Wm. Schuelke Organ Co.
Opus 241, 1907
St. Mary, Help of Christians Catholic Church (1902)
Sanctuary
636 First Avenue North
Sleepy Eye, MN, US
24 Ranks - 1,462 Pipes
Instrument ID: 34422 ● Builder ID: 5636 ● Location ID: 30538
⬆️ These are database IDs that may change. Don't use as academic reference.EXPLORE IMAGESVIEW STOPLISTSomething not quite correct?Suggest an Edit
IMAGES
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STOPLISTS
| Great (I)🛈 | ||
| 16' | Bourdon | |
| 8' | Open Diapason | |
| 8' | Melodia | |
| 8' | Gamba | |
| 8' | Dulciana | |
| 4' | Octave | |
| 4' | Wald Flute | |
| 2 2⁄3' | Quint | |
| 2' | Octave | |
| III | Dolce Cornet |
| Swell (II - Expressive)🛈 | ||
| 16' | Gedeckt | |
| 8' | Geigen Principal | |
| 8' | Gedeckt | |
| 8' | Gemshorn | |
| 8' | Aeoline | |
| 8' | Flauto Amabile | |
| 4' | Rohr Flute | |
| 4' | Violin | |
| 2' | Piccolo | |
| 8' | Oboe Gamba |
| Pedal🛈 | ||
| 16' | Double Open Diapason | |
| 16' | Sub Bass | |
| 8' | Octave Bass | |
| 8' | Cello |
Metal pipework in this organ was made in 1907 by the Anton Gottfried Company in Erie, Pennsylvania, and was reused in the current 1947 Wicks pipe organ.
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CONSOLES
Builder: Wm. Schuelke Organ Co.
Position: Console in Fixed Position, Center
Design: Unknown
Pedalboard Type: Flat Straight
Features:
2 Manuals (61 Notes)32 Note Pedal3 Divisions24 StopsTubular Pneumatic (Unknown) Key ActionTubular Pneumatic (Unknown) Stop ActionStop Layout: Drawknobs in Horizontal Rows on Terraced/Stepped Jambs
Expression Type: Balanced Expression Shoes/Pedals (Details Unknown)
Combination Action: Fixed Mechanical
Control System: Unknown or N/A
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DETAILS
This instrument is: Extant and Playable in this location
According to a history of St. Mary's Parish written in 1926 by Fr. Francis Schaefer for its Golden Jubilee, the organ was erroneously stated to have been built by B. Schaefer of Schleisingerville, Wisconsin. An article from the Sleepy Eye Herald-Dispatch published on August 23, 1907 has surfaced (Summer 2024) and states that the organ was built by William Schuelke of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The organ as installed by Schuelke in 1907 was winded with feeders powered by a water motor and utilized tubular pneumatic key and stop actions controlling Schuelke's patented membrane chests. A 1.5hp Zephyr electric blower was installed by H. H. Vogelpohl & Sons of New Ulm, Minnesota in 1920 at a cost of $375.50. A generator was installed and the key and stop actions were electrified by Ernest C. Vogelpohl of New Ulm in the summer of 1925 at a cost of $833.90. This organ contained metal pipes made by the Anton Gottfried Co. of Erie, PA. A large portion of the pipework was reused in the 1947 Wicks rebuild and a large majority of the Gottfried/Schuelke pipework is still extant in the organ in 2024. The longest spotted metal pipe in each old rank is inscribed on the back of the body near the seam: "A. Gottfried & Co. Makers 1907 - Voiced". According to reliable sources, Schuelke was known to subcontract his pipework from time to time to either the Gottfried or Pierce pipemakers if he needed to provide a more competitive bid or if he was on a tight completion schedule for a given instrument.
Paul R. Marchesano on September 5th, 2024:
I recently found definitive proof (a local newspaper article with the name of the builder dating from the time of installation) that the organ...was built by William Schuelke and NOT Bernard Schaefer. -- email from Josh Sellner, 2024-09-04
Database Manager on June 23rd, 2011:
Updated through on-line information from Josh Sellner. -- Was originally tubular pneumatic; converted to electro pneumatic by E. Vogelpohl in 1924-25.
Database Manager on January 21st, 2011:
Updated through on-line information from Richard C Greene.
Database Manager on April 29th, 2008:
Identified through on-line information from Josh Sellner. -- Rebuilt substantially using original pipework and some casework by Wicks in 1947.
Webpage Links: St Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church Sleepy Eye MN
Related Instrument Entries: Wicks Organ Co. (Opus 2753, 1947)
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