Organ Renovation Project 

381 Main Street - Middletown, Connecticut

Parish est. 1624 - Church built 1874

The current organ (The Haskell Memorial Organ) is a 1921 Casavant instrument that incorporates the facade and much pipework from the 1861 Hook & Hastings organ. After several decades of "make do" repairs and various additions, we are beginning to piece together a comprehensive rebuilding project that will ensure this instrument will continue for many generations to come.

1760        “Crown and Mitre” organ donated by Capt. Richard Alsop  (a loyalist)      (South Green)

This organ was a small tracker (mechanical) organ that had some detail engraving on the front of the case which    included a bishop's mitre (hat) entwined with a crown, symbolizing the King of England. As the revolution fever grew, this bit of decoration became the subject of much consternation! When the congregation relocated to a new church building on Broad Street, a new organ was installed, without decoration...

1830        John Porter installs new organ in exchange for existing instrument  (Broad Street)

1861        EG & G Hook and Hastings Organ  ($2000 and Porter organ)

1874        Moved to new building, a water motor was installed to pump the bellows for wind in the organ!

1921       Casavant organ – gift of Miss Ella Haskell ($20,000.)            

               Dedicated by Charles Corboin, Feb. 1922

1948        MP Moller (of Hagerstown, MD)  contracted for repairs and maintenance. Reeds revoiced

                 New Harmonic Trumpet (the current chamade) installed in the Solo chamber.

1956        Moller dismissed, JH Brunner contracted for maintenance.

1957        Major water damage to Pedal Diapason. JH Brunner and Austin consulted.

1960        LG Monette (tonal finisher for Aeolian Skinner of Boston) “renovation”  Not completed?

1961       Renovation  by Ferrara & Bishop begun. Maintenance contract

                New pedal chest installed, old Great Diapason moved to this chest

1966        New console built by Casavant, John Fenstermaker, consultant. 4’ Flute (and rest of Solo pipework?) given to Ferrara & Bishop in exchange for “extra work” required for the installation. Celesta sold to Allen Miller for $25.00

1968        Francois Gendron “Casavant Organ men take care of this organ”

1969        Austin Organs (Charles Aitken and Alan McNeely) Maintenance  

                Tin slide tuners installed in Swell and Great                                                  (through late 1970’s  ? )

1980        J Clem Young begins “renovation”

                All pipes removed & cleaned. 16’ Pedal Diapason – seven pipes and a new chest were built by Dick Bengston, who also built the chamade chest, with the Moller Harmonic Trumpet. Missing pipes from the old Solo division were replaced, a 1921 EM Skinner harp was installed. Solo, some Swell, Great releathered.

1982        Andrew Huntington reconstructed Great and Swell Mixtures.  An old Vox Humana chest was reconfigured and old pipes were used to create a two-rank Pedal Mixture. It was never installed.

1984         Basement fire causes problems with the console and wiring. JCY is contracted to clean and re-wire the organ. (wiring not completed) Console and all chancel reeds sent to Casavant. Chamade Trumpet cleaned by JCY. Chimes installed, 32’ electronic bass installed, swell engines releathered.  Additional stops and reservoirs releathered over the next decade.

A view from the Trompette-en-chamade           The  3-manual console (1965)

Proposed Organ Specification      (Prepared Stops in Red)

1.    16’ Bourdon     

2.    8’ Principal

3.    8’ Hohlflote

4.    8’ Rohrflote

5.    8’ Oboe Gamba

6.    4’ Waldflote

7.    4’ Octave

8.    2 2/3’ Twelfth

9.     2’ Fifteenth

10.  Fourniture, IV

11.     Mixture, III  

12.  Mounted Cornet, III

13.  16' Trombone (Ped)

14.  8' Tuba (solo)

15.     8’ Tromba

16.     Chimes

17.       8’ Open Diapason

18.       8’ Stopped Diapason

19.       8’ Viola da Gamba

20.       8’ Voix Celeste

21.       4’ Flauto Traverso

22.       4’ Principal

23.       2 2/3’ Nazard

24.       2’ Flageolet

25.       Mixture, III

26.       16’  Posaune     

27.       8’ Trumpet

28.       8’ Oboe

29.       4’ Clarion

30.       8’ Vox Humana

27.       8’ Trumpet en Chamade (solo)

        Sw/Sw 16-X-4

28.        8' Geigen Diapason

29.    8' Voce Umana

30.    8’ Gedeckt  

31.        8’ Dulciana

32.        8’ Unda Maris 

33.        4’ Violina

34.        8’ Clarinet

         Ch/Ch 16-X-4

35.         8’ Phonon Diapason                

36.         8’ Harmonic Flute                  

37.         8’ Gemshorn                           

38.         8’ Celeste                               

39.         4’ Octave                            

40.         4’ Concert Flute                  

41.         16’ Bombarde      (ext. tuba)                

42.         8’ Flugel Horn                

43.         8’ Tuba  

44.    Harp                                

45.         8’ State Trumpet 

48.         32’ Contra Diapason   (elect)     

49.         32’ Bourdon  (elect)     

50.         16’ Principal                 

51.         16’ Sub Bass                

52.         16’ Bourdon (from gt)

53.         8’ Principal            

54.         8’ Bass Flute         

55.         4’ Choral Bass            

56.         4’ Flute       

57.         Mixture, II              

58.         16’ Trombone        

59.         16’ Posaune (from sw)      

60.         16’ Bombarde (from solo)      

60.         8’ Tromba         

61.         4’ Clarion       

One of many ladders to climb...     to a view from the back of the facade.

Great Organ                                                                    Swell Organ                          Choir Organ

Solo Organ                                                        E.M. Skinner - Harp Action

Pedal Div. Pipes - before!            Wiring...   eek!

RELEATHERING...  

Before:   

After:   

before & after pedal action (releathered)

The Chapel Organ

Zeno Fedeli Organ  (chapel)

Principale 8', Flauto 8', Flautino 4', 2'

The church's former Director of Music, Mr. Gordon Adams, discovered this instrument lying in a music shop on Via Roma, Naples, Italy. It appears to have been build around 1860 in a town near Assisi. It was sitting unused in a church in Naples for over two decades. It was packed and moved to Philadelphia by the US Navy, later moved to the Miss Porter's School in Farmington, Connecticut. Work had been effected on the instrument by a builder in New York and later, was given by the school to the Church of the Holy Trinity in 1980.