2015-05-31 - Organ case (Photograph by John Gall/John Gall)
2015-05-31 - Keydesk (Photograph by John Gall/John Gall)
2016-06-23 - An original installation. Identified by David Poile, using information from this web site: http://www.flentrop.nl/orgelbouw/southc_ohio_pres.html. <br> -Database Manager
2017-07-14 - Updated by J. A. Hefner, listing this website as a source of information: http://www.scharlestonfirst.org/ourhistory.htm. <br> <br>Direct from the South Charleston First Presbyterian history page, with information from Trudy Faber and J. T. Gall:<br>"A committee was formed to acquire a new organ around 1983-1984 during Pastor Bill Locke-s ministry at First Presbyterian Church. An organ fundraiser was initiated. The organist at that time was Rick Wyble, a master-s degree student of Trudy Faber at Wittenberg University. Mrs. Faber recommended the Flentrop tracker organ to Rick as she had played a Flentrop during her Fulbright Scholarship year in Amsterdam. Field trips were arranged to view and listen to smaller tracker organs. The organ choice was narrowed to Taylor & Booty [sic; Boody], an American builder, and Flentrop, a Dutch builder. Mr. Wyble encouraged the purchase of the Flentrop due to the extremely favorable dollar to guilder exchange rate at that time and so it was decided. <br>It took about a year for the organ to be built. It was shipped in a number of large crates, first by ocean freighter, and then trucked to a warehouse in Springfield for storage while Sanctuary renovations were being completed. <br> Once the Sanctuary was prepared to receive the organ, a representative from Flentrop arrived to put the organ together. Members of the congregation volunteered to sit at the organ console for several hours at a time and hold down individual organ keys so that the builder could carefully tune each pipe.<br> Rick had graduated and left town by the time the organ was installed.  For the dedication of the organ, three recitals were scheduled. Dr. Don Busarow, Deborah (Reed) Dickerson, and Trudy Faber each performed. <br>Deborah became the church-s organist and served for approximately 14 years. Dr. Busarow began playing the organ for our first service in late 2000 until his health problems prevented continuing in 2011. Paul Smith and others performed beautifully on the piano and organ after that, and Deanna Mattinson is our current extremely talented organist/pianist for our 8:30 worship service." -Database Manager
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.