Hilborne L. Roosevelt
Opus 353, 1886

An examination (2020) of the extant organ confirms no Roosevelt pipework was recycled in the Aeolian-Skinner, although the current instrument contains a Pedal Bourdon of older pipes. The Skinner contract indicates no older pipes being reused although it does say the "present facade" would be reused. What exists now, is a pipe fence of 4' open dummy pipes on a simple, rather homemade-looking impost, which looks nothing like a Roosevelt product-- it would seem to be A-S or church-built on a short budget.

The 1937 chamber was originally spacious but after its 60's rebuilding is now quite overfilled, and appears to have been an enlargement piercing the original stone wall of the church with additional external building structure to accommodate the Skinner. The original 1880s chamber that would have existed at the time of the Roosevelt would have been too small to comfortably accommodate a two-manual organ. The poorly-designed tone opening into the church is a gothic arch that is lower than the ceiling of the chamber behind it, with pierced ceiling woodwork above the facade-pipe opening, creating an effective sound trap. Assuming the Roosevelt had an attached console with an impost slightly above the keydesk, the longest Roosevelt speaking Diapason bass that could have stood in the present low arch would have been 5' G (or mixed with stopped metal basses down to low-C).

Updated by Scot Huntington.

This entry describes an original installation of a new pipe organ. Identified by Scot Huntington, citing information from this publication: Roosevelt catalog and opus list. This country stone chapel, very much in the style of Upjohn, contains a very famous collection of Tiffany windows designed by David Maitland Armstrong. The cornerstone was laid October 11, 1884, first service in unfinished sanctuary was June 23, 1885, and the chapel was consecrated on August 31, 1886. The building cost slightly over nine thousand dollars. The church has no records relating to the organs, and it is presumed the Roosevelt was the instrument replaced by Aeolian-Skinner opus 969 in 1937, containing two manuals and 15 ranks. Further research is needed to confirm church legend that A-S recycled some of the Roosevelt pipework. That organ was substantially revised in the baroque style in the late 1960s, and if there had been extant Roosevelt pipework it may have disappeared at that time.