Note from the Organ Database Builders editors Charles Eberline and Stephen Hall, June 8, 2017. -

Raymond Whalon served his apprenticeship with Estey Organ Company in Brattleboro, Vermont, later worked for the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1949, he established the Welte-Whalon* Organ Company in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. As some of the nameplates on his instruments indicate, Whalon must have moved the business to Newport, Rhode Island at some point. Whalon closed the business at an unknown date in the 1960s, but continued working independently as a tuner and voicer until just before his death on November 10, 2006.

*The Welte in the firm name came from his wife's name, Martha (née Weltê) Whalon. She was a native of France and not related to the German Welte family which made mechanical players for pianos and later made pipe organs in both Germany and the United States. -Ed.

Sources:

• "Raymond Whalon" obituary (NewportRI.com), http://www.newportri.com/obituaries/raymond-d-whalon/article_a499405f-150b-5094-97de-5091de9151f3.html.
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• "Martha Welt Whalon" obituary (NewportRI.com), http://www.newportri.com/obituaries/marthe-welt--whalon/article_9b84a56f-c96d-5a13-b9e2-df7d2e5a5305.html.
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/ / / / Archived Note / / / /
The following note is from a previous version of this entry; it has been superseded by the note above, which contains new information or corrects errors or inaccuracies.

Archived

Note from the OHS PC Database, derived from A Guide to North American Organbuilders, by David H. Fox (Richmond, Va., Organ Historical Society, 1991). Edited for the revised OHS Online Database website, 2017. -

Established by Raymond Whalon in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, 1940s-1960s. Staff: Nelson Barden.

Sources:

• The Diapason July 1963, 38.
• Letter to David Fox.
• Robert Reich .
•