Hillgreen, Lane & Co.
Opus 1280, 1968

St. John's United Church of Christ

Sanctuary; front

68 Park Avenue East
Mansfield, OH, US

31 Ranks - 1,882 Pipes
Instrument ID: 46046 ● Builder ID: 2839 ● Location ID: 40657
⬆️ These are database IDs that may change. Don't use as academic reference.EXPLORE IMAGESVIEW STOPLIST

Something not quite correct?Suggest an Edit

Plenum Organ Company

🤝 Instrument entries in Ohio sponsored by:

We are grateful for the generous support of our sponsors, who make it possible for us to continue our mission of preserving and promoting the rich history of pipe organs across the globe.

IMAGES

Category:
Only show images in a specific category ☝️

Something missing or not quite correct?Add ImageorSuggest an Edit

STOPLISTS

Selected Item:
View additional stoplist entries if they exist ☝️

Something missing or not quite correct?Add StoplistorSuggest an Edit

CONSOLES

Selected Item:
View additional console entries if they exist ☝️

Builder: Unknown
Position: Console in Fixed Position, Center
Design: Traditional With Roll Top
Pedalboard Type: Concave Radiating (Meeting AGO Standards)
Features:
3 Manuals (61 Notes)32 Note Pedal4 Divisions23 Stops32 RegistersElectrical Key ActionElectrical Stop Action✓ Combination Thumb Piston(s)✓ Combination Toe Piston(s)✓ Coupler Thumb Piston(s)✓ Coupler Toe Piston(s)✓ Sforzando Thumb Piston(s)✓ Sforzando Toe Piston(s)

Stop Layout: Drawknobs in Vertical Rows on Angled Jambs
Expression Type: Balanced Expression Shoes/Pedals (Details Unknown)
Combination Action: Adjustable Combination Pistons
Control System: Unknown or N/A

Something missing or not quite correct?Add ConsoleorSuggest an Edit

DETAILS

Switch between notes, documents, audio, and blowers ☝️
This instrument is: Extant and Playable in this location

Jeff Scofield on December 27th, 2025:

The church has closed; the last service was held December 28, 2025.


Grant Farragher on September 19th, 2023:

At some point (before 2005), Bunn=Minnick did work on the console.


Database Manager on August 28th, 2014:

Updated through online information from Tom Scheck. -- I became organist of St. John's Church in 1967 and was organist at the time this organ was installed. The following information is from my personal observations as well as conversations with Mabel Zehner, consultant for the organ; Harold Konz, then pastor of St. John's Church; Robert Hillgreen, Jr. of Hillgreen, Lane; and Robert Barney, who, along with his wife, Maxine Barney, installed the organ.
In addition to the proposal from Hillgreen, Lane, the church had received a proposal from Schantz, which had maintained the previous 1926 Votteler-Holtkamp-Sparling organ. Although I have no knowledge of additional proposals, others may have been received. Someone had suggested that the church request a proposal from Casavant. However, Miss Zehner advised the church she didn't think the church would be happy with the kind of organ Casavant would have built.
The contract for the organ was executed in 1965 and the organ installed in 1968. The purchase price was approximately $45,000. The original contract specified a tilting-tablet console, but that was later changed to a draw-knob console. The tonal design was by D. Byron Arneson. (When I mentioned this organ to Mr. Arneson after meeting him some years later, he said he didn't recall this organ, but stated it was very possible he had designed it because he designed organs for Hillgreen, Lane during that time.) The original design did not include the Swell 4' Hautbois. Miss Zehner recommended adding an 8' Oboe and extending the 8' Trompette to 4' pitch. Hillgreen, Lane said the extension would be difficult due to the chest design they planned to use and recommended adding the 4' Hautbois instead.
The 1911 church building is Akron plan, with the altar in the southeast corner. The organ is in a space along the east side of the church specifically added to the building in 1926 for the Votteler-Holtkamp-Sparling. Although the Votteler-Holtkamp-Sparling casework was retained by Hillgreen, Lane, it was moved back approximately two feet, increasing the space for the choir but reducing the space for the organ.
The console is oak to match the church furnishings. The stop jambs, coupler rail, key cheeks and lower half of the music rack (the upper half being acrylic glass) were walnut, stained black, with gold dust rubbed into the grain. The Great is located in the center of the organ, with the 2' Holpfeife in front, the 4'Octave immediately behind, and the other three Great stops behind that. All Pedal pipes 4' pitch and above are behind the Great, below the rose window. All Great and Pedal pipes in this center section are diatonic with the lower pipes in the center except the Quartane, which has the larger pipes in the center.
The Swell is to the right of the Great and the Choir to the left. FFF#, GGG# and AAA# of the Pedal 16' Principal are in a tower between the Choir and Great with CCC, BBB and EEE on a lower level behind. GGG, AAA and BBB are in a tower between the Great and Swell, with CCC#, DDD# and FFF on a lower level behind. CC-BB of the Great and Pedal 8' Principals are in front of the Swell and Choir.
There are six dummy pipes in the facade, one equivalent to CC in the left tower and one equivalent to CC# in the right tower as well as pipes equivalent to one AAA and one AAA# in front of each of the two enclosed divisions. Although these dummy pipes were not in the original plan, some Hillgreen, Lane personnel thought the organ would look better with them. (Mr. Barney said this decision was made without the knowledge of company management and that management was not pleased when they found out about the additional expense of those relatively large pipes. Barney likened the look of the original facade plan, with more space between the pipes, to that of a picket fence.)
Flue pipes were made by Stinkens; reed pipes by A. R. Schopp. With the exceptions listed below, all ranks are spotted metal, with larger pipes of zinc. Exceptions: 1-24 of the Pedal/Swell 16'/8' Rohr Flute and 1-37 of the Choir 8' Nason Gedeckt are wood; the Choir 4' Krummhorn is brass. Hillgreen, Lane had intended to enclose the Chimes with the Choir, but there was not sufficient space for them there. They are unenclosed, but a volume control was added to vary the force of the strikers.
No tonal finishing was done. The pipes were voiced at the factory and simply taken from the pipe trays and put in place. Apparently that was Hillgreen, Lane's practice at the time. There were two blank stop knobs, one for the Great and one for the Swell. Mr. Barney suggested adding a 16' Quintadena to the Great and a 16' reed to the Swell and said there was sufficient space for the additional pipes. However, the church chose not to make the additions. When I visited the church some years ago, the walnut on the console had been replaced by more ordinary wood and numerous draw knobs had been added. Upon turning the organ on, I heard the very loud hum of speakers, indicating the addition of electronic voices. Although all of the pipe stops were working, none of the electronic voices was functioning. All of the original Hillgreen, Lane organ appeared to be intact and working, with no pipe stops added.


Database Manager on February 3rd, 2010:

Identified through online information from Tom Scheck.

Something missing or not quite correct?Add NoteorAdd WebpageorAdd Cross ReferenceorSuggest an Edit

Pipe Organ Database

A project of the Organ Historical Society