1919-1930 - Facade as it was arranged in the 15th Street and Moran Avenue location (Photograph from an archival source: No photo credit given, submitted by Ryan-Michael Blake/Ryan-Michael Blake)
Note: Not extant. Not playable. (in this location)
2021-02-13 - Only a few months following a ceremony in which the newly-renovated house of worship was declared "debt free," the building was destroyed by fire just hours after the conclusion of an evening service on November 1, 1903. [At the time of this writing, the instrument(s) which preceded the fire are unknown, but being investigated.] Despite additional setbacks, including the woefully inadquate insurance payout, the congregation began the rebuilding process soon thereafter, thanks to the generosity of other churches at Christmastide. Established in 1894, the still young congregation, likely persuaded by an earnest desire for responsible stewardship, selected an organ from the Barckhoff company, which was known for their considerably lower costs, as compared with Roosevelt and other builders of the time. During this period in the Barckhoff history, the company was operating out of Pameroy, Ohio, selling mostly mass-produced models from a catalog. As such, these organs were not identified by opus numbers. Photographs indicate that this was a two-manual and pedal instrument of approximately ten ranks. Regrettably, any documentation from the company, including contracts, stoplists, and sales receipts were destroyed by a flood of the Ohio River in April 1913. By 1919, the congregation outgrew the Charlotte Street property and went to a "temporary" location at 15th Street and Moran Avenue. This instrument (in addition to some stained glass windows and furnishings) moved with the congregation to this building, which was constructed to accommodate the organ and other accoutrements. The congregation moved to its present location on Colley Avenue in 1930. The 15th Street building and its contents were sold to a Unitarian assembly, and later to a Baptist congregation. City redevelopment plans saw the building destroyed in 1971. The day before demolition, The Rev. Richard Oliver Bridgford, a young Episcopal priest, removed as much of the instrument as he could (which had been unplayable for some time) and reassembled in the parish hall of a nearby church. It was eventually sold to a gentlemen from the DC area for $600. -Ryan-Michael Blake
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