Geo. Kilgen & Son, Inc.
Opus 5818, 1937

I made an inquiry to the church on August 31, 2025 regarding the status of the organ. The reply received today (Sept. 10, 2025) from a Mr. Wade Hood of the church stated, "No, the organ’s condition was irreparable and it was removed years ago."

When the organ was enlarged, I was a junior in high school in San Benito. Harold Walker was my physics, trigonometry, and analytic geometry teacher. I was organist at First Presbyterian in Harlingen at the time. After our tech retired, many of the churches that he served went to Roy Phelps. My home church in San Benito, First Presbyterian in Harlingen, First Methodist in Harlingen and First Baptist in Harlingen all went with Mr. Phelps. It was Mr. Phelps that did the enlargement. The pipework and additional reservoirs and chests came from Organ Supply Industries. I believe that the organ was also cleaned as part of the project. Mr. Walker and I assisted. I remember the blockflote being in place after I got involved. That was early on in the project, but I don't recall hearing either Mr. Phelps or Mr. Walker talk about it replacing a vox humana. And, yes, the mixture did indeed have a tierce and it was quite assertive. This would have most likely have been in the late winter and spring of 1974 when the work was done.

Updated through online information from Barbara Davidson Boyett. -- My father, Dr. Noah A Davidson, bought this organ and gave it to the church as a memorial to my brother who died in 1936. He saw it at the Chicago World's Fair in 1933. I no longer live in Harlingen and am the last of my family. I know there was some work done on it on the past.

Updated through online information from J Mark Dunn. -- The organ, last time I played it, was falling into disrepair. Harold Walker, a long-time member of the church and a pipe organ enthusiast, took good care of it until he hooked up with an electronic instrument firm. In the mid '70s, Otto Hoffman added some upper work to the Great (a 2 2/3 Twelfth, a 2' Fifteenth, and a III Mixture which is really a III Cornet [has Tierce!]). He also added an 8' Gemshorn to the Great. Aside from this, I don't believe he messed with the voicing. In one case in the Swell, he might have removed a vox humana and replaced it with a 2' Block Flute. 3 Manuals, about 24 original ranks plus Hoffman's additions. I was always told it was the Chicago World's Fair organ. It does have Chimes and a "Harp" (really a xylophone).

In 1927 building.