2012-03-03 - Identified through online information from T. Daniel Hancock. -- In 1892, the Bishop of Kansas City was inspired to create a church for German Roman Catholics in Springfield, Missouri. In response, Mr. Charles H. Heer, owner of Heer-s Department Store, donated a house and lot on the corner of Jefferson and Chestnut, with the stipulation that both a church for German Catholics and a secondary school for Catholic youth be formed. A new brick building for these purposes was erected in 1893, costing $5,000, and housed both the school and the church. Springfield cabinet-maker and undertaker August Lohmeyer built the altar for the new church. <br><br>Also in 1893, a parochial school for 25 students was opened in an adjacent converted stable, and was run by the Sister-s of St. John-s Brotherhood (eventually, these sisters would open St. John-s Hospital on North Main Avenue). But, by 1894, the parochial school had outgrown it-s makeshift quarters, and Mr. Heers consented to the use of the 1893 building for the school. <br><br>Charles Heer died in 1898 and left $15,000 in his will for the erection of a new church and $1,000 for the parochial school. It wasn-t until 1904 that a lot was purchased for the new building at the corner of Campbell and Scott for $2,400, and on Thanksgiving Day, 1906, the new church was dedicated. On October 14, 1925, Reverend Maurus Eckstein of St. Joseph Church signed a contract with Wicks Organ Company for Opus 609 – an organ that comprised of 12 ranks and a 2-manual stop-key console. Its cost was $4,700, which included a $200 "advertising discount.� The organ traveled to Springfield on the St. Louis & San Fransisco Railroad in two shipments: one on December 11, 1925 (23 crates weighing 6,931 lb.) and the other on December 15, 1925 (8 packages of case-work weighing 2,390 lb). Installation was by Mr. Maxwell H. Runge, and in June of 1926 Father Eckstein reported that the organ was in fine working order. In 1932, Father Eckstein requested that Wicks install a baffle box to reduce noise from the blower. <br><br>The new organ featured great variety and refined voicing in 8- tone, which was greatly enhanced by the generous acoustics in the traditional basilica-form church. The organ and console were located in the east balcony above the entrance doors. An examination of the balcony floor indicates "ghost lines� showing the size and location of the 1925 stop-key console <br><br>Throughout the 1950s, 60s, and 70s there was much correspondence between St. Joseph-s and Wicks concerning the organ-repair, updating, and maintenance. Wicks responded with numerous proposals, but nothing concrete occurred until Reverend Edgar Probstfield signed a secondary contract with Wicks on June 9, 1978. This entailed "rebuilding� the old organ, providing a new two-manual stop-key console, a new combination action, two new rectifiers, a new schwimmer regulator, and the addition of extensions and new ranks to the organ. <br><br>The rebuilt organ, now comprising 15 ranks, was re-delivered to the church and installed by the Wicks Factory Service Company under the direction of Maurice. J. Plog. The new console was placed in the side-aisle on the south-west corner of the nave. The organ itself remained in its original position and case-work in the east balcony. In 1990, a new combination action replaced the 1978 one, which had been damaged by lightning. In 1998, Father Joel Derks contracted Wicks to move the console from the west end to the east balcony. In 1999, Farther Denis Dougherty signed an additional contract to have the console moved back to its previous location on the west end. Today, St. Joseph-s Church stands much as it was constructed in 1906. It is one of the few area Roman Catholic Churches to have remained largely unscathed as a result of over-zealous Vatican II reforms, and is carefully protected by the congregation today. The interior features many ornate features and many beautiful murals and iconographic paintings. The church also sponsors the St. Joseph Grade School and a preschool. Church history courtesy T. Daniel Hancock. (Organ history courtesy Wicks Organ Company.) -Database Manager
2012-04-04 - Updated through online information from T. Daniel Hancock. -Database Manager
stoplist copied from console 2006 Source: Source not recorded Date not recorded
St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church Springfield, Missouri Wicks Organ Company, 1925, Opus 609 OHS ID 49314 GREAT 8' Open Diapason 61 Pipes 42scale 8' Viol d'Gamba 61 Pipes 58 scale 8' Melodia 61 Pipes open wood 8' Dulciana 61 Pipes 55 scale 4' Octave 12 Pipes from 8’ Open Diapason 4' Concert Flute 12 Pipes from 8’ Melodia 2' Super Octave 12 Pipes from 8’ Open Diapason, extension added 1978 1-1/3 Mixture III 183 Pipes used Wicks pipes, added 1978 SWELL 16' Bourdon 12 Pipes from 8’ St. Diap. 8' Violin Diapason 61 Pipes 48 scale 8' Stopped Diapason 61 Pipes stopped wood 8' Quintadena 61 Pipes 58 scale 8' Salicional 61 Pipes 65 scale 8' Vox Celeste TC 49 Pipes 62 scale @ 8’ 8' Aeoline 61 Pipes 63 scale 4' Violina 12 Pipes from 8’ Salicional 4' Flute d'Amour 12 Pipes from 8’ St. Diap. 2 2/3' Nazard 7 Pipes from 8’ St. Diap. 2' Flautino 5 Pipes from 8’ St. Diap. 8' Oboe(labial) 61 Pipes 62 scale, tapered Tremolo PEDAL 16' Bourdon 32 Pipes stopped wood 16' Lieblich Gedeckt from Swell 8' Diapason from Great, added 1978 8' Flute 12 Pipes from 16’ Bourdon 4’ Choral Bass from Great 8’ Diapason, added 1978 8’ Oboe from Swell, added 1978 COUPLERS Swell to Great 16, 8, 4 Swell to Swell 16, Unison, 4 Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal [Received from T. Daniel Hancock 2012-04-04.]
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