W. W. Kimball Co.
1895ca.
St. Paul's Roman Catholic Cathedral (2nd - 1855)
Fifth Avenue and Grant Street
Pittsburgh, PA, US
Instrument ID: 64103 ● Builder ID: 6456 ● Location ID: 55662
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Steven Bartley on June 18th, 2023:
From the Baltimore Sun, August 19, 1852 - Pittsburgh Daily Post -April/1, April/8, 1901- Pittsburgh Post May 24, 1901- Pittsburgh Press May 26, 1901-Pittsburgh Daily Post June 2, 1901-Pittsburgh Daily Post Aug 11, 1901- Pittsburgh Press Sept 9, Sept 21,1901-Pittsburg Daily Press Sept 28 St. Paul's Church 5th Ave & Grant St, was consecrated as the Catholic Cathedral some yrs after it was built (1843). A fire, in 1851, destroyed much of the building, and rebuilding was finished in 1855. An article in the Baltimore Sun paper (Aug 19, 1852) indicates that Henry Berger was in the process of planning or building a 52 stop 3 man organ for the rebuilt Cathedral. This organ may not have been built, as there is no further mention of its completion, by Berger. A new Kimball organ was purchased for the Cathedral by Andrew Carnegie. Work started in early 1900. Installation was delayed as the church officials did not think the organ could be used by Easter 1901. Like the old organ, the Kimball was to be installed in a gallery in the North Transept. The gallery was enlarged and columns to the floor were needed. While the new organ was being installed (April 1901) a decision to sell the building and build a larger cathedral at a different location was made. Henry Clay Frick was the purchaser of the old Cathedral property. The organ installation continued for 2 months after which it would be removed-stored, and set up in the new Cathedral. Two teams of workers spending 18-20 hrs a day worked on the installation. The Pittsburgh Papers provided many updates on the organ project, though only a few details were revealed. After 1901, all newspaper entries stop.
From the Baltimore Sun, August 19, 1852 - Pittsburgh Daily Post -April/1, April/8, 1901- Pittsburgh Post May 24, 1901- Pittsburgh Press May 26, 1901-Pittsburgh Daily Post June 2, 1901-Pittsburgh Daily Post Aug 11, 1901- Pittsburgh Press Sept 9, Sept 21,1901-Pittsburg Daily Press Sept 28 St. Paul's Church 5th Ave & Grant St, was consecrated as the Catholic Cathedral some yrs after it was built (1843). A fire, in 1851, destroyed much of the building, and rebuilding was finished in 1855. An article in the Baltimore Sun paper (Aug 19, 1852) indicates that Henry Berger was in the process of planning or building a 52 stop 3 man organ for the rebuilt Cathedral. This organ may not have been built, as there is no further mention of its completion, by Berger. A new Kimball organ was purchased for the Cathedral by Andrew Carnegie. Work started in early 1900. Installation was delayed as the church officials did not think the organ could be used by Easter 1901. Like the old organ, the Kimball was to be installed in a gallery in the North Transept. The gallery was enlarged and columns to the floor were needed. While the new organ was being installed (April 1901) a decision to sell the building and build a larger cathedral at a different location was made. Henry Clay Frick was the purchaser of the old Cathedral property. The organ installation continued for 2 months after which it would be removed-stored, and set up in the new Cathedral. Two teams of workers spending 18-20 hrs a day worked on the installation. The Pittsburgh Papers provided many updates on the organ project, though only a few details were revealed. After 1901, all newspaper entries stop.
Database Manager on July 8th, 2019:
This entry describes an original installation of a new pipe organ. <br>Identified by James R. Stettner, listing conversations with this person as the source of the information: Current Cathedral organist, Donald Fellows.<br>According to emailed information from Donald Fellows, "The Kimball would have been from the late 1800's. It was removed from the building when the diocese sold the property. The organ was put in storage until the new cathedral was ready to receive it. It functioned into the 1950's."
Database Manager on July 8th, 2019:
The Wikipedia page for St. Paul's R.C. Cathedral indicates that the organ was paid for (at least in-part) by Andrew Carnegie.
Related Instrument Entries: Unknown Builder (1906 ca.)
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