2010-11-16 - Nave, Gallery, and Pipe Facade (Photograph by Len Levasseur/Database Manager)
2010-11-16 - Keydesk (Photograph by Len Levasseur/Database Manager)
OHS convention: 1964, 2011
2004-10-30 - Status Note: There 1997 -Database Manager
2004-10-30 - Recently renovated. [as of 1997?] -Database Manager
2008-10-13 - Updated through information from Donald E. Clark. See Document for stop-knob layout. -Database Manager
2008-10-13 - Details from Donald E. Clark: Double Swell shades, vertical, one behind other. Swell shoe on right side of pedalboard. Five combination pedals, Gt-Ped Rev. Pedal. Tremolo pedal hook-down. Two pedal stops ventil -Database Manager
2014-02-27 - Updated through online information from James R. Stettner. -- [New winding system; organ has been re-pitched.] -Database Manager
2022-10-31 - The congregation grew as more people arrived from Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. By the mid 1880s, the church building was too small and a much grander edifice was begun. In 1890, the new church was dedicated, with stained glass windows from Germany and Stations of the Cross from Austria. There was a large open space under the tower for the organ that was ordered from George S. Hutchings of Boston, but until it was installed, music was provided by an orchestra or a reed organ. One bright spring morning in 1891 the pastor, George Glaab, DD, left the rectory in his buggy to return an hour later from the Baltimore & Ohio railway station at the foot of the Capitol leading the two horse drawn wagons carrying the new organ. Although she was only six years old at the time, one of the parishioners told me that she witnessed this. The magnificent building had cost $60,000 and the $2,500 organ was to be Glaab’s crowning achievement. The organ was certainly adequate for the building, but Hutchings added the 16ʹ Diapason on the Great without charge because he felt the room needed the extra foundation. -- *2011 OHS Atlas* -Paul R. Marchesano
2024-10-02 - Unidentified note from PC database typed stoplist [but appears to be someone from the Lewis & Hitchcock firm, who carried out restorative repairs]: The organ cost $2500 new in 1893, and I knew a lady who remembered the pastor going off in a buggy to the old B & O station at the foot of the Capitol and returning followed by a horse-drawn wagon containing the crates with the organ. They apparently used orchestra and a reed organ until the organ came. Two interesting things about the installation-the 16' Diapason on the great is not in the contract, and the facade originally was two rows-an M in front and an A on the second row. Only the end three pipes of the second row were speaking, the center being short dummies which sat on the scollop. Apparently when Mr. Hutchings installed them he realized that the window behind the organ shone through the facade and made the short dummies apparent. So the end pipes (2) which showed were tubed off to little perches beyond the edge of the facade. In fact, it is from one of these which did not get repainted that we have been able to reconstruct the patterns which were original, and plan to restore the facade soon. The building is just finished restoration, and now the facade needs it to match. The organ was hand pumped-feeders and reservoir removed in 1964, and the water motor is still in the basement. Only last December(1996) did the District of Columbia start charging churches for water. The Bourdon 16 forms the back of the organ, and many who pumped the organ wrote and carved their names. The strange things is that there is one inscription for 1890-three years before the organ was installed, which may mean that Mr. Hutchings used a set of pipes from a previous instrument. There is no record of what if anything was in the 1845 church, which the present building replaced in 1890. The organ has an oak case with the facade from the great Diapason 16' & Diapason 8'. The lower notes of the 16' are "monkey quints" but work quite well. The swell shutters are double, and unbelievably effective. The changes in the specification which I have made can be returned to the original in about an half hour. -Paul R. Marchesano
Pitch A435. The original pipes 1–12 of the 8ʹ Violin Diapason, and 4ʹ Violina, and the entire 8ʹ Aeoline rank are stored and intact. See DOCUMENTS tab for Atlas article and specification. Source: 2011 OHS Atlas 1964-06-30 & 2011-06-27
GREAT Diapason 16 (CC–FF# monkey quints (Open Wood 8 with stopped 5 1/3 attached—common windway), zinc to c1, rest common metal), Diapason 8 (zinc CC– e0, rest common metal), Melodia 8 (CC–BB stopped wood, rest open wood), Dulciana 8 (zinc to c0, rest spotted metal), Octave 4 (CC–EE zinc, rest spotted metal), Flute d’Amour 4 (stopped wood, metal trebles), Fifteenth 2 (spotted metal), Twelfth 2 2/3 (spotted metal), Mixture (15-19-22) III (CC–c1 15-19-22 C#1–c3 12-15-19 c#3–c4 8-12-15), Trumpet 8 (Zinc stems with spotted metal bells CC-c1, rest spotted metal)
SWELL Bourdon Treble 16 (TC) c0–c4, Bourdon Bass 16 (CC–BB, unenclosed), Stopped Diapason 8 (CC–c3 stopped wood, c#3–c4 open metal), Salicional 8 (CC–FF# capped zinc, GG–c4 spotted metal), Voix Celeste 8 (Replacement pipes for 8ʹ Aeoline, in storage), Violin Diapason 4 (originally at 8ʹ pitch, 12 new trebles), Flute Harmonic 4 (CC–EE zinc, FF–c4 common metal, c1–c3 harmonic), Violina 2 (originally at 4ʹ pitch, spotted metal, CC–c3 only, no top octave now), Cornopean 8 (CC–c1 zinc with spotted metal bells, rest spotted metal, c2–c3 harmonic, open metal flues c#3 to top), Dolce Cornet III (CC–c1 19-22-26 c#1–c3 15-19-22 c#3–c4 12-15-19), Oboe 8 (c0–c4 spotted metal; open metal flues c#3 to top), Bassoon 8 (CC–BB, zinc with common metal bells)
PEDAL Pedal Open Diapason 16 (open wood), Pedal Bourdon 16 (stopped wood)
PEDAL MOVEMENTS Piano Great, Forte Great, Piano Swell, Mezzo Swell, Forte Swell, Great to Pedal (reversible), Tremolo
SWELL to GREAT 8, GREAT to PEDAL 8, SWELL to PEDAL 8
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