First Congregational Church: Sanctuary
Ovid, MI
Note: Not extant. Not playable. (in this location)
Images
2019-05-08 - Organ at front of sanctuary (Photograph by Susan Green/Database Manager)
2019-05-11 - Facade and keydesk (Photograph by Susan Green/Database Manager)
2019-05-11 - Keydesk and pedalboard (Photograph by Susan Green/Database Manager)
2019-05-11 - Combination trundle actions (Photograph by Susan Green/Database Manager)
2019-05-11 - Keydesk: Great stopjamb (Photograph by Susan Green/Database Manager)
2019-05-11 - Keydesk: Swell stopjamb (Photograph by Susan Green/Database Manager)
2019-05-11 - Keydesk: couplers over Swell manual (Photograph by Susan Green/Database Manager)
2019-05-11 - Pedalboard, combination trundles, and Swell shoe (Photograph by Susan Green/Database Manager)
2019-05-11 - Builder's nameplate (Photograph by Susan Green/Database Manager)
1965-10-23 - Sanctuary Interior, Chancel, and Organ Case (Photograph by Allen Strauss; image courtesy of the Library of Congress/Database Manager)
1965-10-23 - Church Exterior (Photograph by Allen Strauss; image courtesy of the Library of Congress/Database Manager)
1965-10-23 - Church Exterior (Photograph by Allen Strauss; image courtesy of the Library of Congress/Database Manager)
Consoles
Main
- Organ type: Traditional With a Keyboard Cover That Can Be Lifted To Form a Music Rack
- Console position: Keydesk Attached
- 2 manuals
- 9 stops
- 9 registers
- 3 divisions
- Key action Type: Tubular Pneumatic (Details Unknown)
- Stop action Type: Tubular Pneumatic (Details Unknown)
- Stop layout Type: Drawknobs in Horizontal Rows on Terraced/Stepped Jambs
- Manual compass: 61 notes
- Pedal compass: 30 notes
- Pedal Type: Flat Straight
- Expression Type: Balanced Expression Shoes/Pedals (Details Unknown)
- Combination action: Fixed Mechanical
- Has combination toe pistons
- Has coupler toe pistons
Notes
2011-12-20 - Identified through online information from Jeff Scofield. -Database Manager
2018-12-26 - Updated by Judith Temple, listing this web site as a source of information: https://www.oldhousedreams.com/2018/09/03/1872-church-ovid-mi/. <br> <br>Just saw this church on a real estate listing. One of the pictures shows the façade of the organ. Perhaps the realtor can provide more info? Church is now private residence. -Database Manager
2019-05-14 - Updated by James R. Stettner. The current owner of the building wishes to sell the extant facade and keydesk, and it was posted for sale on Facebook's 'Pipe Organ Garage Sale' in May, 2019. The windchests, pipework, wind system, etc. had all been previously removed by an unknown person or firm at an undocumented date. -Database Manager
Stoplist
Typed stoplist from James R. Stettner Source: Stoplist copied from photos of the organ and keydesk Date not recorded
Ovid, Michigan
First Congregational Church
W.W. KIMBALL CO, 1894 - Original Specifications
GREAT COUPLERS (Drawknob over Sw. Keys)
8' Open Diapason 61 Great to Pedal [8]
8' Melodia 61 Swell to Pedal [8]
8' Dulciana 61
4' Flute d'Amour 61 Swell to Great [8]
Sw. to Gr. Octaves [4]
SWELL (Expressive)
8' Std. Diapason 61 FOOT LEVERS (Unlabeled; l - r)
8' Salicional 61 Swell Piano - 8' SD, 8' Sal. (d-a)
4' Flute Harmonic 61
8' Oboe & Bassoon 61 Swell Forte - 8,8,4,8 [full] (d-a)
Tremolo
Great to Pedal (rev)
PEDAL Great Piano - 8' Mel., 8' Dul. (d-a)
16' Bourdon 30
Pedal Check Great Forte - 8,8,8,4 [full] (d-a)
Bellows Signal
PEDAL MOVEMENTS
Swell Expression (bal.)
ACTION: T-P ventil VOICES: 9 STOPS: 9 RANKS: 9 PIPES: 518
NOTES
The organ is installed at the front of the room. It is free-standing and encased with
an attached keydesk covered by a lid which lifts to form a music rack. Stops are arranged
in terraced jambs on either side of the keyboards. The façade contains 21 stenciled pipes
arranged: 3-15-3, of which 9 were speaking – the remainders being dummy pipes.
According to the Wikipedia article about the church, “In 1871, 22 people began Ovid's First
Congregational Church with minister Reverend William Mulder. The next year, the congregation
hired master carpenter George Fox to construct this building at the corner of High and Park
Streets. In 1876, a bell was installed in the belfry. In 1899, with a growing congregation,
the structure was moved to its current location and enlarged, adding a basement and two port-
icoes. In 1843, the Congregational and Methodist churches merged, using both buildings until
1972. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1971 and listed on the National
Register of Historic Places in 1972. In 1979, this church became a private residence.”
At an undocumented time, someone removed the windchests, pipes, reservoir, etc. leaving only
the facade, pedalboard, and keydesk. Those remaining parts were available for sale by the
owners in 2019.
Sources: Facebook, email, and text correspondence with the building owners; photos
of the casework, pedalboard, and keydesk with intact stop controls.
First Congregational Church
Ovid, Michigan
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