A. B. Felgemaker Co. Opus 522 (1888)

ca. 2017 - Church exterior (Photograph from an archival source: Auditor archive, submitted by J. A. Hefner/J. A. Hefner)

ca. 1900 - Church ca. 1900, when organ was extant and in regular use, around tenure of Rev Walter E. Dakin [grandfather of Tennessee Williams] in 1897-1898 (Photograph from an archival source: Church archive, submitted by J. A. Hefner/J. A. Hefner)

2017-05-23 - Sanctuary Interior (Photograph by J. A. Hefner/Database Manager)

2017-05-23 - Builder's Nameplate "A. B. Felgemaker / Erie, Pa." stencil (Photograph by J. A. Hefner/Database Manager)

2017-05-23 - Organ Case (Photograph by J. A. Hefner/Database Manager)

2017-05-23 - Console (Photograph by Mark Stickford/Database Manager)

2017-05-23 - Pedal (Bourbon) Pipes (Photograph by J. A. Hefner/Database Manager)

2017-05-23 - Expression Pedal (Photograph by Mark Stickford/Database Manager)

2017-05-23 - Facade Pipes (Photograph by J. A. Hefner/Database Manager)

2017-05-23 - Left Stop Jamb (Photograph by Mark Stickford/Database Manager)

2017-05-23 - Right Stop Jamb (Photograph by Mark Stickford/Database Manager)

2017-05-23 - Organ Case and Console (Photograph by J. A. Hefner/Database Manager)

2017-05-23 - Church Exterior (Photograph by J. A. Hefner/Database Manager)

1995-11-01 - Organ Case (Photograph courtesy of Timothy E. Conyers/Database Manager)

2017-05-23 - "Pancake"-type blower in crawlspace hatch next to pipe organ (J. A. Hefner/J. A. Hefner)

2017-05-23 - Internal tracker mechanism & bellows pump handle (Mark Stickford/J. A. Hefner)

2017-05-23 - Internal tracker mechanism (J. A. Hefner/J. A. Hefner)

2017-05-23 - Tracker linkage closeup (Mark Stickford/J. A. Hefner)

2017-05-23 - Linkage closeup (Mark Stickford/J. A. Hefner)

2017-05-23 - Windways & interior pipes (Mark Stickford/J. A. Hefner)

2017-05-23 - Internal mechanism access panel below pedal pipes (Mark Stickford/J. A. Hefner)

2017-05-23 - Name written on inside of panel ["MARION SYKES / MAR 18 1906"] (Mark Stickford/J. A. Hefner)

2017-05-23 - Name written on inside of panel ["Charles Lafferty [uncertain] / ... 19--"] (Mark Stickford/J. A. Hefner)

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Notes

2013-06-05 - This entry describes an original installation of a new pipe organ. Identified by Timothy E. Conyers, based on personal knowledge of the organ. -- I played this organ in November 1997. The building had been purchased by the Church of the Nazarene for a multi-racial congregation. The church was very old and beautiful, probably built in the latter half of the 1800's or very early 1900's. I was told it had originally been a Presbyterian Church and at some point the Springfield First Church of the Nazarene had once owned the building. The building was in poor condition and needed repairs. Men from across the church district formed a Work & Witness Team to fix some of the major problems of the building. A special singspiration service was held a few weeks later with an invitation extended to all who had assisted. ... The trip took 1 1/2 hours, so we arrived about an hour before the service. I was allowed to examine the instrument during this waiting period. The organ was playable but not usable. It needed repairs and tuning. There were air leaks and some stops did not play. To one side of the façade was a large stained glass window with a few small broken panes. Most of the glass had been covered except for a section near the top of the organ façade. Weather elements and cold air was able to come through the broken glass and onto the pipes that faced the congregation. I was unable to examine the interior of the case. The instrument appeared to have been a tracker organ but I cannot be certain of this fact. It had been electrified at some point but otherwise appeared to be in its original state. Unfortunately I did not get a stop list or builder, and cannot recall if it even had a name plate on the console. I was questioned by the pastor about the possibility of the congregation selling the instrument. I recommended contacting the Organ Clearing House, American Guild of Organist, and the Organ Historical Society. The current condition or location of this instrument is unknown. The Springfield Central Church of the Nazarene is no longer on the District roster of active congregations and has not been for several years. Satellite and street images reveal the building is still standing and apparently being used for some purpose as a three story addition has been added to the rear. -Database Manager

2013-06-06 - Updated through online information from Timothy E. Conyers. -- Examination of the organ in November 1997 - The instrument is in a case on the right side of the chancel. The attached keydesk places the organist's back to the chancel area and choir. The facade pipes above the keydesk had metal pipes painted white with solid gold accents on the mouth, and a gold line accent on the foot and on the body above the mouth. The wooden pipes facing the nave were also painted white with a gold line accent above the mouth. The pipes above the keydesk were in three flat sections. The two end "towers" had a horizontal small decorative wooden carving near the top of the pipes. I believe the center section had a similar carving, only slightly higher than the two side carvings. The large wooden pipes facing the congregation ascended slightly in height before leveling off and reaching the nave wall. These pipes were beside a large stained glass window. A small hole in the glass exposed the pipes to the elements. There is no evidence in the woodwork to indicate there had ever been a hand crank for the bellows. It may have originally had a water motor, a common feature for organs of this age. The instrument had been electrified at some point. The current blower may have been in the basement as I do not recall much noise being produced from a motor. In spite of its lack of care and tuning, the instrument had a beautiful tonal quality. -Database Manager

2016-12-08 - Updated through online information from J. A. Hefner. Clark County Auditor records show the church was built in 1888, possibly narrowing down information on the organ. Changing Lives Now Ministry now operates in the building, though I have yet to contact them regarding the organ [if it still exists]. -Database Manager

2017-05-15 - Updated by J. A. Hefner, naming this as the source of information: "The Centennial Celebration of Springfield, Ohio: Held August 4th to 10th, 1901". Additionally, J. A. Hefner listed this website as a source of information: http://www.mychurchohio.com. The organ still appears in a photo taken ca. March 2017, seen on the My Church Ohio website [seems to be successor to Changing Lives Now, even though the building's registered owner is still Changing Lives Now]. The property and sanctuary seem to have been renovated somewhat, though I am waiting on more details about the organ's condition. The church building was originally built for "Church of the Heavenly Rest, Protestant Episcopal" [the engraved block can be seen on the church front, plus the 1888 cornerstone], funded by donation from William Foos and his wife. The dedication was 2 December 1888, performed by Rev C. M. Young of Greenville, with Miss Bassett as organist. [from "The Centennial Celebration of Springfield, Ohio: Held August 4th to 10th, 1901"]. -Database Manager

2017-05-24 - Updated by J. A. Hefner, who gave this as the source of the information: personal inspection of organ with Mark Stickford. [See Documents]. . -Database Manager

2017-05-25 - Updated by J. A. Hefner, listing conversations with this person as the source of the information: Aaron M. Tellers (Tellers Organ Co.). According to Aaron Tellers, this is Felgemaker Opus 522, originally installed in this building in 1888. -Database Manager

2020-05-25 - The instrument was removed in early March 2019. Video of worship services on the My Church Ohio Facebook page, show the organ there in Febuary 2019. It does not appear in the March 17, 2019 video. source: https://www.facebook.com/pg/mychurchohio/videos/ -Timothy E. Conyers

2022-01-30 - When Mark and I photographed the organ in 2017, the pastor's wife told us the organ had a fixed life of five years until it was removed and the chancel stage widened. As noted earlier, they were ahead of schedule and removed the organ by March 2019. The window next to the organ was bricked up, and the organ's current location and disposition are unknown. -J. A. Hefner

2024-01-28 - The instrument may not have been destroyed as I located this note on the St. Paul Methodist Church, Springfield, OH., page (Location ID: 52303): "St. Paul Methodist was purchased ca. 2002 by local jeweler Dave Garrett, and throughout the restoration process, he has been holding church services in it as well....The Garretts have expressed interest in purchasing a pipe organ, and they might wind up using ABF Opus 522 (Heavenly Rest Episcopal/My Church Ohio) as a basis." -Timothy E. Conyers

2024-03-06 - While I haven't been able to verify yet, I'm not confident the instrument was saved or reused - at best, I would guess it was dismantled and put into storage somewhere. In 2017 it seemed like a nice idea to have it moved to the former St Paul Methodist/used in some sort of rebuild, but it was just an idea floated during a broader discussion. If that idea went anywhere, the resources required probably were far outside what could be easily set aside for such a project. Hopefully we'll find out. -J. A. Hefner

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