Note: Not extant. Not playable. (in this location)
2024-06-26 - The organ was built by Whalley & Spencer, a builder in the Bay area of CA, in 1905. Thomas J. Whalley [Thomas W. ?] was in business for only 13 years (from 1892-1905) and during that time built a total of 13 organs...after much research, I've not found any others that are still intact. This organ was installed in the Scottish Rite Temple located at 1695 Geary Ave., in San Fransisco. A year later the temple was partially destroyed during the 1906 Earthquake, but was later restored and had multiple tenants. Prior to 1955, the building had been abandoned for a few years and then in '55 was sold to a Church that was owned by Jim Jones (The People's Temple). After his congregation left, the building became the "Fillmore Auditorium" which was used by many of the popular recording artists of the 60's and 70's. The building was then demolished. The organ was no longer needed and was given to the McKean Family of Piedmont, CA. It was removed and stored in the basement of their family home until 1989, at which time they donated it to First Congregational Church located at 1912 Central Ave., in Alameda, Ca. It was moved at that time to the church and was completely restored by Glen Rucker and Larry Pickering, Restoration Specialists of Wichita, KS. Over a period of 18 months, we restored carefully each piece of the organ and installed it in the church's Sanctuary. Email from Larry Pickering, 2024-04-18 -Paul R. Marchesano
2024-07-07 - The 1905 Organ was originally in a Masonic Temple on Geary Street in downtown San Fransisco. The building and pipe organ was greatly damaged a year after construction, in the great 1906 San Fransisco Earthquake. Eventually the building was restored and purchased by Jim Jones and became "The People's Temple" and was used as such as long as the denomination remained in San Fransisco. After they moved to Africa, the building was sold and became "The Fillmore Auditorium" and was used as a concert venue for many of the great Rock & Roll musicians of the era. After it was closed, the organ was donated to the McKean Family who lived in Piedmont, CA. They donated the organ to the First Congregational Church in Alameda in 1989. During our restoration process, there were a few cigarette burns in the keycheeks and bench which church administrators elected to leave as we refinished the console, to be evidence of the organ's "History". They are still visible today. Email correspondence from LArry Pickering, 2 July 2024 -Paul R. Marchesano
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