Farrand & Votey 1894 Organ Restoration Project
The three-manual, 1894 Farrand & Votey organ (Opus 719) is perhaps the first electric-action organ in the region. In 1936, a new console was added by the M.P. Moeller Company. Pilgrim members undertook a restoration of the organ in 1993 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Pilgrim Church building. The congregation chose the Holtkamp Organ Company for the project.
Thirty years later, the congregation is planning a new phase of the organ restoration, which will include a necessary replacement of the console with a digital console. The console is the control center of the organ. When the organist plays a key, it sends a signal to allow air to pass through each pipe. The console was not included in the 1992 restoration of the instrument. The now 88-year-old pneumatic technology has become unreliable with age, causing parts of the instrument to fall silent.
The console replacement project involves preserving the wooden case and replacing the inner workings and the keyboards of the console with solid state technology. We also hope to have the reed pipes refurbished as part of this project.
Including labor and supply costs, the anticipated cost of this project is $115,000, an average calculated from the bids from three Ohio-based pipe organ builders in autumn of 2024.
We appreciate your consideration to support this project. With your help, the organ will continue to provide music for generations to come.