I've shamelessly pilfered a photo this morning taken by Chad Johnson (and shared in the Facebook feeds of a couple of friends) on Christmas Eve at Chariton's First Presbyterian Church. That's Bill Baer as reader with the Rev. Sara Palmer, pastor emeritus, waiting in the wings.
No disrespect to these worthies, but my focus here this morning is on the pipes behind them which sounded for worship the first time on Jan 12, 1930, which means that the mighty Estey (Opus 2860) will celebrate its 90th birthday in a couple of weeks.
First Presbyterian, built in 1907 to a design by Carl C. Cross & Sons of Des Moines, had included a pipe chamber behind the chancel --- but due to cost constraints, no pipes. By 1929 the women of the congregation had raised sufficient funds to order the instrument, which was installed during the first days of January, 1930, and played for worship for the first time, morning and evening, on Sunday, Jan. 12.
Here's an article from The Chariton Leader of Jan. 7, 1930, about the installation:
"Work has commenced on the installation of a new pipe organ recently purchased by the First Presbyterian church, of this city. Mr. J. Kirby Bransby, of Chicago, is here to supervise the work. He is pipe organ engineer for the Estey Organ Co., of Brattleboro, Vermont, manufacturers of the organ which is being installed. It is hoped and expected that the organ will be ready for the services on January 12, but this date is only tentative and no date has been set for the dedication service.
"This will be the third pipe organ to be installed in Chariton, as instruments have been in use for several years in the Methodist and Episcopal churches."
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Both First Methodist and St. Andrew's Episcopal had installed their organs, respectively a Pilcher (Opus 543) and a Hillgreen-Lake (Opus 141) during 1906. The Pilcher, largest of the three instruments, still is in use; the Hillgreen-Lane was destroyed when the 1903 St. Andrew's building was demolished in 1955, then replaced with the smaller building now in use. First Lutheran Church also installed a pipe organ in its new late 20th century building, but it was replaced with an electronic instrument following a 2002 fire in the console.
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Here's a report from The Leader of Jan. 14, 1930, about the first public performances on the new Presbyterian organ:
"The fine new pipe organ purchased recently by the First Presbyterian church at this place has been duly installed and was used for the first time at the services last Sunday morning and evening. Mr. J. Kirby Bransby, of Chicago, who had been here for two weeks installing the instrument and who is an expert player, presided at the organ last Sunday and the hearers were delighted with the rich, mellow tunes which indicated that the organ was one of the best that can be secured.
"It is of oak finish, and was purchased at a cost of $6,500 and was manufactured by the Estey company of Brattleboro, Vermont. It is known as a two-manual instrument with two key boards and a foot key board, and has an expression box which enables the organist to have expression over individual tonal colors. The action is controlled and operated entirely by electricity, with silver contacts under the keys, and the electric action of the organ makes it possible to have greater tone flexibility and also possible to draw greater tonal combinations from a limited number of pipes. It has what is known as the combination system, with pistons under each keyboard, which the organist can set to any desired combination, thus making quicker changes possible. the power consists of an electric motor, blower and generator.
"The organ has twelve sets of pipes, or different tone carriers, or 871 pipes in all. The largest is about a foot square and ten feet long, and the smallest is about the size of a lead pencil and three-fourths of an inch long. In addition to being a strict church organ, it is also arranged for orchestra work, with flute, oboe and violin attachments, and has a set of pipes which imitate the human voice.
"In the near future the organ will be dedicated at a public service when a fine program will be rendered. It is needless to say that the Presbyterians are very proud of the new pipe organ and trust that it will be greatly enjoyed by the people of this community."
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The organ was duly dedicated during February with Florence Whisenand, the congregation's organist, at the console and prayers or words of congratulation from the pastors of Chariton's Methodist, Episcopal, Baptist and Christian churches.
As a footnote, The Leader's editor and publisher, Henry Gittinger, had made a major misstep in his reporting about the new organ during initial stories in 1929. He had identified the Presbyterian instrument as Chariton's second pipe organ, stating that the organ at St. Andrew's was the first. He then repeated this in a dispatch to The Ottumwa Courier, thus spreading misinformation across southeast Iowa.
This caused some consternation among Chariton Methodists, some of whom suggested that if Mr. Gittinger actually attended church --- any church --- he would be better equipped to report on the status of his city's liturgical instruments.
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