ernest passed away in 2005, and the organ was moved to a new residence, and is currently installed and playable. -Nicholas Scott

Stoplist

Organ originally built in 1908 for Boston Showroom, then rebuilt in 1915 for St John's church. Source: From original 1915 Build Sheet, from Estey Organ

Portsmouth, New Hampshire
St. John's Episcopal Church

ESTEY ORGAN CO., Opus 592, 1908
Estey Organ Co., 1915 - Installation here


GREAT ORGAN:
1: Open Diapason  8'  Metal, 61 pipes
2: Melodia        8'  Wood,  61 pipes
3: Dulciana       8'  Metal, 61 pipes
4: Octave         4'  Metal, 61 pipes
5: Flue d'Amour   4'  Wood,  61 pipes

SWELL ORGAN (Expressive):
6:  Bourdon           16'  Wood,  61 pipes
7:  Violin Diapason    8'  Metal, 61 pipes
8:  Stopped Diapason   8'  Wood,  61 pipes
9:  Salicional         8'  Metal, 61 pipes
10: Voix Celeste       8'  Metal, 49 pipes (separately drawn)
11: Aeoline            8'  Metal, 61 pipes
12: Flute Harmonic     4'  Metal, 61 pipes
13: Oboe               8'  Metal, 49 pipes

PEDAL ORGAN
14: Bourdon          16', Wood, 30 pipes
15: Bass Flute       16', Wood, 30 pipes
16: Lieblich Gedeckt 16', Wood, 30 notes (transmitted from #6)

COUPLERS:
Swell to Pedal
Great to Pedal

Great to Great 16'
Great Unison
Great to Great 4'
Swell to Great
       
Swell to Swell 16'
Swell Unison
Swell to Swell 4'
Great to Swell

FINGER PISTONS
Combination Pistons, double acting

TOE STUDS
Undocumented

PEDAL MOVEMENTS
Balanced Swell and Crescendo pedals.

ACCESSORIES
Chimes

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