According to documents from the Organ Historical Society, the original organ was built in 1891 by the Johnson & Son Co. of Westfield, Mass. In its first form, it was one of the last organs ever built by Johnson & Son before the company went out of business in 1898. The first organ originated from reconstruction that took place after a fire struck the church in 1890, thus leading to its installation into the new building in 1891 and its current location at 509 Prendergast Ave. in Jamestown.

According to the OHS, the original organ remained intact until 1925. In that year, the organ was rebuilt by the Moller Pipe Organ company of Hagerstown, Md., at a cost of $14,560. It was contracted to arrive in Jamestown on April 1 of 1926. The contract specified that the builder had complete use of the building during a period of not less than four weeks. For two weeks, the builder had use of the building “so that voicing and tone-regulating may be done without interference.” A further stipulation also required that the metal pipework be not less than 45 percent tin.

An exception was made to crucial pipes that were attached to the main console’s keyboard area. They were be made of 70 percent tin with six zinc basses, while the wood pipes were to be made of pine and poplar. During the rebuild, the original Johnson pipes were reconfigured to to have a new pressure and pitch. Old wooden pipes also received two coats of orange shellac after cleaning and renovation.

It its new form, the Moller version of the organ had a five horsepower blower pump belt-driven by a direct current generator. It also had 39 sets of pipes coordinated to the keys on the keyboard.

The organ at First Presbyterian Church in Jamestown is made of pipes from two different manufacturers that have refurbished it in its history. Some of the pipes need to be repaired or replaced. P-J photo by William Mohan

The Moller organ remained in its first reconfigured state until 1964 when it was refurbished again by the Schlicker Organ Company of Buffalo, according to OHS documentation. This rebuild involved new instruments being constructed from old parts. Parts of the Moller organ that remained were the wind-chests the heart of an organ that also maintains air pressure, and the console in its original walnut facade. Many of the pipes from both the Johnson and the Moller builds were reused.

First Presbyterian music minister David Horne said aside from replacement of leather that took place in the 1990s, no other projects have taken place on the instrument.

Today, the organ contains a three-level keyboard, a pedal read that acts as a fourth keyboard and has 51 ranks. Unfortunately, the organ is in need of crucial repairs.

“It is showing its age,” Horne said. “When you look at it through the years the church has spent significant amounts of money on maintaining it.”

Horne also explained that any refurbishment that would take place would be expensive because every sound must coordinate to the keys on the keyboard on the console.

“Each one of those ranks has a key that corresponds to a key on the keyboard,” he said.

Horne exemplified an organ as a conglomeration of musical instruments and other building materials.

“It’s a couple thousand flutes,” Horne said. “The best way to describe it is that it is a Rube Goldberg Contraption, it’s just got so many moving parts. Some of those parts are organic materials and they deteriorate.”

While Horne said the refurbishment of the organ is an ongoing project that is being done in stages, three key pieces of instrument need to be replaced or reconfigured.

They are the reservoir of the wind chest, the keyboard and the pedal board. The wind chest is currently in dire need of replacement.

Horne said that the reservoir collects air that can be sent to the windchest and thus maintains even pressure in the organ.

“What has to happen is when you plug one pipe you are opening many pipes at once,” Horne said.

Because the reservoir is crucial to the windchest and thus the heart of an organ, Horne said this item is at the top of their list.

“The keyboard piece of the console needs to be replaced because its pins (metal pieces between the keys and the pipes) are all failing,” Horne said. “What is happening is keys are sticking and not playing and at some point they are going to completely fail and nothing will play.”

The pedal read concerns Horne because to his knowledge this area houses some of the oldest pipes.

“This makes the growling sound in the organ,” he said. “The lowest pipes are made of a metal so soft they are collapsing under their own weight and a couple of them can’t even be used any more.”

Horne estimates that the amount needed to repair the current issues in the organ will be close to $30,000.

This figure includes $3,000 to $4,000 for the resevoir, $20,000 to $25,000 for the reworking of the keyboard and around $3,500 for the pedal read and its pipes.

The church will be hosting a concert with the organ today at 4 p.m. to raise that $30,000 for the organ’s maintenance. In addition to the organ the First Presbyterian’s Chancel Choir and guest singers will also perform. Horne said the event is an opportunity to not only hear the choir perform but hear a piece of Jamestown’s history.

“Despite all of the problems, it’s a fine organ and needs to be heard,” Horne said. “It’s one of Jamestown’s great treasures.”

For more information call First Presbyterian coordinator Peggy Hallberg at 487-1984.

First Presbyterian Church is located at 509 Prendergast Ave. in Jamestown.