1966 - Exposed pipes in front flanked by chambers (Photograph from an archival source: Cover of the 1966 Organ Dedication program, submitted by Jim Stettner/Jim Stettner)
Note: Not extant. Not playable. (in this location)
2021-04-08 - First Baptist was an impressive stone pile, first built in 1891, and rebuilt after a serious fire in 1914. The organ from the former church was given to Calvary Baptist Church (on the "Boatlanding", presumably on Lake Chautauqua, but there is no longer a church in the vicinity by that name. The first organ in the new 1891 building was a two-manual Johnson & Son, destroyed in the 1914 fire. Research has yet to determine the organ that replaced it in the rebuilt ediface, but Geo. Kilgen installed an organ in 1938 as their Op. 5964-- either a new organ or a rebuild of an extant instrument. In 1965, the Tellers company replaced the Kilgen with what was to be their largest organ in the city. The church seating was by the Akron plan, with the choir sitting front and center behind the pulpit and the Great functionally exposed across the front wall. The pedal and enclosed Choir and Swell divisions were in chambers on either side of the Great speaking through grillwork, the one on the left being the original site of the pre-fire Johnson. The Pedal 32' Untersatz down to bass-F, (resultant 1-5), was on the only set of actual 32' pipes in the city. The organ was a good example of the American Classic style of organbuilding-- but in the Tellers interpretation, more warm, robust, and fully-voiced than the instruments of their competitors. In the Aeolian-Skinner style, the Choir had a loud Bombarde 8'-- a manual extension of the pedal reed-- that was also available by duplexing on the Great as its only reed. The Swell had a full reed chorus 16-8-4, and celestes on both enclosed divisions. This was one of the better organs in town, second behind the big Schlicker nearby and more effective than the lackluster Casavant at the Lutheran church (which due to its size, still remains the "preferred" concert venue for visiting artists). When I knew the organ in the early 70s while in college, it was already exhibiting the Tellers stopkey console "Achilles Heel"-- a fussy and occasionally unreliable tripper-style combination action. Sadly, before the organ was even 10 years old, the church was burned to the ground in a raging arson fire, leaving only a partially standing and gutted shell which was demolished. The organ evaporated without a trace. The congregation regrouped in a smaller purpose-built modern building, and is not known to have an actual organ. -Scot Huntington
2023-01-14 - The contract was signed August 26, 1965 for an organ to be delivered "as soon as possible after 1/1/66". Tellers Buffalo agent Robert Po-Chedley signed on behalf of the company. The contract price was $33,950, and a codicile was signed Oct. 25, 1965 to upgrade the keyboards with tracker touch for $450. The total contract price was therefore $34,400.00, payable in four installments: signing 15%, when underway in factory 25%, upon delivery 40%, upon completion 20%. The historic church and organ were totally destroyed by an arson fire in 1974, the exact date needing confirmation. Tellers recycled several ranks from the Kilgen organ then in place, so identified in the stoplist. They also used all the existing windchests (the leather was still considered in good condition and was not replaced), swell boxes and shade frames, and the blower. The unused Kilgen equipment became the property of the Tellers company. The chambers which held previous instruments were used to contain the Swell, Choir and Pedal ranks, although the chamber on the left side was rebuilt to accommodate a new baptistry on the ground level of the chamber. -Scot Huntington
Sent to me courtesy Aaron Tellers. Source: Taken from contract. June 26, 1965
Tellers Organ Co. (Opus 1014, 1965)
First Baptist Church
Jamestown, N.Y.
Compasses: 61/32
GREAT [functionally exposed, New except as stated]
16' Quintadena [inventory]
8' Prinzipal
8' Holzgedeckt [highly polished]
8' Quintadena [ext 16']
4' Octav
4' Rohrflote
2 2/3' Quint
2' Spitzprincipal
III-IV Fourniture
8' Bombarde [in Choir box]
Tremulant
Chimes [Kilgen, 20 tubes]
Great to Great 16', 4'
Great Unison Off
Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'
Choir to Great 16', 8', 4'
SWELL [Kilgen, revoiced, except as noted]
16' Gedeckt [t.c. ext.]
8' Geigen Principal [new]
8' Gedeckt
8' Gamba [68 pipes]
8' Gamba Celeste [Salicional revoiced, 68 pipes]
4' Geigen Octave [new, ext.]
4' Flute Harmonique
2' Blockflote [new]
IV Plein Jeu [new]
16' Hautbois [L/2, ext. 1-12 new]
8' Trompette [English, new]
8' Hautbois [Oboe revoiced]
8' Voix Humaine [68 pipes]
Tremulant
Swell to Swell 16', 4'
Swell Unison Off
Choir [enclosed]
8' Viola [new]
8' Nasonflote [Sw. Bdn. revoiced]
8' Dulciana
8' Dulciana Celeste [t.c. inventory]
4' Koppelflote [new]
2 2/3' Rohrnasard [new]
2' Octavin [new]
1 3/5' Terz [new]
8' Schalmei [new, or Cor Anglais, up to Barnes and us]
8' Bombarde [Great]
Tremulant
Choir to Choir 16', 4'
Choir Unison Off
Swell to Choir 16' 8', 4'
PEDAL [part functionally exposed, part enclosed]
32' Bordun [to FFFF, 7 pipes 16' Op. Diap. revoiced, Quint 1-5]
16' Contrebasse [16' Viol revoiced]
16' Bordun [revoiced]
16' Quintadena [Gr]
8' Octave [ext. 16' revoiced]
8' Bordun [ext. revoiced]
8' Dulciana [Ch]
4' Choraloctave [ext. revoiced]
4' Quintadena [Gr]
III Mixtur [Gr, extended one oct. lower, 36 pipes]
16' Posaune [1-12 new, 20 revoiced]
16' Hautbois [Sw]
8' Posaune [ext. Cor revoiced]
4' Clarion [ext. revoiced]
2' Schalmei [Ch; or Cor Anglais]
Chimes [Gr]
Great to Pedal 8', 4'
Swell to Pedal 8', 4'
Choir to Pedal 8', 4'
17 stops new
12 out of 20 old organ revoiced
2 from inventory
COMBINATIONS
1-5 Great
1-6 Swell
1-5 Choir
1-5 Pedal + toe studs
1-6 Generals + toe
0 General Cancel
Tutti reversible + toe and indicator light
Great to Pedal Rev. toe
Swell to Pedal Rev. toe
Choir to Pedal Rev. toe
Nave Shades On-Off piston reversible and indicator light
[Sw. and Ch. have shade sets for both Nave and Chancel i.e. Choir]
Expression pedals for Swell and Choir, 12 stages
General Crescendo pedal and indicator light
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