St. Peter Catholic Church: Nave gallery
305 2nd Street
Montgomery, IN
Note: Not extant. Not playable. (in this location)
Images
c. 2012 - Altar (Photograph from an archival source: Church website photo pages., submitted by Timothy E Conyers/Timothy E Conyers)
c.2012 - Church exterior (Photograph from an archival source: Church website photo pages., submitted by Timothy E Conyers/Timothy E Conyers)
c.2003 - Console and cabinet case (Photograph from an archival source: Church website history page, submitted by Timothy E Conyers/Timothy E Conyers)
c. 2003 - Organ in rear gallery (Photograph from an archival source: Church website history page, submitted by Timothy E Conyers/Timothy E Conyers)
Consoles
Gallery
- Organ type: Traditional With Roll Top
- Console position: Keydesk Attached
- 2 manuals
- 4 stops
- 1 divisions
- Key action Type: Electrical
- Stop action Type: Electrical
- Stop layout Type: Stop Keys Above Top Manual
- Manual compass: 61 notes
- Pedal compass: 32 notes
- Pedal Type: Flat Radiating
- Expression Type: Balanced Expression Shoes/Pedals (Meeting AGO Standards)
- Has crescendo
Notes
2021-10-19 - It is unclear from available sources if the instrument was installed in the late 1930's or in 1940. A description accompanying photos of the organ states, "Looking towards the back of the Church, before the New Organ was installed. Note the Clear Window behind the Organ. The Old Organ was installed in the 1930’s. It was reported that Leo Ryan and Bennie Traylor took a stock truck to somewhere in Southern Illinois to get this organ." A church history written for the re-dedication of the building's renovation in 1976, states, "A beautiful Wicks organ was installed in 1940, and is still in use today."
In an old black and white photo of the console, there are no combination action thumb pistons visible. There is a row of several key tab stops above the upper manual. The music rack folded down and the console had a roll top covering. The instrument appears to be a "cabinet" type organ designed by the Wicks firm; nine gold painted pipes are displayed in the middle of the cabinet above the manuals, with decorative cloth-covered screens on either side. The instrument was placed against the wall underneath the clear glass window of the building's facade. The keydesk was attached to the cabinet. There are no visible pipes other than the decorative ones of the "facade".
In January 1995, a fund was established to replace the instrument with a new pipe organ. When this organ was retired in 2003, it was refurbished and is now at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Washington, Indiana.
Source: Church webpage www.stpetermont.org
-Timothy E. Conyers
2021-10-20 - In the 1930's, the Wicks Organ Company introduced a line of small pipe organs in self-contained cabinets. They were marketed towards schools, homes, churches, and funeral homes. There were varioius models of these instruments, which could be purchased for less than $1000.00 in the 1930's, (the Great Depression years). Several models made use of 16 ft free reeds for the 16 ft pedal stop rather than taking up space for regular 16 ft pedal bourdons.
According to an old brochure published by Wicks, the organ at St. Peter Catholic Church is the Fuga model with the style of cabinet designated as case 2N. The cabinet is a singular unit chest containing all the pipes and a blower with attached console. It utilized the Wicks Direct-Electric Action. Size of the entire instrument with the attached console measured: 5 feet 10 inches wide, 8 feet 5 inches high, and 5 feet 5 inches deep.
Source: http://brianebiepipeorganservice.com/wicks-fuga-organ
-Timothy E. Conyers
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