First Baptist Church: Sanctuary
100 Southwest 4th Avenue
Mineral Wells, TX
Images
Unknown - Great Organ Chamber (division is under expression) (Photograph by John Reynolds (2019)/Database Manager)
Unknown - Great Division (Photograph by John Reynolds (2019)/Database Manager)
Unknown - Swell Division (Photograph by John Reynolds (2019)/Database Manager)
Unknown - Swell Division (Photograph by John Reynolds (2019)/Database Manager)
Unknown - Sanctuary with unobstructed pipe chambers and prominent facade pipes (Facebook video, courtesy of John Reynolds (Early 1960s)/Database Manager)
2019-08-10 - Console (Photograph by John Reynolds/Database Manager)
Unknown - Sanctuary after removal of facade pipes and instrument enclosure (Church Website, courtesy of John Reynolds (2018)/Database Manager)
Unknown - Church Exterior (Vintage Postcard; image courtesy of T. Bradford Willis (1920s)/Database Manager)
Consoles
Main
- Organ type: Traditional With Roll Top
- Console position: Movable Console
- 2 manuals
- 35 stops
- 35 registers
- 2 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 (Meeting AGO Standards)
- Expression Type: Balanced Expression Shoes/Pedals (Meeting AGO Standards)
- Has crescendo
- Combination action: Adjustable Combination Pistons
- Has combination thumb pistons
- Has combination toe pistons
- Has coupler thumb pistons
- Has coupler toe pistons
- Has tutti thumb pistons
- Has tutti toe pistons
Notes
2009-09-23 - Identified through information in <i>List of More than 5200 Moller Pipe Organs</i> (Hagerstown, Maryland. M. P. Möller, 1928). -Database Manager
2016-08-16 - Updated through online information from Bob Goodwin. <br>1919 Moeller moved to new sanctuary 1968 by Herman Boetcher & Sons, Dallas TX. Original console & chests replaced with OSI. Original 5 rk Echo disappeared at this time (including Vox H, Tibia & strings). Subsequent maintenance by Ross King (Ft. Worth, TX) and currently Dan Garland (Ft. Worth, TX). Room has insurmountably poor acoustics. -Database Manager
2019-07-24 - Updated by John Reynolds, who has heard or played the organ. Original installation was entirely unenclosed in the rear loft of the church. Upon relocation to the current sanctuary, it was entirely enclosed in a front center chamber behind non-speaking facade pipes surrounding baptismal area. Subsequent building renovations and piecemeal organ modifications led to removal of all facade pipes and complete enclosure with no visible pipework. Both great and swell divisions are substantially muffled, and both 16’ pedal ranks barely audible. Tremulant no longer functional, and may have been removed at some point. Building acoustics are incredibly poor with reverberation time of less than half a second. Electro-pneumatic action is sluggish, and swell shades are excessively noisy with audible slam when closed. Currently, the instrument is no longer completely functional, with limited playability due to pipework heat fatigue, inability for reeds to be tuned properly, and desperate need for expansion, relocation, and restoration in order to adequately fill the space with sound. -Database Manager
2019-09-25 - Updated by John Reynolds, who has heard or played the organ. <br> <br>Earliest 3-4 ranks provided by E.M. Skinner Organ Company. All other other ranks and subsequent materials and installation built and installed by M.P. Möller Organ Conpany, opus number unknown. Organ relocated in 1967 upon completion of current sanctuary. Restoration, expansion, and console rebuilt by Dan Garland Organ Company in Fort Worth, Texas. A significant amount of metal fatigued pipes replaced at this time due to organ’s location and unregulated temperature. Old tubular pneumatic action and slider chests replaced by direct electric action. Currently, the instrument is only partially functional due to extreme weather conditions and long-deferred maintenance. Building renovations have left the pipe chambers enclosed, effectively muffling the sound to the extent that building is not adequately filled with sound. Room has insurmountably poor acoustics, which further hinders instrument’s ability to perform to full potential. -Database Manager
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