Note: Not extant. Not playable. (in this location)
2021-09-08 - This elegant parlor organ is well-travelled, at present count in its seventh home (2021). The Congregational church of Worcester built its first structure in 1822, remodeled it in 1865, and replaced it with a new building in 1892, erected adjacent to it. At that time, the 1822 building was demolished and the parsonage erected on the site. The church history suggests the organ was acquired at an as-yet unknown date in the 19th-century, from an auction of the contents of the Duane mansion in nearby Duanesburg. It is this connection to which the organ's source is credited. Supposedly, there is a photo of the organ in this earlier building prior to its move to the new structure in 1892 (itself documented in 1909 images). In 1917, the congregation dissolved its association with the Congregationalists and joined the Presbyterian denomination. It is highly likely, given the organ's simple construction and close proximity, that church people moved the organ from one building to the next. In 1929, the organ was replaced by a larger Estey electro-pneumatic instrument and the organ was moved, again by an unknown individual(s), to the Presbyterian Church in nearby Middlefield, New York. When that church closed in 1965, the organ was sold to a classical music radio station in Seattle, then to a private residence in Oregon in the late 70s-early 80s, then to its present home, Providence Presbyterian Church, in Powhatan, Virginia in 1990. -Scot Huntington
2021-09-18 - The accompanying photo is the oldest known image of the organ and shows the interior of the original 1822 building. The Greek embellishments atop the case add considerably to the impression of size and the crisp pleats in the center screen are quite clear. It is unfortunate the top decorations were discarded when the organ was moved, and were probably considered too old-fashioned for modern taste. The 1822 building was more spacious and lofty than the 1892 building, and likely had better acoustics. While the early photos of the instrument show the capitals to be gilded, photos of the case since 1970 show them to match the woodwork. -Scot Huntington
2022-12-08 - As of Dec.2022, the Powhatan church desired to discard the organ in favor of an imitation. The ownership of the organ was returned to the donor who originally presented it to Powhatan (in honor of his mother, the church's organist), who in turn transfered ownership to Scot Huntington, for restoration and installation in an appreciative and more permanent home. The organ was moved to storage in the SLH & Co shop in Stonington, Conn. on Dec. 2, 2022, its eighth home (!), albeit temporary. -Scot Huntington
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