Better Pipe Organ Database


Geo. Kilgen & Son, Inc. (1904)

First Unitarian Church
1613 E. Emerson
Bloomington, IL

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


Consoles

Main


Notes

2004-10-30 - About 9 months old in Jan 1905 according to Kilgen Booklet. Rebuilt 1960's by Warren Gratian. -Database Manager

2013-12-09 - Updated through online information from Ethan Evans. -- 2013--Congregation needed more sanctuary space to accommodate larger attendance. Organ was estimated to need $100,000 to refurbish. Congregation voted to let the organ go. -Database Manager


Stoplist

Typed stoplist from the OHS PC Database. Source: Source not recorded Date not recorded

I believe there is a quite original Kilgen tracker, two manuals and about
20 ranks, still extant in the Unitarian church in Bloomington, Illinois (my
home town).  In the early 1960s, the congregation left their original
building in downtown Bloomington and moved to the "suburbs".  Amazingly
enough (in those days), they elected to take their 1905-ish Kilgen tracker
with them and to install it _unchanged_ in their modern building.  The only
builder they could find willing to do the job was the then quite ancient
Warren Gratian (of nearby Kenney, Illinois).  As an enthusiastic
high-school kid, I hung around and held notes for the final tuning.

That instrument has a nice chorus (remember its age) of 8, 4, and 2 on the
Great and 8, 4 (Flute + Violina), III on the Swell.  While the 8' Open
Diapason is large, it by no means overwhelms.  (I hope the organ is still
there and still original.)


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