Better Pipe Organ Database

Wicks Organ Co. Opus 2779 (1947)

Luther Place Memorial Lutheran Church
1226 Vermont Ave. NW
Washington, DC

Note: Not extant. Not playable. (in this location)

Images

1947 - Cover of Church program dedicating the Wicks Organ at Luther Place Memorial Church, Washington DC. (Photograph from an archival source: Luther Place Memorial Church, submitted by Steven Bartley/Steven Bartley)

Unknown - Church exterior (Photograph by tripadvisor.com, submitted by Jeff Scofield/Jeff Scofield)

Consoles

Main

Organ type: Traditional With Roll Top
Console position: Console in Fixed Position, Center
3 manuals
29 stops
42 registers
4 divisions
Key action Type: Electrical
Stop action Type: Electrical
Stop layout Type: Drawknobs in Vertical Rows on Angled Jambs
Manual compass: 61 notes
Pedal compass: 32 notes
Pedal Type: Concave Radiating (Meeting AGO Standards)
Expression Type: Balanced Expression Shoes/Pedals (Meeting AGO Standards)
Has crescendo
Combination action: Adjustable Combination Pistons
Has combination thumb pistons
Has coupler thumb pistons
Has coupler toe pistons
Has tutti thumb pistons

Notes

2018-02-09 - Replaced in 1977 by 4/47 Moller Op. 11205, retaining 181 pipes from the Wicks; the Wicks was relocated to the Stuart Lee Harbour Residence in Annandale, Virginia; reportedly relocated from there to the Arlington Church of the Brethren, Arlington, Virginia. -Database Manager

2023-08-18 - This organ was installed by Organ technician George W. Houdesshel 1881 - 1978, of Baltimore. Houdeshel had his own small organ repair firm and was a Rep./installer for the Wicks Company. The Washington Post for Feb. 3, 1905 pg. 11 highlights a concert at Luther Place Memorial, featuring the new Adam Stein Organ, which replaced a Roosevelt organ, also built by Stein in his Baltimore shop, which was destroyed in a fire. It is possible that this 1947 Wicks uses pipes from the Stein Organ. Several similar, older organs, in Baltimore were renovated by Wicks in the late 1940s. -Steven Bartley

Stoplist

Source: Stoplist courtesy of the Wicks Organ Co. Date not recorded

       Washington, District of Columbia
       Luther Place Memorial Lutheran Church

       Wicks   Op. 2779   1947   3/31
       ___________________________________________________

       GREAT                          SWELL

   16' Dbl Open Diapason 61       16' Contra Salicional 12
    8' Open Diapason     61        8' Open Diapason     73
    8' Clarabella        61        8' Stopped Flute     73
    4' Octave            61        8' Salicional        73
    4' Flute Octaviante  61        8' Voix Celeste      73
2 2/3' Twelfth           61        4' Geigen Octave     73
    2' Fifteenth         61        4' Harmonic Flute    73
  III  Fourniture       183        2' Piccolo (HarmFl)  --
       Sub                       III  Cornet Mixture   183
       Unison Release             16' Double Trumpet    12
       Super                       8' Trumpet           73
       Chimes            CH        8' Oboe              73
                                   4' Clarion           61
       CHOIR                          Tremolo
                                      Sub
    8' Concert Flute     73           Unison Release
    8' Dulciana          73           Super
    8' Unda Maris        61
    4' Gemshorn          73           PEDAL
    4' Flauto Traverse   --
    4' Dolce             --       32' Resultant         --
2 2/3' Dulciana          --       16' Open Diapason     32
    2' Piccolo           61       16' Bourdon           32
1 3/5' Dulciana Tierce   --       16' Contra Salicional SW
    8' Clarinet          73        8' Octave            12
       Tremolo                     8' Bass Flute        12
       Sub                         8' Violoncello       32
       Unison Release              8' Flauto Dolce      SW
       Super                   5 1/3' Quint (Bourdon)   --
       Chimes            21        4' Octave Cello      12
                                  16' Double Trumpet    SW

         [Received from Jeff Scofield February 9, 2018]

Documents

Wicks Organ-of-the-Month ad from THE DIAPASON February 1948 Photo and description -Jeff Scofield
Write-up from THE DIAPASON January 1948 Stoplist and commentary -Jeff Scofield

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