2014-09-21 - This is a rebuild of an existing organ. Identified by James R. Stettner, based on personal knowledge of the organ. -- This was a project of some refurbishing of existing equipment. Tonal additions and changes were made. A new Peterson solid state relay and combination action were installed, though all coupler functions are still accomplished by the original 1923 stop slides behind the keys. In the Swell, a new 4' Spill Flute was added and the original 4' Flauto Traverso was transposed as the 2' Piccolo, but someone has subsequently reversed this. Other additions were also made to all three divisions. -Database Manager
2014-09-23 - Updated through online information from James R. Stettner. -Database Manager
Stoplist copied from the console September 18, 2014 Source: Source not recorded Date not recorded
Tacoma, Washington
First Christian Church (DoC)
AUSTIN ORGAN COMPANY, Opus 1205,1923
Balcom & Vaughan Pipe Organs, Opus 681, 1961 - Move & Re-install
Homer R. Johnson, 1990 - Rebuild & Enlarge
GREAT (Expressive) PEDAL (Expressive)
8 Open Diapason 73 32 Sub Harmonics --
8 Violoncello 73 16 Open Diapason [wood] 32
8 Melodia 73 16 Bourdon 32
8 Dulciana 61 16 Dulciana (Gt) 12
4 Octave Principal 61 8 Bass Flute (O.D.) 12
4 Wald Flute 73 8 Still Gedeckt (Bour) --
2-2/3 Twelfth 61 Harmonics [5-1/3] (O.D.) --
2 Fifteenth 61 16 Trombone (Sw) 12
8 Cornopean (Sw) -- 8 Trombone (Sw) --
4 Clarion (Sw) --
Chimes (20)
Great Tremulant
COUPLERS
Great to Great 16 Swell to Pedal 8,4
Great Unison Off Great to Pedal 8
Great to Great 4
Swell to Great 16,8,4
1 blank stoptablet
FINGER PISTONS
SWELL (Expressive) General 1 - 8
8 Violin Diapason 73 Swell 1 - 8
8 Rohr Flute 73 Great 1 - 8
8 Viole d'Orchestra 61 Set
8 Viole Celeste T.C. 49 Cancel
8 Echo Salicional 61
8 Quintadena 61
4 Spill Flute 61 TOE STUDS
2 Piccolo 61 General 9 - 12
III Mixture [2'] 183 Pedal 1 - 8
8 Trumpet 73
8 Cornopean 73
8 Oboe 61 PEDAL MOVEMENTS
8 Vox Humana 61 Swell Expression (bal.)
Swell Tremulant Main Expression (bal.)
Crescendo (bal.)
Swell to Swell 16
Swell Unison Off
Swell to Swell 4 MEMORY (Rotary)
Memory Select A, B, C, D
2 blank stoptablets Memory Lock-Out
ACTION: E-P Ventil VOICES: 23 STOPS: 33 RANKS: 25 PIPES: 1,245
& Unit (inc. chimes)
NOTES
This organ was originally built by the Austin Organ Co. of Hartford, CT. for the old
church located at 6th & K Streets. It is listed as being 19-ranks.
In 1961, Balcom & Vaughan Pipe Organs of Seattle moved the organ to the present edifice.
The original Austin Universal™ windchests were discarded at this time, and recycled 1902
Hutchings-Votey windchests from Seattle's Temple de Hirsch were releathered and used. It
is not presently known exactly what tonal changes may have been made by Balcom & Vaughan
at this time, but their opus list gives the resulting size of the organ as 17 ranks.
In 1990, Tacoma organ technician Homer R. Johnson was contracted to convert the combina-
tion action and relay function to solid state. Peterson Electro-Musical Corp. components
were used. New pipes were added to the organ bringing the total number of ranks to 25.
Some of the new and also the old pipework are on Kilgen-style E-P windchests clearly
built by Balcom & Vaughan.
Sources: Austin opus list; Balcom & Vaughan opus list; JRS; extant organ
[Received from James R. Stettner 2014-09-24.]Regrettably, it is not possible to display the information about the sponsor of this pipeorgandatabase entry or if there is a sponsor. Please see About Sponsors on Pipe Organ Database.