Part 17 Musical Selections: The History of Organs of Peoples United Methodist Church
The primary source of information on this part of Peoples History should be credited to Dr. Malcolm Cass, the organist since the 1940’s of this church. It is an important part of that history and transcends being applied to only one period of the church history. I have chosen to include the history of the organs at the point where members of the choir, the trustees and the board of stewards and leaders agreed to the need and purchase of its first pipe organ.
The earliest reference to an organ for the Ferry Village Methodist Episcopal Church was made in one of the early brochures which showed that in the late 1870’s, repairs to the church were made, a new carpet, an organ and a stove were sought for purchase. In a receipt dated January 21, 1881 from Samuel Thurston of Number 3 Free Street in Portland describes 1 Burdett Organ, Style 60, #37,350. The listed price for the organ was $435.00. The receipt also indicated that the actual amount paid at the time was $225.00 thus leaving a balance to be paid. Of that balance Mr. Thurston relinquished his fee of $50 thus leaving a balance to be paid of $160.00. A solicitation of the congregation was made and the remainder was paid off in two monthly installments. The organ was probably of the harmonium type also called a reed organ, or parlor organ. Perhaps many have seen this type that was often found in older homes or sometimes a funeral parlor such as Hobbs has one on display. The organist while playing the keys at the same time peddled these reed organs.
In June of 1909 the choir presented a plan to the trustees to purchase a pipe organ for an approximate figure of $1600 at no expense to the church. With the approval of the trustees the choir was authorized to begin the project. The choir would raise or find the money for the instrument as well as pay for its installation. Serious consideration on the acquisition was not reported again according to the minutes of the choir secretary dated, February 13, 1911. A formal committee was organized to investigate the new organ. Presiding on the committee was church organist, Evelyn York listed as the chair of the committee. Serving with her were Minnie Parsons, Miss. Bickford, Mr. Jewett ( possibly the former captain who had not agreed to serve on the Trustees in 1903), Mr. Files, Emma Hamilton, and Mr. Harry Eustis. By May 8, 1911 $221.00 was in the bank, with another $38.65 on hand. All members of the choir were working for the organ project through choir concerts, festivals, fairs, and food sales. On November 13, 1911 it was voted that each member earn $1.00 for the organ fund by December 14, 1911. An autograph quilt with $.10 for each autographed square went to benefit the fund, and 500 copies of a poem were sold for the same cause.
Progress was made in adding to the coffers of the fund and therefore, the committee felt itself sufficiently along the path to raising the funds to have a meeting on January 12, 1912 to meet with a representative of the Esty Organ Company. The gentleman that represented the company was able to extend a blue print of the proposed organ and the Choir Treasurer and Council voted to order the organ from the Esty Company. By May $525 was raised by the choir of 21 members, and the organ was installed by July of the same year. The organs show-pipes stood across the sanctuary front behind the pulpit, chairs and communion table. Discussions on purchasing an electric blower continued for another two years until after the organ was paid for and dedicated. In the meanwhile a blower boy was hired with his salary apparently paid for by choir members who were assessed $.10 a month each.
The total cost as stated earlier was held to $1600, half being paid by the choir. A grant was acquired from the Carnegie Foundation that paid for the other half of the cost. The Carnegie Foundation during this era was responsible for supporting many cultural endeavors throughout the country. Three noted Carnegie supported institutions were Carnegie Hall in New York City, Carnegie-Mellon Institute in Pittsburgh and Carnegie Hall, home to the music and art departments at the University of Maine in Orono. The organ project was fully paid off in May 1914. Its dedication was official with a concert given on May 6, 1914. In October of 1914 the church voted $200.00 for the blower and motor, and the blower boy was then discharged from his duties.
The Esty Organ continued to operate sufficiently until the Ferry Village church on High Street was abandoned in 1945. The organ was then put in storage. Services were held for a time in the Townsend Club on Sawyer Street, but finally the vestry on the new church on Broadway was completed and services were held there while the sanctuary was still being built. At this time the stage in the vestry was used for the choir and the pulpit.
It was also felt necessary that an organ be available while church services were being held in the vestry. An ad appeared in the A. G. O. the publication of the American Guild of Organists for a 2-manual and pedal, motor-blown, 12 stop reed organ, made by Mason and Hamlin Company, one of the best reed organs available. Its cost was $500.00 at the Mystic River Warehouse in Boston. Dr. Cass and some of the other parishioners went down to the warehouse, tried it, and decided it was just what the church needed. Having been pre-authorized to make the purchase an agreement was reached and this organ would be trucked to South Portland for an additional $50 which was done. When the sanctuary was completed and the Esty from the old church was installed in the organ chambers, this reed organ was sold for $550, the same price that the church paid. As a sidenote, if one were to see the hole near the right hand side of the stage in the wall of the vestry and behind the piano that is where the air-pipe extended to thee electric blower motor in the closet. Actually this organ sucked in wind through the reeds, instead of blowing wind out through pipes as in our present organ. This Mason and Hamlin organ went into use in January of 1947 and in December was moved upstairs for Christmas. The Formal Opening of the new sanctuary was held January 4, 1948. The old Esty was now revived from storage, and rebuilt in the organ chamber to the organist’s right. The architect had been given the size of the organ chambers to the right and also above the Pastor’s study to accommodate a new organ when finances would permit. Jason Tilton, son of Esty Organ Committee chairman, Evelyn York Tilton, and a trustee in his own right at this time did the planning. Later Mr. Tilton would join the Reuter Organ Company staff. Dr. Cass was still serving in the Army Air Corps.
In our next episode we will see how we came to acquire an organ of some renown that has served this church for nearly 41 years and is still a remarkable instrument.
The primary source of information on this part of Peoples History should be credited to Dr. Malcolm Cass, the organist since the 1940’s of this church. It is an important part of that history and transcends being applied to only one period of the church history. I have chosen to include the history of the organs at the point where members of the choir, the trustees and the board of stewards and leaders agreed to the need and purchase of its first pipe organ.
The earliest reference to an organ for the Ferry Village Methodist Episcopal Church was made in one of the early brochures which showed that in the late 1870’s, repairs to the church were made, a new carpet, an organ and a stove were sought for purchase. In a receipt dated January 21, 1881 from Samuel Thurston of Number 3 Free Street in Portland describes 1 Burdett Organ, Style 60, #37,350. The listed price for the organ was $435.00. The receipt also indicated that the actual amount paid at the time was $225.00 thus leaving a balance to be paid. Of that balance Mr. Thurston relinquished his fee of $50 thus leaving a balance to be paid of $160.00. A solicitation of the congregation was made and the remainder was paid off in two monthly installments. The organ was probably of the harmonium type also called a reed organ, or parlor organ. Perhaps many have seen this type that was often found in older homes or sometimes a funeral parlor such as Hobbs has one on display. The organist while playing the keys at the same time peddled these reed organs.
In June of 1909 the choir presented a plan to the trustees to purchase a pipe organ for an approximate figure of $1600 at no expense to the church. With the approval of the trustees the choir was authorized to begin the project. The choir would raise or find the money for the instrument as well as pay for its installation. Serious consideration on the acquisition was not reported again according to the minutes of the choir secretary dated, February 13, 1911. A formal committee was organized to investigate the new organ. Presiding on the committee was church organist, Evelyn York listed as the chair of the committee. Serving with her were Minnie Parsons, Miss. Bickford, Mr. Jewett ( possibly the former captain who had not agreed to serve on the Trustees in 1903), Mr. Files, Emma Hamilton, and Mr. Harry Eustis. By May 8, 1911 $221.00 was in the bank, with another $38.65 on hand. All members of the choir were working for the organ project through choir concerts, festivals, fairs, and food sales. On November 13, 1911 it was voted that each member earn $1.00 for the organ fund by December 14, 1911. An autograph quilt with $.10 for each autographed square went to benefit the fund, and 500 copies of a poem were sold for the same cause.
Progress was made in adding to the coffers of the fund and therefore, the committee felt itself sufficiently along the path to raising the funds to have a meeting on January 12, 1912 to meet with a representative of the Esty Organ Company. The gentleman that represented the company was able to extend a blue print of the proposed organ and the Choir Treasurer and Council voted to order the organ from the Esty Company. By May $525 was raised by the choir of 21 members, and the organ was installed by July of the same year. The organs show-pipes stood across the sanctuary front behind the pulpit, chairs and communion table. Discussions on purchasing an electric blower continued for another two years until after the organ was paid for and dedicated. In the meanwhile a blower boy was hired with his salary apparently paid for by choir members who were assessed $.10 a month each.
The total cost as stated earlier was held to $1600, half being paid by the choir. A grant was acquired from the Carnegie Foundation that paid for the other half of the cost. The Carnegie Foundation during this era was responsible for supporting many cultural endeavors throughout the country. Three noted Carnegie supported institutions were Carnegie Hall in New York City, Carnegie-Mellon Institute in Pittsburgh and Carnegie Hall, home to the music and art departments at the University of Maine in Orono. The organ project was fully paid off in May 1914. Its dedication was official with a concert given on May 6, 1914. In October of 1914 the church voted $200.00 for the blower and motor, and the blower boy was then discharged from his duties.
The Esty Organ continued to operate sufficiently until the Ferry Village church on High Street was abandoned in 1945. The organ was then put in storage. Services were held for a time in the Townsend Club on Sawyer Street, but finally the vestry on the new church on Broadway was completed and services were held there while the sanctuary was still being built. At this time the stage in the vestry was used for the choir and the pulpit.
It was also felt necessary that an organ be available while church services were being held in the vestry. An ad appeared in the A. G. O. the publication of the American Guild of Organists for a 2-manual and pedal, motor-blown, 12 stop reed organ, made by Mason and Hamlin Company, one of the best reed organs available. Its cost was $500.00 at the Mystic River Warehouse in Boston. Dr. Cass and some of the other parishioners went down to the warehouse, tried it, and decided it was just what the church needed. Having been pre-authorized to make the purchase an agreement was reached and this organ would be trucked to South Portland for an additional $50 which was done. When the sanctuary was completed and the Esty from the old church was installed in the organ chambers, this reed organ was sold for $550, the same price that the church paid. As a sidenote, if one were to see the hole near the right hand side of the stage in the wall of the vestry and behind the piano that is where the air-pipe extended to thee electric blower motor in the closet. Actually this organ sucked in wind through the reeds, instead of blowing wind out through pipes as in our present organ. This Mason and Hamlin organ went into use in January of 1947 and in December was moved upstairs for Christmas. The Formal Opening of the new sanctuary was held January 4, 1948. The old Esty was now revived from storage, and rebuilt in the organ chamber to the organist’s right. The architect had been given the size of the organ chambers to the right and also above the Pastor’s study to accommodate a new organ when finances would permit. Jason Tilton, son of Esty Organ Committee chairman, Evelyn York Tilton, and a trustee in his own right at this time did the planning. Later Mr. Tilton would join the Reuter Organ Company staff. Dr. Cass was still serving in the Army Air Corps.
In our next episode we will see how we came to acquire an organ of some renown that has served this church for nearly 41 years and is still a remarkable instrument.
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