Estey Organ Co.
Opus 592, 1912

Originally built in 1905 for the Estey Showroom in Boston, at 120 Boylston St (now part of Emerson College). In Sep-1912 it was purchased by St Johns of Portsmouth NH for $3,000 , and installed "ready to play" in Dec-1912.

It replaced a 1807 Thomas Elliot organ which according to church documents was "showing its age, and liability of collapse at any moment". The original Thomas Elliot casework was reused, but parts of the gallery had to be removed to accomodate the larger Estey organ.

In 1943, "Andrews Organ Service" was contracted to upgrade and modernize the organ. Changes made was a new LaMarche Orgatrol power unit to replace the belt driven generator that ran off the blower motor. Plus, chimes, new, longer chest cables, and releathering. The original Kinetic Engineering blower was replaced with a Spencer Organblo.

In 1960, the organ maintenance was deemed too expensive, and was replaced with an electronic Allen Organ, though the 1943 Chimes were retained. The Estey organ was placed in storage.

In 1970, the Estey organ was aquired by Ernest Fiske, a local organist, for use as his residence organ. The pipes, blower, and bellows for Opus #592 were retained. The console and chests came from Estey opus #3167 (originally Concord, NH). The number of ranks was reduced from 16 to 8. Ernest passed away in 2005, and the organ was moved to a new residence, and is currently installed and playable.

Identified through online information from James R. Stettner. -- The Estey was originally built for the Estey Store in Boston. When installed at St. John's, it was placed inside the case of the 1807 Thomas Elliot organ. It was replaced in 1960 by an electronic substitute. Disposition unknown. Sources: Estey Opus List, published in The Boston Organ Club newsletter, 1973-1979; church website.