2021-02-28 - This is an early instrument listed in the Viner ledger book of instruments, built soon after Charles Viner left the employ of Johnson & Son to establish his own firm in Buffalo, New York. Viner bought the assets of the former Garret House organ company ca. 1898 and continued their instrument numbering. Viner's first instruments were virtually indistinguishable from the excellent instruments built in the last years of the Johnson company both tonally and in quality of construction. While the ledger entry for this instrument does not specify whether it had slider chests or the ventil chests Viner developed in 1900, it was built when Viner was building tracker action. This organ and the structure where it was installed no longer exist, the history of this situation as yet unknown. A First Congregational Church in Salamanca installed a Wicks organ in 1941 (database 54630). A yellow brick building appearing to be of mid-century construction referred to colloquially about town as the "yellow church" was known in recent times as the merged United Congregational Methodist Church on 134 Broad Street, but separated from those denominations in 2019 and the congregation is now known as the Riverside Chapel. -Scot Huntington
Viner ledger page 146; American Organ Archives. Source: Viner ledger notebook. 1900
Charles Viner & Son (Opus 154, 1900)
First Congregational Church
Salamanca, New York
Compasses: 61 manuals and 30 pedals overwritten as 58 and 27, confirmed by the pipe count listed for each rank.
GREAT [Scale]
8' Open Diapason 43 58 pipes
8' Viola da Gamba 58 58 "
8' Melodia (12 Std.) 58 "
4' Octave 56 " [sic]
4' Flute Harmonic (12 borrowed) 58 notes*
2 2/3' Octave Quint 64 58 pipes
2' Super Octave 69 58 "
SWELL
8' Geigen Principal (7 wood) 51 58
8' Salicional (7 cap'd) 59 58
8' Stop'd Diapason 58
8' Aeoline (12 borrowed) 61 58
4' Violina 70 58
2' Piccolo 69 58
Tremolo
PEDAL
16' Sub Bass 12" 27
16' Bourdon #1 27
COUPLERS (operated by pistons between the keys)
Swell to Great
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
PEDAL MOVEMENTS
Forte Combination: Great Organ
Piano " " "
Forte " Swell "
Piano " " "
Balanced Swell pedal
Blowers signal
Indicators
Adjustable seat
Motor starter
* This is a confusing entry. This instrument's action does not permit
unification of ranks, so perhaps this suggests it was "prepared for".
3/4 x 1/2 HP. Orgoblo added in 1923
Cost: $1800 + 150= $1950.
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